Writing to Congress To comment on S 2221, the Transparency in Medical Device Pricing Act of 2007, you can send an e-mail through your Congress member's website. Senators are listed at www.senate.gov. House members are at www.house.gov. To download the bill and check its status, enter the bill number at…

Read More

In too many hospitals, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders are automatically suspended when the patient passes through the OR doors, violating the individual's right to make decisions and going against what every major association related to perioperative care recommends. "This practice is short sighted and ill advised," says Richard Cook, MD, associate…

Read More

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has eliminated the requirement that surgical consent forms list the names of practitioners who will assist the surgeon and tasks they will perform. Surgeons and perioperative nurses had pressed for the change, saying they often could not know in advance who would…

Read More

Should physicians who request products be required to disclose any financial interests they have with the company that makes the product? Experts say yes. But it's a hot issue, and many hospitals haven't yet taken that step. Scrutiny by the government and press is fueling the call for disclosure. In…

Read More

Abill in New York State would amend the state's education law to license central service (CS) technicians. If the bill becomes law, only a person licensed or exempt from licensure would be able to perform CS services or use the title Central Service Technician. Requirements for licensure would include: meeting…

Read More