Rules and Regulations
New study shows how initial exposure influences immune responses to COVID-19 variants
Editor's Note A new study suggests that someone's initial exposure to a specific COVID-19 variant shows some influence to their immune response to subsequent variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, the University of Cambridge October 6 reports. The research, published by Science on October 6 and titled "Mapping…
Study: Routine ER screening catches undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, prediabetes
Editor's Note Early symptoms of type 2 diabetes often go undetected, and late detection can lead to long-term complications, including heart disease, nerve damage, and retinopathy. Screening for type 2 diabetes in the emergency department could reveal thousands of previously undiagnosed cases each year, EurekAlert! October 3 reports. These findings…
Postpandemic applicability, usage of UV disinfection technology
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of proper disinfection to manage and contain the spread of the disease. During the pandemic, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology played an important role in safeguarding public health and combatting COVID-19. Various uses of UV technology have become available on the market and can be…
Minimizing wasted 'In-OR' minutes at start of day at a pediatric AMC
The OR is the financial motor of a hospital. As such, inefficiencies in this space adversely impact patient safety as well as the financial stability of the hospital and/or healthcare system. The first case on-time starts (FCOTS) metric is one of the primary benchmarks for assessing OR efficiency. The following…
Assistance program leads to major drop in ER visits, costs for immigrants
Editor's Note A study from economists and public health officials in the September 2023 issue of the journal American Economic Review: Insights found that when undocumented immigrants were provided assistance to visit primary care doctors via a pilot program, it resulted in a 21% drop in emergency room (ER) use.…
ASC luncheon: Quality Measure Reporting Updates for ASCs
Editor’s Note In this luncheon presentation, OR Manager Conference attendees delved into the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Quality Measure Reporting Program for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Gina Throneberry, MBA, RN, CASC, CNOR, director of education and clinical affairs at the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), shared which quality…
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 Becker’s…
SHEA updates CAUTI prevention recommendations
Editor's Note An update of the 2014 “Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections [CAUTIs] in Acute-Care Hospitals” was published August 25 by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). The update, which is a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Association for…
The Joint Commission: Updated Accelerate PI Dashboard Reports available
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on August 23, announced that updated Accelerate PI Dashboard Reports are available for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing centers. The reports provide performance measurement data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on a select subset of quality measures through the second quarter…
The Joint Commission’s revised medication compounding requirements include perioperative settings
Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced, on August 22, that it had revised its requirements related to medication compounding for accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals, effective January 1, 2024. The revisions include Element of Performance (EP) 3 for National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) NPSG.03.04.01: "Label all medications, medication containers,…
Free Daily News
- Report: Medical student distress rises amid overall healthcare burnout improvement
- Prosthetic insurance coverage disparities persist despite legal protections
- Study: GLP-1 drugs reduce surgical complications in diabetes patients
- United Surgical Partners agrees to $1.48M settlement in 401(k) fee lawsuit
- Healthcare M&A activity set to rebound in 2025 amid stricter state oversight
- High participation in ASCQR program continues, March deadline for reconsideration requests
- Study: Preoperative stereotactic radiosurgery shows promise in brain metastases management
- Senate report: Private equity endangers patient care in underserved hospitals
- Study: Postoperative thirst often overlooked by OR, ward nurses
- FDA draft guidance addresses pulse oximeter accuracy, AI devices