Regulations/Legal
Postoperative opioid prescriptions falling, but more improvement needed
Editor's Note A new study finds that while opioid prescriptions for postoperative pain relief have continued to decline, that downward trend has slowed since 2020, indicating the need for continued work to right-size opioid prescriptions for surgery patients. The findings were published by JAMA Network on December 7. Researchers looking…
New Joint Commission certification addresses secondary use of data
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced a new certification program in a December 5 Global Newswire press release. The new certification provides guidance to healthcare organizations on the safe transfer of patient data to third-party organizations. The voluntary Responsible Use of Health Data (RUHD) Certification program aims to help hospitals…
FDA issues safety notice for syringes made in China
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety notice on November 30 regarding quality concerns related to several Chinese manufacturers of syringes. The FDA is evaluating these devices for potential problems, including leaks, breakages, and the presence of particles in the syringes. According to the safety…
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…
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,…
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…
New California law expands workplace violence prevention measures
Editor's Note A new workplace violence law was enacted in California in September 2023 that requires all businesses to have a violence prevention plan in place by July 1, 2024, HealthLeaders November 7 reports. Employers already covered under the Workplace Violence Healthcare standard are exempted, as are law enforcement agencies…
Kaiser Permanente workers agree to new labor contract post-strike
Editor's Note Kaiser Permanente union workers have agreed to a new 4-year contract that includes 21% raises along with new minimum wages and provisions to improve staffing shortages, Chief Healthcare Executive November 10 reports. In October of this year, more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers, including nurses and technicians,…
Disparity in core cancer services at hospitals serving Black, Hispanic patients
Editor's Note Hospitals that serve a high number of Black and Hispanic patients are much less likely to have advanced medical equipment and core services needed to provide effective cancer care. These research findings were published in JAMA Oncology on November 16. The researchers analyzed patient data from 4,373 hospitals,…
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- Study: Longer shifts, understaffing increase nurse sickness absence
- Power loss risks prompt FDA Class 1 recall designation for heart pump accessories
- Therapy dogs ease nurse burnout, boost morale
- Personalized perioperative pain management reduces opioid use
- Study: Colibactin-producing gut bacteria fuel colorectal cancer surge
- Augmented reality gains FDA nod, 10k-case milestone in orthopedics, strides in outpatient surgery
- Smart patient selection anchors DISC’s high-acuity spine ASC model
- Postop opioid prescriptions following outpatient surgery see steep, sustained fall
- Study: Bariatric surgery offers cost, survival benefits for cirrhosis patients
- AI monitoring, remote surgery advance