Editor's Note In this analysis of nearly 25,000 Medicare patients, mean total payments for bariatric surgical procedures varied from $11,000 to $13,000 per episode of care. The index hospitalization was responsible for 75% of total payments, followed by physician services (21%), and postacute care services (2.8%). As hospitals enter Medicare…

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Editor's Note Hip fracture surgery was associated with a higher risk of mortality and morbidity than elective total hip replacement (THR) even after adjustment for age, gender, and comorbidities, in this French study. Hip fracture patients had a 1.8% chance of dying before hospital discharge compared to 0.3% for THR…

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Editor's Note The doubling of enrollment in nursing schools and surge of new RNs into the workforce will lead to continued growth of the nursing workforce, though this growth may not be sufficient to meet demand, this study finds. Annual retirement of RNs will accelerate from 20,000 a decade ago…

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Editor's Note Hospitals with high readmission rates are being penalized largely because of the patients they serve, this study finds. The results showed that Medicare patients admitted to hospitals with higher readmission rates were more likely to have characteristics associated with a higher probability of readmission, such as more chronic conditions,…

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Editor's Note Medical schools are beginning to teach students about healthcare costs and payment models as more patients enroll in high-deductible insurance plans and healthcare moves toward value-based care, according to a report by Kaiser Health News/KPCC/NPR. An Association of American Medical Colleges survey found that 129 of 140 responding…

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Editor's Note Nurses working shifts of 12 hours or longer were more likely to report job dissatisfaction, dissatisfaction with schedule flexibility, intention to leave their current jobs, and burnout in this study. Some of the adverse outcomes, such as high burnout, may pose safety risks for patients and the nurses,…

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Editor's Note Healthcare consultant Woodrow Moore has organized a new group to represent Hawaii’s ambulatory surgery centers, the Pacific Business News reports. The Hawaii ASC Association held its inaugural meeting in June, and a governing board and officers will be selected this month. “Hawaii’s ASCs are organizing for local advocacy,…

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Editor's Note Joint Commission data on 9,119 incidents reviewed from 2004 through the second quarter of 2015 show that 9,384 patients have been affected by adverse events, with 5,383 (57.4%) resulting in death, 847 (9%) in permanent loss of function, and 2,788 (29.6%) in unexpected additional care and/or psychological impact.…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration is expanding its alert for compounded or repackaged drugs stored in Becton-Dickinson (BD) syringes to include certain lots of 1 mL, 10 mL, 20 mL, and 30 mL general use syringes and BD oral syringes. The FDA’s original alert included only 3 mL…

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Editor's Note Ten years after undergoing mesh-based procedures for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), 1 of every 30 women may require a second procedure for mesh removal or revision, this study finds. Patients of lower-volume surgeons had a 37% increased risk for complications. The findings support the Food and Drug Administration’s…

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