Testing shows promise for automated anesthesia monitoring, delivery system
Editor’s Note A new automated delivery system for anesthesia that has been effectively tested in monkeys could eventually be used by doctors to identify and deliver the right dose of drugs in people. The findings appeared October 31 in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United…
The Joint Commission revises definition of suicide in Sentinel Event Policy
Editor's Note Starting January 1, healthcare organizations must consider an expanded timeframe and range of care services when reporting patient suicide as a sentinel event to The Joint Commission. According to the December 13 announcement of the change to the organization’s Sentinel Event Policy, the revised definition “better reflects current…
Supply chain leaders discuss improving access, reducing costs
Editor's Note Supply chain professionals can contribute to a more affordable, equitable health care system by spending more with suppliers in economically disadvantaged areas; expanding distribution into in-home care; and leveraging data and technology. According to a November 28 report in Healthcare Purchasing News, these were among the conclusions of…
Report pinpoints leadership barriers for women nurses
Editor's Note A new report is the first to offer a comprehensive examination of the barriers women nurses face in advancing into leadership roles. The report was published December 13 in eClinicalMedicine, part of The Lancet. The review looks at decades of research in order to establish the specific sociocultural,…
Smartwatches detect irregular heart rhythms in kids
Editor’s Note Smartwatches can detect and diagnose irregular heart rhythms in children that standard physician monitoring may miss, Medical Xpress reports. Published on December 13 in Communications Medicine, the findings are based on a survey of 4 years’ worth of electronic medical records for pediatric cardiology patients at Stanford Medicine…
Nurse trustee advocates for more nursing representation on hospital boards
Editor’s Note In the December 12 episode of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Advancing Health podcast, Ellen Brzytwa, RN, trustee at the Cleveland Clinic, discussed why more nurses should serve on hospital governing boards. With a background in psychiatry and behavioral and public health, Brzytwa became the first nurse trustee…
First hospital joins FDA’s medical device information sharing and analysis initiative
Editor’s Note Charlotte, North Carolina-based Atrium Health is the first hospital to join the Medical Device Information Analysis and Sharing (MDIAS) public-private partnership (PPP) between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and private sector stakeholders. The news was announced December 12 by Mitre, a nonprofit research organization and the independent…
Survey reveals how nurses would like to allocate their shift hours
Editor’s Note Nurses would like to significantly increase time spent with patients, coaching fellow nurses, and pursuing professional growth, according to survey data published on May 26 by McKinsey & Company. The survey included questions regarding how nurses spend their time during a typical shift (broken down across 69 specific activities)…
Penn Medicine sets world record with 100 kidney paired donation surgeries in 1 year
Editor’s Note Penn Medicine celebrated a significant milestone on December 6—its 100th paired kidney exchange surgery in 12 months set a world record for the most kidney paired donation transplants in a year. The announcement was published in an EurekAlert! December 12 press release. Penn Medicine launched its Center for…
Critical shortage of rehab beds highlights a strained system, impact on patient safety
Editor's Note A critical lack of beds in rehabilitation facilities and postdischarge care is impacting patient recovery postoperatively, Forbes December 12 reports. According to the article, procedures involving brain and spinal cord injuries are the most impacted. Authors Robert Glatter, MD, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New…