CMS hospital ratings show performance decline in 2024
Editor's Note Hospital performance declined this year compared to last, with more than 60% earning three stars or less in 2024 hospital star ratings from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). โThis decline might be partly due to the data covering the period from April 2019 to March…
FDA announces Class 1 recalls for nerve monitoring system, ambulatory infusion pumps
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated recalls of Medtronicโs NIM Vital Nerve Monitoring System and Smith Medicalโs CADD-Solis Ambulatory Infusion Pumps as Class 1, the most severe category indicating serious risk of injury or death. Reports of false negative responses prompted Medtronic to recall the nerve…
The Joint Commission secures renewed deeming approval for ASCs
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on July 31 it has secured renewed deeming approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for its Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Accreditation Program. This renewed approval is effective from September 1, 2024, through September 1, 2030, the maximum term allowed by…
Study shows joint replacement surgery backlog in UK due to COVID-19 to take years to recover
Editor's Note A recent study led by the University of Bristol reveals nearly 9 months of joint replacement surgeries, amounting to approximately 160,000 procedures, have been lost since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, News Medical Life Sciences July 31 reports. Published in The Bone & Joint Journal, the study…
Nurse-led initiatives support workplace safety in outpatient settings
Editor's Note In healthcare, ensuring the safety of staff and patients is paramount, particularly in outpatient clinics where incidents of violence can occur unexpectedly. At the 2024 SGNA Annual Course, experts discussed the importance of preparedness in managing violent situations in such settings, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy News August 7 reports.…
Study: Spinal fusion failure more likely for diabetic patients
Editor's Note Lumbar spinal fusion procedures are significantly more likely to fail in individuals with diabetes, according researchers at The University of Toledo. According to a July 9 EurekAlert! report on the study, published in JBMR Plus, diabetic patients are already known to have a higher risk of infection from…
2025 IPPS payment rule criticized
Editor's Note The American Hospital Association (AHA) criticized new inpatient prospective payment system rates issued August 1 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), citing the potential of financial struggles for hospitals and reduced access for patients, particularly in rural or underserved areas. Under the new rule, most…
Democratic vice-presidential nomineeโs healthcare record examined
Editor's Note Having served six terms in Congress and as Governor of Minnesota since 2018, Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz has a long history of involvement in healthcare issues. MedPage Today published an overview of his track record on August 6, drawing on sources including ABC News, Star-Tribune, and the…
EHR โnudgeโ reduces unnecessary axillary surgery in older breast cancer patients
Editor's Note An electronic health record (EHR)-based nudge could significantly reduce low-value axillary surgeries in older women with early-stage breast cancer, researchers reported July 17 in JAMA Surgery. Conducted across eight clinical settings, the initiative significantly cut the rates of low-value sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNB) by nearly 50% over…
Healthcare pays dearly for data breaches
Editor's Note Responding to and recovering from data breaches in healthcare is more expensive than any other industry, according to a report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute. Healthcare Dive reported on the results August 1. According to that article, the $9.8 million average cost for a breach this year…