Editor's Note Hospitals with better nursing work environments and above-average staffing levels were associated with better surgical value (ie, lower mortality with similar costs), especially for higher-risk patients, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, found. The study compared outcomes and patient costs at 35 focal hospitals recognized nationally as…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 25 announced that Parrish Medical Center, Titusville, Florida, is the first hospital to be awarded its Integrated Care Certification. The Joint Commission began offering the certification in July 2015 to recognize hospitals and ambulatory care settings that excel at integrating information-sharing, transitions of…

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Editor's Note No significant association was found between cumulative exposure to general anesthesia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients over 40 years of age in this study from the Mayo Clinic. Of 1,731 patients aged 70 to 89 who were cognitively normal as of October 2004, 85% had at…

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Editor's Note Analyzing data from the National Cancer Data Base, researchers found that rectal cancer patients who had surgery at precisely 8 weeks (56 days) after the end of combined chemoradiotherapy had the best overall survival and successful removal of their residual tumors. This 6-year study of nearly 12,000 patients…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 21 issued final guidance for “Submission and Review of Sterility Information in Premarket Notification (510(k)) Submissions for Devices Labeled as Sterile." The document updates and clarifies information regarding sterilization processes and details about pyrogenicity the FDA recommends that sponsors include…

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Editor's Note ECRI Institute (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania) on January 21 launched its new “Rate This Model” user review and rating tool for hospital equipment purchases. The tool enables OR managers to share their opinions and assign ratings on the performance of medical technologies. The new interactive feature looks and acts…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, calculated a risk-adjusted outcomes measure of outpatient colonoscopy, which shows important variation in quality among outpatient facilities. The outcomes measure profiles outpatient facility quality by examining rates of unplanned hospital visits in the 7 days after colonoscopy.…

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Editor's Note The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 requires that physicians be measured on their meaningful use of electronic health record (EHR) technology for purposes of determining their Medicare payments. EHR incentive programs were designed to encourage the adoption of new technology and measure the benefits for…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 15 issued a draft guidance that outlines important steps manufacturers should take to address postmarket management of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in medical devices. The guidance builds on the FDA’s existing efforts to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices at…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  on January 15 cleared the Olympus TJF-Q180V duodenoscope with design and label modifications intended to reduce the risk of bacterial infections. The new design of the elevator channel sealing mechanism creates a tighter seal and reduces the potential for leakage of fluids…

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