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 workers’ time, MedicalXpress December 4 reports. The findings were originally published in JAMA Internal Medicine. 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 “Presidential Determination” 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. The measure will include new investment in domestic…
FTC lawsuit challenges private equity medical group ‘Roll-Up’ 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. In September,…
Functional ultrasound offers less invasive option for people with paralysis
Editor's Note Functional ultrasound has been shown to be a promising alternative to brain-machine-interface (BMI) devices to read neural activity and assist people with paralysis. These findings were published by Nature Neuroscience on November 30. BMIs typically require invasive surgical procedures to implant the electrodes into the brain. While these…
Balanced IV solutions may benefit critically ill patients
Editor's Note Using balanced solutions in intravenous fluid (IV) therapy instead of saline can reduce the risk of death in critically ill patients in intensive care by 4%. These findings were published by The Lancet Respiratory Medicine on November 30. Patients in intensive care typically receive IV fluids, which can…
ASCs continue to contend with anesthesia provider shortages, inflating costs
Editor's Note There is a major anesthesia provider shortage that has been and continues to impact ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and which is driving up costs, Becker’s ASC Review November 29 reports. Meanwhile, reimbursements from payers are declining, straining ASCs’ ability to provide needed care. Some highlights from the Becker’s…
Study: VR technology helps reduce patient anxiety prior to surgery
Editor's Note In this original investigation published by JAMA Network on October 31, researchers have found that using virtual reality (VR) technology to give patients familiarity with the surgical setting and surgical tools prior to a procedure can help to reduce their anxiety. The study included 74 patients, ages 18…
Researchers develop new early stage breast cancer detection device
Editor's Note Researchers from the University of Waterloo have devised a new, noninvasive method for detecting early stage breast cancer in just 2 minutes using very low electro-magnetic frequencies. The findings were first published in August in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. The research team discovered that very low electro-magnetic…
Proposed bill seeks to end costly insurance fees on electronic healthcare payments
Editor's Note A new bill introduced by a bipartisan group in Congress seeks to ban fees on electronic healthcare payments from insurance companies, which cost hospitals millions and are a particular burden on hospitals in rural areas, according to a November 28 press release. The bill is called the No…