Researchers identify interventions for physician burnout
Editor's Note In this meta-analysis, Mayo Clinic researchers identify solutions that are being used to prevent or lessen physician burnout. Effective individual-focused strategies include mindfulness training, stress management training, and small group sessions. Organizational changes include limiting physician duty hours and a range of care delivery process changes in hospitals…
New Joint Commission resource center on workplace violence
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 4 launched an online resource center to prevent workplace violence in healthcare settings. โWorkplace Violence Prevention Resourcesโ includes policies, procedures, guidelines, research, case studies, white papers, toolkits, and other material focused on workplace violence prevention and preparedness. The Joint Commission developed the resource…
ACS NSQIP develops pediatric surgical risk calculator
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) has developed a pediatric surgical risk calculator based on 181,353 cases covering 382 CPT codes across all specialties. It was found to have excellent discrimination for mortality, morbidity, and seven additional complications. The calculator can be…
Surgical ICU patients benefit from early mobilization
Editor's Note Surgical ICU patients who were assigned to an early mobilization program were discharged sooner from the ICU and the hospital and needed less help after discharge, compared with those who had standard care, this study finds. The analysis included 104 patients assigned to early mobilization and 96 who…
FDA: Recall of Baxter 50 mm 0.2 micron filters
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration on October 3 announced the recall by Baxter International (Deerfield, Illinois) of its 50 mm 0.2 micron filters because of the potential for a missing filter support membrane and for potential presence of particulate matter. The filter is a bacteria and particulate filter…
Nonhierarchical vs hierarchical modeling to measure hospital performance
Editor's Note In this study, nonhierarchical modeling to measure hospital performance frequently misclassified average-quality hospitals as low quality, and hierarchical modeling misclassified low-quality hospitals as average. At low hospital case volumes, hierarchical modeling missed 90.6% of low-quality hospitals, and nonhierarchical modeling missed 65.3%. However, 38.9% of hospitals classified as low-quality…
Joint Commission: NAN alert on medication leaking from BD syringes
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 28 reported on an alert the National Alert Network (NAN) issued on medications leaking from Becton-Dickinson (BD) syringes (predominantly 10 mL). Leaks have extended past the first and second rib of the stopper, and appear to occur as medication is drawn into the…
Predictors of high cost of care after bariatric surgery
Editor's Note Suboptimal postoperative outcomes are the primary driver of high overall costs of care after bariatric surgical procedures, this study finds. The study included morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy (74 patients) or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (270 patients) at a single institution from 2010 to…
Zika virus may be transmitted in sweat and tears
Editor's Note Physicians at the University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, announced on September 28 that the Zika virus may be transmitted in sweat and tears, NBC News reports. The case of a Utah man who infected his 38-year old son before he died in July leaves…
Effect of CJR episode of care definition on hospital performance
Editor's Note Comparing the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) programโs broad definition of a patientโs episode of care (ie, initial hospitalization until 90 days after discharge) with a clinically narrow definition of an episode of care, researchers found that hospital performance was consistent no matter which definition was used.…