The Joint Commission launches SAFER Dashboard
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 6, launched the SAFER Dashboard for its accredited healthcare organizations. The dashboard, which is accessible on an organizationโs Joint Commission Connect extranet site, is a data analytic tool that allows organizations to view their survey data and national comparison data in one place.…
Aspirin use linked to improved outcomes in COVID-19 patients
Editor's Note This multicenter retrospective study led by researchers from George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, found that aspirin use by COVID-19 patients was associated with improved outcomes. Of 412 COVID-19 patients included in the study, 314 (76.3%) did not receive aspirin, and 98 (23.7%) received aspirin within…
Healthcare employment up in March
Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in March to a seasonally adjusted 15,935,300 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on April 2. Thatโs up 11,500 jobs since February and down 462,100 jobs compared to a year ago. Hospital employment was still down 600 jobs, the…
Cornerstones of a Better System: 7 Steps to Improve OR Financial and Operational Performance
One of the biggest challenges OR managers and VPs of surgery face is efficient use of OR time. They struggle to balance revenue and utilization targets with surgeon and staff preferences against a backdrop of often unpredictable supply and demand. The way in which blocks of OR time are allocated,…
Survey: 21% of health systemโs faculty, staff, trainees considered quitting during COVID-19
Editor's Note This survey finds that 21% of faculty, staff, and trainees at University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, have considered quitting their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 30% considered reducing hours because of COVID-19-related stress. Other findings of the survey (5,030 respondents), which looked at childcare, career…
CDC: Risk of getting COVID-19 from surfaces is low
Editor's Note In a science brief based on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionโs (CDCโs) analysis of the latest available data, the agency says the risk of getting COVID-19 from surfaces โis generally considered to be low.โ The CDC noted that: The risk of COVID-19 infection via surface transmission…
Use of telehealth by surgical specialties before, during COVID-19
Editor's Note This study led by the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, finds that early in the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a substantial increase in telehealth use across all surgical specialties, with a slow decline after June 2020. Of 4,405 surgeons included in the study, 2,588 (58.8%) used telehealth in…
CDC: Fully vaccinated people are safe for domestic travel
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on April 2, updated its information for travelers to say people who are fully vaccinated can travel safely within the US. The update notes that fully vaccinated travelers do not have to be tested before or after travel unless required…
Whitepaper Test - Wufoo
Clinical care and patient outcomes relies on the availability of clinical supplies. COVID-19 caused shutdowns and reduced capacity resulting in supply shortages that eventually spread to the entire clinical supply chain. The persistent effects of the pandemic have made the current healthcare landscape even more uncertain, complex, and challenging. As…
Whitepaper Test - Zoho
Clinical care and patient outcomes relies on the availability of clinical supplies. COVID-19 caused shutdowns and reduced capacity resulting in supply shortages that eventually spread to the entire clinical supply chain. The persistent effects of the pandemic have made the current healthcare landscape even more uncertain, complex, and challenging. As…