ASA: New research on epidural anesthesia in the OR, reducing SSIs, decreasing overinflation of breathing tubes
Editor's Note On July 14 and 15, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) hosted a virtual event, the Anesthesia Quality and Patient Safety Meeting, which brought to light new research on when to administer epidural anesthesia in the OR, an anesthesiologist-led infection prevention program reducing rates of surgical site infections…
Primary care visits linked to decreased postoperative mortality rates
Editor's Note Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, find lower mortality rates following emergency general surgery (EGS) in Black and White patients when exposed to primary care prior to the surgical procedure. The retrospective cohort study included 102,384 Medicare patients aged 66 or older who were admitted from the…
Does a โweekend warriorโ physical activity pattern prevent cardiovascular disease?
Editor's Note This study by researches at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, examines whether moderate to vigorous physical activity concentrated in 1 to 2 days of the week (ie, a โweekend warriorโ pattern) confers similar cardiovascular benefits as more evenly…
Applications for Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards due August 7
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on July 19, announced that it and the National Quality Forum (NQF) are accepting applications for the 2023 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards through August 7. The awards, which recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations in their use of innovative approaches…
Nurse resiliency, health before and during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study by led nurse researchers at the Deaconess Health System, Evansville, Indiana, compares the degree of resilience and physical and mental health in nurses before and during COVID-19. A higher proportion of nurses surveyed during COVID-19 reported working more than 8 hours of overtime per week, had…
The Joint Commission updates requirements for medication compounding
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on July 19, announced that it has revised its Medication Compounding (MC) chapter for home care organizations and the Medication Compounding Certification (MDC) program, which is available to accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and home care pharmacy organizations. Among the revisions: Revising the requirements to…
Hospitals look to cybersecurity insurance as cyberattacks rise
Takeaways โข Patient data & safety are at risk: 94% of hospitals have experienced at least one cyberattack. โข Less than half of hospitals in the US carry cybersecurity insurance. โข Security is a two-part strategy: cybersecurity insurance as well as preventative measures (eg, encrypted backups, patches, and training). When…
Price transparency in surgical settings
Takeaways โข Healthcare consumers are not aware that they can ask how much something costs. โข There is disconnect between the law and common knowledge, and patients generally are confused about what they receive as good faith estimates. โข In addition to incorrect CPT codes and OON allowable charges, the…
Editorial
The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) makes headlines almost daily. Eliminating any fatalistic doomsday scenarios, current literature is raising interesting points around the useability of AI and the ethical considerations regular users of AI should not ignore. In the healthcare space, the number one question seems to be, Is it…
2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey: A closer look for perioperative nursing
In this issue, I am following up the information I shared in the July issue of OR Manager regarding the findings of the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey. The perioperative nursing shortage is widespread, and what we are now experiencing is as unsettling and challenging as anything we have experienced…