Preop opioid score not linked to adverse outcomes after spine surgery
Editor's Note NarxCare, an opioid-use score based on state prescription databases, is not associated with adverse outcomes or patient satisfaction after elective spine surgery, this study finds. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of 346 elective spine surgery patients did not find statistically significant odds of experiencing adverse events, readmissions, reoperations, and…
CMS maintains site-neutral cuts in 2020 proposed rule
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 29 issued the 2020 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs), which would increase Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system rates by 2.7%. CMS is also proposing to add eight codes to…
Coffee lets colorectal surgery patients recover, go home faster
Editor's Note Postoperative coffee intake after elective laparoscopic colorectal resection leads to a faster recovery of bowel function and decreases hospital length of stay, this study from Switzerland finds. A total of 115 patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (56) receiving coffee or the control group (59) receiving…
US News publishes 2019-2020 top hospitals list
Editor's Note The US News & World Report on July 30 released its 2019-2020 Best Hospitals Honor Roll. The top five are: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore Cleveland Clinic New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia and Cornell, New York City. In the specialty rankings: University of…
Hospitals with more BSNs linked to better cardiac arrest outcomes
Editor's Note Hospitals with more nurses who have bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degrees have better outcomes for patients after cardiac arrest, this study finds. For the study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, analyzed data from the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines-Resuscitation registry, RN4CAST-US hospital…
AI helps Aetna resolve claims overnight
Editor's Note Health insurer Aetna has created an artificial intelligence (AI) software to settle insurance claims−a development that could lead to automation of other processes and free up staff to focus on higher-level tasks, the July 25 CIO reports. Aetna estimates the software, which is able to resolve claims overnight…
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[Free Webinar] Creating Efficiencies in Your OR: A Surgeon’s Perspective
Creating Efficiencies in Your OR: A Surgeon’s Perspective Wednesday, August 28, 2019 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET | 1 CE In ORs across the country, perioperative personnel are tasked with doing more with less resources. Join us for this free webinar, where you’ll find out how to identify…
Study debunks ‘July Effect’ in cardiac surgery
Editor's Note The “July Effect”−the idea that more errors occur in July because of the influx of new interns and residents starting their in-hospital training−does not apply to cardiac surgery, this study finds. For more than 470,000 cardiac procedures analyzed (coronary bypass, aortic valve, mitral valve, thoracic aortic aneurysm), in-hospital…
FDA issues final guidance for drug-device combo products
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on July 22 issued a final guidance for makers of products that combine devices and drugs or biologics. The guidance clarifies how manufacturers should comply with recordkeeping requirements and how they should submit safety reports and avoid duplication.