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Patients deserve better healthcare price transparency

Reforms are underway to curb surprise billing practices, with new federal government regulations due to be published by July 1 as part of the No Surprises Act passed by Congress in late 2020. Among many other provisions, the new law will require insurance providers to be more transparent about prices…

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By: Elizabeth Wood
May 19, 2021
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ANSI/AAMI ST79 amendments refine sterilization practices

Amendments have been added to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standard ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in Health Care Facilities. The standard, which is used in healthcare facilities to guide their sterilization processes, is considered a useful resource to promote best…

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By: Susan Klacik, BS, CRCST, ACE, CIS, FCS
May 19, 2021
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Building a good 'marriage' with hospitals: A primer for ASCs

A global pandemic did not stop the proliferation of joint ventures between ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospitals in 2020. The trend continues in 2021, as federal regulators expand on the types of procedures that can be performed in the ambulatory setting. Hospitals are recognizing the need for a surgery…

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By: Jennifer Lubell
May 19, 2021
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Study: Postop opioid prescriptions decreasing, but not to recommended levels

Editor's Note Opioids prescribed after outpatient surgery are going down, but still do not meet expert recommendations, a new study from Epic Health Research Network finds. The researchers examined the median number of opioid tablets prescribed after outpatient surgical procedures between January 2017 and December 2020. For four orthopedic procedures,…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 18, 2021
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CDC relaxes mask guidelines for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 13 announced that fully vaccinated individuals can discard masks and do away with social distancing outdoors and in most indoor settings. The agency still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons, and…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 17, 2021
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NYT: CDC statistics on COVID-19 transmission outdoors misleading

Editor's Note The New York Times (NYT) reported on May 11 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new guidelines for mask wearing are misleading because they treat outdoor transmission of COVID-19 as a major risk. The CDC reports that less than 10% of COVID-19 transmissions are occurring…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 13, 2021
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The Joint Commission announces top 5 most challenging requirements for 2020

Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on May 12, listed the top 5 standards most frequently identified as “not compliant” during surveys and reviews from January 1 to December 31, 2020. The top five for accredited hospitals are: NPSG.15.01.01: Reduce the risk for suicide. EP1. IC.02.02.01: The hospital reduces the risk…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 13, 2021
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Immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant, lactating women

Editor's Note This study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, finds that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are immunogenic in pregnant and lactating women, and they induce immune responses against variants. For the study, researchers enrolled 30 pregnant, 16 lactating, and 57 neither pregnant nor lactating women…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 13, 2021
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FDA: BD recalls certain lots of ChloraPrep

Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration announced on April 20 that Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) was recalling certain lots of its ChloraPrep Hi-Lite Orange 26 mL Applicator. ChloraPrep is used as an antiseptic to prepare a patient’s skin before surgery. The recall was initiated because the Applicator, which…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 11, 2021
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Effectiveness of adding mask recommendations to other COVID-19 public health measures

Editor's Note This randomized, controlled trial by Danish researchers finds that wearing surgical masks to supplement other public health measures did not significantly reduce the COVID-19 infection rate, compared with no mask. Of 6,024 trial participants, 3,030 were randomly assigned to wear high-quality surgical face masks with a filtration rate…

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By: Judy Mathias
May 6, 2021
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