Researchers are calling for better tracking of chronic diseases
Editor's Note There are new efforts underway to better harness electronic health record (EHR) data to track chronic diseases, as was done with tracking infectious diseases such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article discussing these efforts appeared in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice in October 2023.…
New Joint Commission certification addresses secondary use of data
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced a new certification program in a December 5 Global Newswire press release. The new certification provides guidance to healthcare organizations on the safe transfer of patient data to third-party organizations.ย ย The voluntary Responsible Use of Health Data (RUHD) Certification program aims to help hospitals…
New wearable device system could aid in remote medical monitoring
Editor's Note A new wearable monitoring device system from researchers at the University of Arizona aims to make digital health access more equitable. These research findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on December 4.ย The new device can reportedly send health data up to…
Looking more closely at nurse burnout, impact on quality care
Editor's Note A recent story on PBS NewsHour has recently looked at nursesโ vulnerability to burnout, and how it is impacting quality care. The story is part of the PBS series titled, โCritical Care: The Future of Nursing,โ released on November 28. According to the story: A federal study last…
FDA issues safety notice for syringes made in China
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety notice on November 30 regarding quality concerns related to several Chinese manufacturers of syringes. The FDA is evaluating these devices for potential problems, including leaks, breakages, and the presence of particles in the syringes.ย According to the safety…
Online training program significantly reduces postop complications following colon surgery
Editor's Note An online training program from the University of Birminghamโs Global Surgery Unit, called the EAGLE study, has been shown to reduce major postoperative complications following certain types of colon surgical procedures. The findings were published in the British Journal of Surgery on November 29. Researchers found that surgical…
Lack of accurate information on patient deaths in California strains resources
Editor's Note In California, 20% of patients who have died were still being shown as alive with a serious illness in their medical records, leading to wasteful outreach and strain on hospital workersโ time, MedicalXpress December 4 reports. The findings were originally published in JAMA Internal Medicine.ย Due to a…
NPs are transforming the healthcare landscape amid physician shortages
Editor's Note The number of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the US has surged to 385,000, according to a November 14 Becker's Clinical Leadership article. As a result, the profession seems to be gaining prominence in healthcare amid an anticipated shortage of 100,000 physicians, Becker's Hospital Review December 4 reports. Research…
Biden administration expands HHS authority to bolster US medical supply chain
Editor's Note The Biden Administration will issue a โPresidential Determinationโ that will expand the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in order to boost the domestic supply chain for essential medicines, a November 27 HHS press release reports.ย The measure will include new investment in domestic…
FTC lawsuit challenges private equity medical group โRoll-Upโ deals
Editor's Note The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is squaring off against a private equity-backed anesthesia practice in Texas, HealthNews Florida November 30 reports. This move is being seen as a first step in the agency seeking to challenge the increasing role of private equity in monopolizing medical groups.ย In September,…