CMS launches 6-year model to curb wasteful Medicare spending with AI-driven reviews
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the launch of a new model using artificial intelligence (AI) to target unnecessary Medicare spending, the agency reported in an October 17 update. The voluntary model will run from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2031, and aims to…
Digital decision aid boosts shared decision-making in knee replacement consultations
Editor's Note A personalized digital tool is helping patients and orthopedic surgeons make more informed, confident decisions about total knee replacement (TKR), according to BMC Health Services Research October 21. Both patients and surgeons reported the EKIT tool—a tablet-based decision aid developed in Germany—improves shared decision-making (SDM), enhances communication, and…
AI-driven CMS pilot model could slow ASC care despite fraud-fighting goals
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is enlisting artificial intelligence (AI) to combat wasteful spending, but ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) warn the plan could slow care and increase administrative strain, Ambulatory Surgery Center News October 20 reports. The agency’s new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR)…
UCSF surgeons spotlight innovation, perioperative research at national surgical conference
Editor's Note University of California San Francisco (UCSF) surgeons and researchers presented a wide range of original work at the American College of Surgeons’ 2025 Clinical Congress in Chicago, held October 4–7. According to an October 7 article published by UCSF, the meeting featured topics from perioperative opioid stewardship and…
FDA recalls affect surgical staplers, OR procedure kits, ultrasound systems used in hospitals
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced three new recalls between October 14 and 16 that may affect OR inventory and perioperative workflows across multiple service lines. Each recall targets a commonly used product in surgical or imaging settings, prompting leaders to review supplies and coordinate with…
Hospitals being squeezed: Anesthesia workforce gaps, payer cuts threaten surgery access
Editor's Note Hospitals are bracing for service reductions as anesthesia staffing shortages collide with reimbursement cuts, Modern Healthcare October 14 reports. Executives and staffing experts see mounting financial strain that could limit patient access and stall growth plans, with rural facilities most exposed. As detailed in the article, systems continue…
Study finds Medicare paid nearly $2 billion for unnecessary back surgeries
Editor's Note More than 200,000 older Americans underwent back surgeries they likely did need, costing Medicare and Medicare Advantage a combined $1.9 billion, Axios October 9 reports. The findings, based on an analysis by the Lown Institute, raise new concerns about overuse of high-cost procedures with limited benefit, as federal…
Study: Surgical preference cards reduce anxiety, boost competence in nursing students
Editor's Note Training with surgical preference cards significantly lowers anxiety and strengthens clinical competence among OR nursing students, according to a randomized controlled trial published in BMC Medical Education on October 2. The study enrolled 60 OR nursing students in Iran between 2023 and 2024. Students were randomly assigned to…
Study shows new nurses need a year to be ready for independent practice
Editor's Note Most newly licensed nurses require about 12 months before they can practice autonomously, a HealthLeaders September 8 analysis reports. The article highlights findings from a recent National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) study of 200 nurses, 74% of whom reported that a full year was necessary…
Nurse leaders weigh in on NCLEX pass rate decline, impact on workforce readiness
Editor's Note The NCLEX pass rate for RNs fell sharply in early 2025, but many nurse leaders see the drop as temporary rather than cause for alarm, Becker’s Hospital Review August 12 reports. The first-quarter pass rate declined to 71.6%, compared with 79.1% in the same period of 2024. The…
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- CMS launches 6-year model to curb wasteful Medicare spending with AI-driven reviews
- Report: Hospitals can cut anesthesia costs, burnout through tech-driven partnerships
- Study: One in four US healthcare workers faces food insecurity
- Digital decision aid boosts shared decision-making in knee replacement consultations
- CMS narrows surveys to immediate jeopardy, harm during shutdown
- Ambient AI turns burnout relief into 'hard ROI' at Seattle Children’s
- Robotics redefine cardiac surgery with precision, smaller incisions, new frontiers in AI and telesurgery
- Private equity bets big on outpatient cardiology as CMS boosts reimbursements
- AI-driven CMS pilot model could slow ASC care despite fraud-fighting goals
- Governors form alliance to fill federal public health gaps amid cuts, shutdown