Editor's Note In a July 14 news release, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) said the proposed Medicare physician fee schedule for CY 2022 poses a threat to surgical patient care. The proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) maintains cuts to surgical care that Congress…

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Editor's Note This study by researchers from the UK finds that insertion and removal of supraglottic airway devices for general anesthesia do not generate aerosols and should not be designated as aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). Working in an ultraclean environment, the researchers used a highly sensitive aerosol detector to measure…

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Editor's Note ECRI on July 20 announced a collaborative partnership with Nuvolo, an independent software vendor involved in cloud-based connected workplace solutions, based in Paramus, New Jersey. The partnership integrates ECRI’s standardization of medical device data with Nuvolo’s Connected Workplace for Healthcare. This automated process enables standardization of device data…

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This year, the American Hospital Association reports that hospitals could lose between $53 billion and $122 billion in revenue. Public health and the healthcare sector faced severe physical, mental, and financial stressors in 2020. Although some pandemic-driven burdens are finally easing, US hospitals are expected to face enormous fiscal losses…

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Cancellations of some surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic and case rescheduling have been a major focus for perioperative leaders. But changes are also occurring in anesthesia practices. For many surgical procedures, the use of regional anesthesia or nerve blocks, coupled with light sedation, is reported to double if the…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on July 13, issued a new “Quick Safety Issue 60: Understanding the needs of diverse populations in your community.” To address the health and well-being of diverse populations in US communities, hospitals and medical centers can use the following safety actions and strategies: Requiring leadership…

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Editor's Note This study from the Cleveland Clinic finds that patient satisfaction with virtual healthcare visits is comparable to traditional in-person visits. Researchers surveyed 426 adult patients who had virtual visits from June 21 to July 12, 2017. Among the findings: 92.9% believed their virtual visit clinician was interested in…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, finds that US hospitals may not be adequately prepared for future pandemics. The 10-year analysis found only marginal improvements in a measurement to assess preparedness—Hospital Medical Surge Preparedness Index (HMSPI)—during the years leading up…

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Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was down in June to a seasonally adjusted 15,954,500 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on July 2. That’s down 12,200 since May. Hospital employment was down 5,500 jobs. The overall unemployment rate rose to 5.9%.

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Editor's Note ECRI announced June 30 that it had been chosen by the Belgium-based International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI) to develop the first large-scale database of new and promising pharmaceutical products. ECRI will curate and maintain a database of pharmaceuticals expected to enter the European market within the next 2…

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