Bioelectric mesh could help track cardiac disease
Editor's Note Although cardiac disease is the leading cause of human morbidity and mortality globally, the complexity of cardiac tissues makes monitoring difficult. To address this issue, a team from University of Massachusetts Amherst and MIT has created a bioelectronic mesh system that can measure movement of cells in cardiac…
Study: Postoperative hospital readmissions higher for older Americans
Editor's Note Older Americans are at heightened risk for both short-term and long-term hospital readmission following major surgery, according to a study from Yale University published February 28 in Jama Network Open. ย Readmission places a major financial strain on health systems, researchers write, pointing out that the total cost…
Surglogs, AAAHC partner on digital accreditation standards for better compliance
Editor's Note Surglogs, a leading regulatory and accreditation platform in the healthcare industry, is partnering with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) in a "strategic collaboration," a March 13 press release reports. This collaboration marks a significant advancement in the accessibility of AAAHC accreditation standards, as they will…
Leapfrog Group launches survey focusing on patient safety in ASCs
Editor's Note The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization that is behind the biannual Hospital Safety Grades, hopes to assist with patient safety improvements in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across the US with its latest initiative, NJ Biz March 25 reports. Starting April 1, the Leapfrog ASC Survey will be…
CDC releases 'hospital-tested' guide to combat worker burnout
Editor's Note The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), of the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is releasing an innovative, hospital-tested guide aimed at addressing and mitigating healthcare worker burnout, a CDC March 18 press release reports. This initiative is a cornerstone of the Impact…
Most physicians negatively view private equity ownership of healthcare practices
Editor's Note According to a March 11 research letter published by JAMA Internal Medicine, most physicians have a negative view of private equityโs growing involvement in healthcare. The findings mostly come from a January 2023 survey of 525 medical doctors conducted by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Some highlights…
Surgical robot specializes in head, neck tumor resection
Editor's Note A team of Johns Hopkins researchers has designed a robot capable of performing the most complex, delicate proceduresโincluding head and neck tumor resectionโwith accuracy greater than many human surgeons. As reported by the institution on March 18, ASTR: the Autonomous System for Tumor Resection is an autonomous, dual-arm,…
Study: UV-C light effectively disinfects non-sterile, high-touch surfaces
Editor's Note Although many studies have focused on infection transmission within the operating room, authors of research published in the March issue of the Journal of Infection Control focused their study of UV-C light disinfection on non-sterile hubs of patient careโin this case, high-touch surfaces within an academic endoscopy unit.…
Study makes case against preoperative urine culture for most surgical procedures
Editor's Note Findings published March 4 in Jama Network show that preoperative urine culture is a low-value intervention for most surgical patients and should be de-implemented. Despite guidelines to the contrary from Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American College of Physicians, preoperative urine testing and antibiotic treatment persists…
Forced-air device outperforms standard endoscope drying practices, study shows
Editor's Note Authors of a recent study evaluating the effectiveness of a forced-air drying system for endoscopes argue that the results reinforce the need to re-evaluate standard drying practices. Findings were published February 24 in the American Journal of Infection Control. Wet environments resulting from inadequate drying practices can result…