Tag: Safety

Video details healthcare cybersecurity challenges

Editor's Note "Why is healthcare cybersecurity so bad?" This is the central question explored in a December 4 video from STAT health tech reporter Brittany Trang, who also wrote an article on the subject earlier this year. Brought into sharp focus by data exposures related to the recent attack on…

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By: Matt Danford
December 10, 2024
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Study: Antibiotic de-escalation reduces adverse outcomes in patients with sepsis

Editor's Note A study analyzing data from 124,577 suspected sepsis cases across 236 US hospitals found that antibiotic de-escalation—switching to narrower-spectrum antibiotics or stopping broad-spectrum antibiotics—occurred in less than 30% of cases but was associated with improved patient outcomes, according to December 6 report from the Center for Infectious Disease…

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By: Matt Danford
December 10, 2024
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AI risks top ECRI’s 2025 list of health technology hazards

Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled technologies present the greatest technology risk to healthcare organizations in 2025, according to the latest list from ECRI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to safety in the industry. As detailed in the organization’s December 4 announcement, the annual report highlights critical risks that healthcare organizations…

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By: Matt Danford
December 9, 2024
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Anthem anesthesia payment policy reversal prompts statement from American Society of Anesthesiologists

Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) commended Anthem's reversal of a policy to deny anesthesia payment based on arbitrary time limits, which was set for February 2025 in three states. “The now-rescinded policy was inconsistent with prevailing standards, regulations and billing norms, and revealed a diminished dedication to…

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By: Matt Danford
December 6, 2024
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Advanced practice providers fill capacity gaps amid continued scope-of-practice debates

Editor's Note A recent report in Becker’s Hospital Review illuminated health systems’ efforts to address physician shortage by integrating advanced practice providers (APPs) into care models. Citing projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Becker’s noted that nurse practitioners (NPs) “are the fastest-growing occupation in the country, with employment in…

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By: Matt Danford
December 6, 2024
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FDA designates Class 1 recall for insulin syringes

Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated Cardinal health’s recall of certain lots of the Monoject U-100 1 mL Syringe Luer-Lock with Tip Cap Soft Pack a Class 1, the most severe recall category indicating serious risk of injury or death. The product is designed to administer…

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By: Matt Danford
December 5, 2024
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Surgical protocol nearly halves postoperative ED visits for pediatric urology patients

Editor's Note A quality improvement protocol at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus resulted in a 48.8% decrease in the number of pediatric urology patients returning to the emergency department (ED) unnecessarily within 30 days of surgery. According to a December 2 university report, the initiative has significantly reduced…

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By: Matt Danford
December 5, 2024
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Study: Masking policies significantly reduce hospital-acquired viral respiratory infections

JAMA (healthcare publication) Network logo

Editor's Note A cohort study conducted across 10 hospitals in the Mass General Brigham system found that stopping universal masking and SARS-CoV-2 testing significantly increased hospital-onset respiratory viral infections, while reinstating masking for healthcare workers reduced those rates. As detailed in a November 27 research letter in Jama Network Open,…

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By: Matt Danford
December 5, 2024
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HHS finalizes rule to expand kidney transplant access

Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finalized a new rule establishing the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model, a 6-year, mandatory initiative to enhance access to kidney transplants, improve care quality, and reduce disparities. Managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the program…

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By: Matt Danford
December 4, 2024
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Study: Non-operative management of pediatric appendicitis cost-effective compared to surgery

Editor's Note Non-operative management (NOM) with antibiotics for pediatric uncomplicated appendicitis is both less expensive and slightly more effective than urgent laparoscopic appendectomy over a one-year period, according to a study published November 19 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The findings support the viability of NOM…

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By: Matt Danford
December 3, 2024
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