Fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine saved lives of rheumatic disease patients
Editor's Note Receiving a fourth dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine recommended for patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, was found to have saved lives and reduced hospitalizations among that patient population. The findings were published in the journal The Lancet Rheumatology on November 15. The researchers used…
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…
Survey: Compensation rising for in-demand APPs
Editor's Note According to the 2023 survey from consulting firm SullivanCotter, published in August 2023, compensation for Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) has grown at a faster rate than pay for physicians and nurses, BusinessWire November 15 reports. The final report included data on more than 124,000 individual APPs and over…
Research study assessing accuracy of ChatGPT in medical diagnoses
Editor's Note A May 2023 study shows that ChatGPT–a large language model artificial intelligence chatbot–can make accurate diagnoses and care management decisions but is less adept at differential diagnosis. The findings were published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. The research team from Mass General Brigham inputted all 36…
Children being increasingly treated at children’s, not general, hospitals
Editor's Note A new study finds that children are now much more likely to be treated at children’s hospitals concentrated in a few locations as opposed to general hospitals, JAMA Network October 30 reports. This represents a dramatic shift that has taken place over the past 20 years, according to…
Cybersecurity alert: New ransomware may pose serious threat to healthcare institutions
Editor's Note The American Hospital Association (AHA) November 6 is alerting healthcare institutions to a new ransomware known as BlackSuit, which is likely to pose a serious threat to the healthcare and public health sectors. According to AHA: BlackSuit is very similar to the Royal ransomware family, which followed the…
Flexible IV needle aims to reduce needle injuries, infections
Editor's Note Researchers have designed a new IV needle, called the Phase-Convertible, Adapting and non-REusable (P-CARE) needle, which becomes soft and flexible when inserted. The findings were published in Nature Biomedical Engineering on October 30. Some highlights of the article include: Because medical IV needles are rigid, it allows them…
Drug shortages are getting worse nationwide
Editor's Note Across the US, drug shortages are on the rise, including for chemotherapy drugs, antibiotics, and weight-loss drugs, PBS News November 5 reports. This trend is worrisome for many reasons, experts say, with the top-pressing concern being high-risk patients having to switch to less effective or more aggressive regimens…
Colorado-focused report shows wasteful spending, over $130M spent on low-value care
Editor's Note A new report by the Denver-based nonprofit Center for Improving Value in Health Care found that millions are being spent on tests and treatments that have limited value for patient health and well-being, KFF Health News November 13 reports. According to estimates, from 10% to 30% of the…
Millions misclassified due to improper blood pressure measurements
Editor's Note Several million patients may be misclassified as having hypertension because they are not sitting according to recommended guidelines when measurements are taken, according to new findings in The Lancet published September 14. The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology advise that when health care professionals take…
Free Daily News
- FBI investigates as Oracle health data breach exposes patient information
- Study: Pulse oximeters may misestimate oxygen saturation in darker skin tones
- FDA issues Class 1 recall for vascular cannulas
- Renewed push for healthcare price transparency faces familiar challenges
- Survey: Tariffs expected to increase hospital costs, disrupt supply chains
- Study: Arthroplasty implants linked to metal accumulation in cerebrospinal fluid
- Novel noninvasive surgical approach shows promise in treating severe OCD
- Study: Preop mental health assessment improves postop outcomes for older patients
- Study: Adenotonsillectomy reduces healthcare use in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing
- Introducing New Leader Toolkit: Your guide to OR leadership success