Space Station surgery experiment portends bright future for exploration, Earth-based medicine
Editor's Note Surgeons in Lincoln, Nebraska performed the first “operation” in space via remote control of a robot wielding scissors to cut through rubber bands, a historic first that has implications beyond space travel. Space.com reported the news February 22. Guided by onboard cameras and facing nearly second-long communications delays,…
Unveiling ECRI’s 2024 top 10 health technology hazards list
What is the purpose of the top 10 health technology hazards list, released every year by ECRI? “Our number one goal at ECRI is to reduce preventable harm,” stresses Jason Launders, MSC, former director of operations, device evaluation, at ECRI. “We know that every healthcare provider has a lot they…
ChatGPT study prompts questions about clinical applications for large-language-model AI
Editor's Note Although ChatGPT has shown human-level performance on several professional and academic benchmarks, a recent study of its potential for clinical applications raised questions among surgeon evaluators. Findings were reported in the journal Surgery on January 20. Specifically, researchers tested OpenAI’s general-purpose large-language model on questions from the Surgical…
Study: AI model explanations fail to combat bias
Editor's Note New data raise questions about the effectiveness of image-based AI model explanations in helping clinicians recognize systematic bias when diagnosing hospitalized patients. The findings appeared in JAMA on December 19. Researchers looked at the diagnostic accuracy of 457 hospital physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants in diagnosing patients…
FDA encourages new cybersecurity standards on medical device manufacturing
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognized the latest guidance on medical device cybersecurity from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), an AAMI November 14 press release reports. This latest cybersecurity recognition is encouraging its use across the medical device manufacturing industry to…
Optimizing productivity measurement in the ASC
Takeaways Clinical hours per case is a simple, yet effective, productivity metric. Analysis of productivity measures can include benchmarking against external and internal data. A positive work culture will improve staff productivity. Productivity is a foundational concept for leaders of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). “Measuring productivity is essential to be…
How health systems are using tech tools to make ORs more efficient
Most hospitals agree that they can better harness the data they are collecting from registration through discharge in order to streamline patient turnovers, reduce wait times, and improve patient and staff satisfaction, but there is still uncertainty about how best to turn massive quantities of data into better patient outcomes.…
New cybersecurity toolkit provides guidance to healthcare sector
Editor's Note The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on October 26 announced a new cybersecurity-focused toolkit with resources for healthcare organizations and the public health sector. The two agencies have been working with the Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity…
AI-supported app improves physician time, patient communication
Editor's Note Physicians at the University of Kansas Health System are piloting an AI-based app called Abridge that captures feedback from the medical care team and transcribes it for patients, Fox4 August 9 reports. This AI-led process reportedly saved time on documentation while providing clear guidance for patients The new…
Study evaluates the effectiveness of predictive AI in healthcare settings, identifies shortcomings
Editor's Note Implementing predictive AI models in healthcare settings can alter the baseline assumptions the models were trained on in ways that cause the models to perform worse, according to a recent simulation study published on October 6 by the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study analyzed 130,000 critical care…
Free Daily News
- HCA Healthcare reports solid first-quarter financials
- Per-person healthcare spending grows nearly 19% in 5 years
- OR Manager Conference: Lowest rates expire in one week
- Hospitals boost cybersecurity budgets, staff
- Kentucky passes first-ever state law decriminalizing medical mistakes
- Kaiser Permanente data breach affects 13.4 million
- Study explores link between diverticulitis and colorectal cancer
- State lawmakers target rising healthcare costs via legislation on hospital facility fees
- FDA medical device Class 1 recalls trend upward
- Data cast doubt on recommendation to delay weight-loss meds prior to surgery