Tag: Patient Safety

Market volatility threatens hospitals’ liquidity as tariff-driven costs rise

Editor's Note Tariff-fueled market volatility is jeopardizing the investment returns that nonprofit hospitals rely on to bolster liquidity, manage debt, and weather ongoing operational headwinds, according to an April 16 report in Fierce Healthcare. As detailed in the article, hospitals face a dual threat: higher direct costs on supplies and…

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By: Matt Danford
April 18, 2025
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Study: CT scan radiation could drive 5% of future cancer cases

Editor's Note Current US CT scan practices could lead to approximately 103,000 future cancers—nearly 5% of all new annual diagnoses—if utilization and radiation dosing patterns persist, according to a risk modeling study published April 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Authors emphasized that although CT is often lifesaving, its risks are…

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By: Matt Danford
April 18, 2025
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Commentary: Cyberattacks threaten financial survival of surgical practices

Editor's Note One cyberattack can unravel years of work and financial stability for a surgical practice. That’s the central warning in an April 9 commentary by Lenworth M. Jacobs Jr., MD, MPH, FACS, professor of surgery at the University of Connecticut and director of the Trauma Institute at Hartford Hospital.…

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By: Matt Danford
April 17, 2025
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Tariffs strain supply chains, split medical manufacturing community

Editor's Note President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs—especially steep duties on Chinese imports—has sharply divided the medical community, with device manufacturers urging exemptions while some US-based PPE producers cheer the protectionist move. CNBC reported the news April 16. The tariff rate on China is 145%, the outlet reports, while…

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By: Matt Danford
April 17, 2025
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Bye-bye, SSI: Nurse-led decolonization protocol pays off

Imagine completely eliminating surgical site infections (SSIs) without significantly disrupting perioperative workflows. At Magic Valley Regional Medical Center (MVMC), a mid-sized community hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, a nurse-led pilot project accomplished just that for breast and colorectal surgeries. As for other procedures, overall infection rates are down by nearly…

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By: Michelle Stierstorfer
April 16, 2025
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Literature review: Endoscope disinfection failures highlight need for stronger sterilization practices

Editor's Note High-level disinfection (HLD) fails to reliably eliminate harmful microbes from flexible endoscopes in real-world healthcare settings, according to a review of endoscope processing effectiveness published April 8 in the American Journal of Infection Control. The review highlights routine breaches in cleaning protocols and links contaminated endoscopes to numerous…

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By: Matt Danford
April 16, 2025
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Study: GLP-1 drugs heighten risk of gastric residue but not perioperative pulmonary aspiration

Editor's Note Taking GLP-1 receptor agonists before anesthesia increases the risk of residual gastric contents, but evidence is lacking for a corresponding increase in perioperative pulmonary aspiration risk, according research published April 15 in the journal Anaesthesia. The systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed 28 observational studies involving over 466,000 patients…

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By: Matt Danford
April 16, 2025
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Knee surgical robot market set to surge, projected to reach $5.9B by 2032

Editor's Note According to a new report by HTF Market Intelligence, the global knee surgical robot market is projected to grow significantly to reach $5.9 billion by 2032, up from $1.7 billion in 2025, Newstrail April 11 reports. This reflects a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.4%, driven…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
April 16, 2025
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Health system mega-mergers fall short amid cost, quality concerns

Editor's Note Chasing size through mega-mergers no longer guarantees sustainability for health systems, according to an April 15 article in HealthLeaders. Many of the nation’s largest systems are reporting significant losses, while emerging evidence links consolidation to stagnant or declining care quality and worsening workforce challenges. The article highlights financial…

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By: Matt Danford
April 15, 2025
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Strengthening healthcare cyber defenses challenged by third-party, asset-related risks

Editor's Note Healthcare organizations are improving their ability to respond to cyberattacks but continue to fall short on preventing them—particularly when it comes to managing third-party and asset-related risks. That’s the key takeaway from the 2025 Healthcare Cybersecurity Benchmarking Study conducted by KLAS Research and partner organizations. Surveying 69 healthcare…

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By: Matt Danford
April 15, 2025
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