AHRQ opens enrollment for hospitals to implement enhanced recovery pathways
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons on June 6 called for interested hospitals to join a new cohort of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery (ISCR). In the program, presented in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Medicine Armstrong Institute…
Opioid epidemic increases number of hearts available for transplant
Editor's Note The opioid epidemic has expanded the pool of overdose-death donors (ODDs) for heart transplantation. Even though ODDs have higher rates of hepatitis C, cardiac allograft quality indices are favorable, and recipient outcomes are similar to those with non-ODD hearts, this study finds. Of 15,904 heart transplant donors analyzed,…
AHRQ: ASCs can submit patient safety culture survey data until July 22
Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announced on June 4 that ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that have administered AHRQโs Ambulatory Surgery Center Survey on Patient Safety Culture can submit their data to the database until July 22. ASCs that submit data will receive free individual feedback…
Opiate-sparing analgesia after discharge from total hip
Editor's Note Multimodal analgesia with minimal opiates improved pain control and significantly decreased opiate use and opiate-related adverse effects after discharge from elective total hip replacement surgery, finds this study. The 235 patients analyzed received one of three discharge pain regimens: Group A: scheduled-dose multimodal analgesia (ie, acetaminophen, meloxicam, gabapentin)…
Joint Commission: New requirement for office-based surgery fluoroscopy services
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced June 5 that beginning January 1, 2020, accredited office-based surgery practices that provide fluoroscopy services will be required to comply with element of performance (EP) 17 of Environment of Care (EC) standard EC.02.02.01: The practice manages risks related to hazardous materials and waste. This…
Estimating cost of physician burnout in the US
Editor's Note There is a substantial economic value for policy and organizational expenditures for physician burnout reduction programs, this study finds. A conservative base-case model estimates that about $4.6 billion in costs is attributable to physician burnout each year in the US because of physician turnover and reduced clinical hours.…
FDA panel recommends reclassification of surgical staplers to Class II
Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administrationโs General and Plastic Surgery Devices Advisory Committee on May 30 recommended that surgical staplers be reclassified from Class I to Class II devices. This would add premarket review and special controls to the devices. The Committee said Class II regulation would offer a…
Association of changes to Hospital Readmission Reduction Program with changes in penalties
Editor's Note Stratification of hospitals in Medicareโs Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) was associated with a significant shift in hospital penalties for excess readmissions, this study finds. Beginning in FY 2019, Medicare is stratifying hospitals into five peer groups based on the proportions of each hospitalโs patient population that is…
HHS releases final report on pain management
Editor's Note The Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task force, a Health and Human Services (HHA) federal advisory committee on May 30 released its final report. The report calls for a balanced, individualized, patient-centered approach to pain management and underscores the need to address stigma, risk assessment, access to care,…
Effect of opioid-sparing postop pathway on patient satisfaction, pain control
Editor's Note Patients on an opioid-sparing postoperative pain management pathway reported minimal or no opioid use and high satisfaction and pain control in this study. A total of 190 patients having one of six different procedures participated in the pathway and were advised to use acetaminophen and ibuprofen every 6…