End of universal contact tracing leading to 870+ healthcare layoffs in New York City
Editor's Note According to a March 4 notice filed by NYC Test & Trace Corps, New York City's (NYCโs) initiative for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, the city is ending universal contact tracing by the end of April, Beckerโs Hospital Review March 10 reported. This means that NYC Health +…
Research shows orthopedic procedures cost less in ASCs
Editor's Note According to ASC Focus, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association journal, new research was recently published that supports older data pointing to the cost savings of orthopedic procedures being done in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) compared to hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). Past research cited by ASC Focus included an…
FDA extends shelf life for refrigerated Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Editor's Note Based on data submitted by Janssen Biotech Inc., a pharmaceutical company wholly owned by Johnson & Johnson, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized on March 7 the extension of the shelf life for refrigerated Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, the American Hospital Association March 14 reported. The…
ECRI issues annual list of Patient Safety Concerns
Editor's Note ECRI, on March 14, issued its annual list of Patient Safety Concerns, which is dominated this year by staffing shortages and healthcare workersโ mental health that have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past, the top concerns were typically associated with clinical issues caused by…
ASA: Best practices to manage acute pain in surgical patients developed at pain summit
Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) announced on March 8 that it had joined with 14 leading medical specialty organizations to establish seven guiding principles to address the treatment of acute perioperative pain in complex surgical patients. The new principles were developed during a second landmark pain summit…
Effect of perioperative fall prevention intervention on postop falls, quality of life
Editor's Note This study from Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, finds that a multicomponent safety intervention, consisting of patient education, home medication review, and hazard identification in the home environment, was not associated with reductions in falls during the first year after an elective inpatient surgical procedure, but…
Poll: Inflation, war, and COVID-19 pushing stress to alarming levels
Editor's Note Two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, inflation, money issues, and the war in Ukraine have pushed US stress to alarming levels, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). APA partnered with the The Harris Poll to conduct a survey between February 7 and 14, 2022, and again…
APIC outlines actions needed to battle future pandemics while fighting rising HAIs
Editor's Note The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) on March 8 announced the publication of a new report outlining actions needed to successfully battle future pandemics while fighting the rise in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Some recommendations in the 66-page report, titled โBetween a Rock and Hard…
Survey: Concerns older adults have when considering elective surgery
Editor's Note New findings from the University of Michigan's "National Poll on Healthy Aging" show that while most adults between the ages of 50 and 80 express concerns when opting to have elective surgery, 2 in 3 are โvery satisfied with the outcomeโ post-procedure, according to a March 9 American…
Report: Cardiology is fastest growing ASC specialty
Editor's Note According to the 2022 Key ASC Benchmarks and Industry Figures report published by Avanza Healthcare Strategies, an ASC consulting firm, cardiology is the fastest growing ASC specialty, Beckerโs ASC Review March 10 reports. The Avanza report was released on March 8 and is a โcompilation of recently [as…