Regulations/Legal
Joint Commission releases sentinel event stats for first half of 2020
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 12 released its sentinel event statistics for the first half of 2020. From January 1 through June 30, the Joint Commission reviewed 437 sentinel events. The most frequently reported events were in the following categories: Care management, 165 Surgical or invasive procedures, 131…
Gallup poll finds disinterest in receiving COVID-19 vaccine
Editor's Note A Gallup poll of US adults conducted from July 20 to August 2 finds that 35% of those surveyed would not be interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine when one is approved by the Food & Drug Administration. The survey also finds that 41% of non-white Americans would…
American Heart Association warns of cardiovascular risks of marijuana use
Editor's Note In a Scientific Statement, the American Heart Association (AHA) says marijuana use has no cardiovascular benefits and that it has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure. Though a full understanding of how marijuana use affects the heart and blood vessels…
NIH harnesses power of AI for COVID-19 diagnosis, treatment
Editor's Note The National Institutes of Health (NIH) on August 5 announced the launch of the Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center, which will create new tools using artificial intelligence (AI) and medical imaging to diagnose and personalize therapies for COVID-19 patients. The Center will build a large repository of…
ACS opposes proposed Medicare physician fee schedule
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) on August 4 announced that it is strongly opposed to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule for CY 2021. In the fee schedule, which is set to take place January 1, 2021, Medicare payments will…
Joint Commission updates Patient Blood Management Certification program
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 5 announced that it has approved new and revised requirements for hospitals and critical access hospitals certified under the Patient Blood Management program that will go into effect January 1, 2021. The certification requirements have been updated to align with the third edition…
CMS releases 2021 proposed payment rule for ASCs, HOPDs
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 4 released the 2021 proposed payment rule for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). Among the proposals in the rule: CMS proposes to expand the number of procedures that Medicare would pay for when performed…
Automated monitoring tool facilitates contact tracing of COVID-19 patients
Editor's Note The use of an automated web-based symptom monitoring tool as part of Maine's COVID-19 contact tracing program made the state's contact tracing and monitoring faster and more efficient. The tool was well received, with the majority of monitored contacts (96.4%) agreeing to the automated system. Contacts automatically received…
FDA authorizes first COVID-19 diagnostic test for screening asymptomatic people
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 24 reissued its emergency use authorization (EUA) for LabCorp’s COVID-19 RT-PCR Test to include two new indications for use: Testing for individuals who do not have COVID-19 symptoms or who have no reason to suspect COVID-19 infection. Allowing for pooled…
Mask-wearing mistakes to avoid
Editor's Note The protective value of masks depends on how they are used. If people are reckless about masking up or clumsy when handling or removing masks, they can put themselves and others at risk, the July 21 Livestrong reports. To get the most out of wearing face-coverings, it’s important…
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