New CMS rule focuses on postop opioids in outpatient settings
Editor's Note The Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act, which is set to take effect in 2025, will set up a separate Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) payment for certain nonopioid pain management techniques in outpatient and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) settings, the September 12 Beckerโs…
Bariatric surgery linked to suicide risks in obese patients
Editor's Note This multisite study, led by Durham VA Medical Center and Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, finds that bariatric surgery is associated with greater risks of suicidal ideation (ie, suicidal thoughts or ideas) and suicide attempts than nonsurgical treatments in obese patients. For the analysis, 38,199 patients in the…
COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths increasing
Editor's Note The COVID-19 hospital admission rate in the US rose some 16% to more than 17,400 for the week ending August 26, and deaths increased by nearly 18% from the prior week, the September 7 New York Times reports. This marks the seventh consecutive week of increases. The Omicron…
University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies awarded $23.57M NIH grant
Editor's Note The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, on September 5, announced that it had been awarded a $23.57 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant will be used to fund a project to investigate how stress experienced by parents, and fueled…
US and UK sanction Russian cybercrime group targeting hospitals, providers
Editor's Note The United States, in coordination with the United Kingdom, has imposed sanctions on 11 individuals linked to the Russia-based cybercrime group known as Trickbot, a US Department of the Treasury September 7 press release reports. These sanctions were issued by the US Department of the Treasury's Office of…
Telehealth services bridge gap for specialist access in rural communities
Editor's Note Rural populations are challenged with access to consistent specialist care, with an average of just 11% of the volume of specialists per 100,000 residents compared to urban areas, according to the National Rural Health Associations.ย In an effort to combat the shortage of specialists, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital in Alaska…
Effect of in-house call on surgeonsโ sleep, burnout
Editor's Note This multi-center study, led by the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, examines the effect of in-house call on sleep patterns and burnout among acute care surgeons. Physiological and survey data of 224 acute care surgeons on in-house call were collected over a 6-month period and included in the…
Cleveland Clinic survey examines American menโs health habits
Editor's Note A new national survey by Cleveland Clinic finds a disconnect between menโs perception of their health and their actual health habits. A total of 1,000 US men, 18 years of age and older, were surveyed. In the survey, 81% of men said they believe they are leading a…
ACS: Three tips for managing postop pain
Editor's Note For Pain Awareness Month, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), on September 6, shared three tips for managing pain after surgery. Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, FACS, a member of the ACS Patient Education Committee and vice chair of research for the department of surgery at UT…
Association of health professional shortages with surgical outcomes, expenditures
Editor's Note This study from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, finds that Medicare patients having common surgical procedures in health professional shortage area hospitals obtain safe care without evidence of higher expenditures. A total of 842,787 Medicare patients undergoing appendectomy, cholecystectomy, colectomy, or hernia repair between 2014 and 2018…