Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced that it is seeking proposals through September 7 to help fund and develop cybersecurity technologies for healthcare systems, clinics, and healthcare-related devices,  the August 17 WIRED reports. The Digital Health Security…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced, on August 22, that it had revised its requirements related to medication compounding for accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals, effective January 1, 2024. The revisions include Element of Performance (EP) 3 for National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) NPSG.03.04.01: "Label all medications, medication containers,…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, examines whether the decision to operate or not operate for an emergency general surgery condition affects Black and White patients differently. A total of 556,087 Medicare patients (59,519 Black and 496,568 White) were included in the analysis. Overall, 165,932 (29.8%)…

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Editor's Note Two New York (NY) Upstate Medical hospitals, University and Community General, reimposed their mask mandates on August 17 after an increase in COVID-19 cases was announced, and testing is also now required for all patients admitted to the hospitals, The Daily News reports. According to a memo sent…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on August 17, identified the recall by Abiomed of the labeling for its Impella RP Flex with Smart Assist System Catheter as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because the catheters’ instructions for use did not appropriately address precautions…

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Editor's Note This recent study published in early 2023 by the Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons highlights that the total number of benign hysterectomies being performed in the US has decreased, with vaginal hysterectomies declining by 19% over 2 years. Only 12% of hysterectomies for benign…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of Miami examines the effect of a preoperative walkthrough of a patient’s day of surgery using augmented reality (AR) on perioperative anxiety levels. A total of 95 patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery at an outpatient surgery center were randomized to an AR intervention…

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Editor's Note In an August 14 interview with HealthLeaders Media, David Benton, PhD, RN, RGN, FRCN, FAAN, CEO of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, says artificial intelligence (AI) has important roles in training nursing students, balancing nurse workloads, and managing patient care, which ultimately helps reduce stress…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on August 16, announced a strategic affiliation with the National Quality Forum (NQF) in an effort to accelerate improvements across the continuum of patient care and change the focus from competing measures to advancing key outcomes. The NQF will maintain its independence in developing consensus-based…

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Editor's Note This study from Finland examines nurses’ assessments of their resilience, job satisfaction, quality of care, and intentions to quit during the third wave of COVID-19. A total of 437 Finnish RNs responded to an electronic survey. The findings show that: nurses had good resilience, but a significant proportion…

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