Healthcare needs to prepare for Ransomware 2.0
Editor's Note Cybersecurity experts are warning that Ransomware 2.0 is coming, and healthcare needs to be prepared, the August 8 Healthcare IT News reports. Ransomware 2.0 combines ransomware with a worm, which allows it to move laterally or across internal and external networks. Because the next wave of attacks will…
New national surgical safety program begins with colorectal surgery
Editor's Note Researchers have released a surgical technical evidence review for colorectal surgery (published online August 7 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons) as the first step in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Qualityโs Safety Program for Improving Surgical Care and Recovery, a nationwide program to…
Medicare โmeaningful useโ data to be submitted via QualityNet
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced August 7 that hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in ย Medicareโs Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program will submit their โmeaningful useโ data via QualityNet rather than the EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System beginning January 2, 2018,…
CMS push to value-based care leading to more burnout
Editor's Note The push by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to transform healthcare delivery at community health centers to value-based care is increasing staff dissatisfaction and burnout, this study finds. From 2013 to 2014, clinicians and staff at 296 centers reported statistically significant declines in multiple measures…
ACS releases new surgical quality, safety manual
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 7 announced the release of a new manual, โOptimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety,โ to help guide surgeons in leading quality improvement and patient safety efforts in their organizations. The collaborative publication from 135 contributing authors and two surgeon…
FDA: Class I recall of Datascope Corp/Maquet intra-aortic balloon pump
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 4 classified the recall by Datascope Corp/Maquet (Mahwah, New Jersey) of its intra-aortic balloon pump as Class I, the most serious. The recall was issued because of the risk of a valve failure, which prevents the balloon from inflating and…
CMS releases FY 2018 inpatient PPS final rule
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 2 issued the FY 2018 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, which updates Medicare payment and policies when patients are discharged from hospitals. The rule increases rates by 1.2%. This includes an initial market-basket update of 2.7%…
FDA: Safety Alert for triamicinolone, moxifloxacin intravitreal injection by Guardian Pharmacy Services
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on July 28 issued a Safety Alert for compounded triamicinolone and moxifloxacin for intravitreal injection by Guardian Pharmacy Services (Dallas, Texas). [The Guardian Pharmacy Services in Dallas is not affiliated with the national long-term care Guardian Pharmacy Services, LLC headquartered in Atlanta.] The…
Preop elderly assessment tool identifies postop complication risks
Editor's Note Screening elderly patients preoperatively using the Vulnerable Elders Surgical Pathways and Outcomes Assessment (VESPA) tool helped identify patients at higher risk of postoperative complications in this study. A total of 736 patients 70 years of age or older were assessed in a preoperative clinic from July 9, 2008,…
FDA: ICU Medical recalls one lot of 0.9% sodium chloride injection, USP 1,000 mL
Editor's note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 31 announced the recall by ICU Medical, Inc (San Clemente, California) of one lot of 0.9% sodium chloride injection, USP 1,000 mL. The recall was issued because of a confirmed customer complaint of particulate matter identified as stainless steel in…