Takeaways • The Joint Commission eliminated 56 redundant or outdated Elements of Performance, revised four others, and is using more checklists. • The Joint Commission is emphasizing healthcare equity and identifies it as a priority to address healthcare quality and safety, calling organizations to integrate health equity into their QAPI…

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The new year is here, and as we step into 2024, the team at OR Manager is thrilled to share a number of new initiatives. From new voices to investigative studies and success stories on both fresh and familiar topics, we are eager to continue curating the most relevant content…

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Editor’s Note Seasonal flu cases are spiking across the country, according to data published December 15 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   Although the surge is nationwide, activity is highest in the southeast, south-central, and west coast regions. As a result, weekly flu hospital admissions are…

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Editor's Note Starting January 1, healthcare organizations must consider an expanded timeframe and range of care services when reporting patient suicide as a sentinel event to The Joint Commission. According to the December 13 announcement of the change to the organization’s Sentinel Event Policy, the revised definition “better reflects current…

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Editor's Note There are new efforts underway to better harness electronic health record (EHR) data to track chronic diseases, as was done with tracking infectious diseases such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article discussing these efforts appeared in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice in October 2023.…

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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…

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Editor's Note An online training program from the University of Birmingham’s Global Surgery Unit, called the EAGLE study, has been shown to reduce major postoperative complications following certain types of colon surgical procedures. The findings were published in the British Journal of Surgery on November 29. Researchers found that surgical…

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Editor's Note The Biden Administration will issue a “Presidential Determination” that will expand the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in order to boost the domestic supply chain for essential medicines, a November 27 HHS press release reports.  The measure will include new investment in domestic…

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Editor's Note In this original investigation published by JAMA Network on October 31, researchers have found that using virtual reality (VR) technology to give patients familiarity with the surgical setting and surgical tools prior to a procedure can help to reduce their anxiety. The study included 74 patients, ages 18…

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Editor's Note In this study first published by the Western Journal of Nursing Research in August 2023, virtual sitting technology was found to reduce burnout among nurses, particularly those who are already feeling drained and less committed. The study was titled, “An Experience Sampling Analysis of the Impact of Video…

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