Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Pfizer have announced an agreement to extend patient access to the COVID-19 drug Paxlovid, Healthcare Purchasing News October 16 reports. According to the article, Pfizer is readying the drug for more availability in the commercial market in November…
Editor's Note An artificial intelligence (AI) tool called CLOT (Children’s Likelihood of Thrombosis) developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center accurately identified pediatric patients at high risk for blood clots in a clinical trial. The findings were reported in JAMA Network on October 13. The researchers analyzed the electronic health records…
Editor's Note Researchers have found a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) to identify tumor types related to brain tumors prior to surgery. The findings were published on October 11 by the journal Nature in a study titled, "Ultra-fast deep-learned CNS tumor classification during surgery." Following are some highlights, according…
A previous issue of OR Manager included the article, "Building a business case for new technology," which featured tips from leaders at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on the importance of building a thorough business case for implementing new technology in the OR. With the next OR Business Management…
Editor's Note A new vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been found to be effective against a range of variants, according to an August 2023 Science Translational Medicine research article titled, "The RSVPreF3-AS01 vaccine elicits broad neutralization of contemporary and antigenically distant respiratory syncytial virus strains." This research was…
Editor's Note The September 2023 National Hospital Flash Report, published by Kaufman Hall on October 2, analyzed data from August 2023 and revealed that while margins are still below historic levels, hospital performance has continued to steadily improve. According to the report: "While hospital operating margins remain below historical levels,…
Editor's Note October is a month of awareness for several causes, according to the US Department of Human Services (HHS) and the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC). Each month, the HHS highlights "National Health Observances" (NHOs), and October, it is raising awareness for health literacy, breast cancer, the…
Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) have come together to release new standards for outpatient vascular centers aimed at enhancing the quality of care provided to patients receiving vascular surgical and procedural treatments, an ACS September 19 press release reports. These…
Editor's Note This recent study of five pediatric clinics in Los Angeles County, California, found that when clinic staff performed screening for adverse childhood experience (ACE), they were able to elicit important patient information and build trust, with no adverse events reported. The study, titled "Clinician and Staff Perspectives on…
Measuring productivity can be a burden for perioperative leaders and their staff, but it also can serve as a means for obtaining needed resources. Part 1 of OR Manager’s two-part series on productivity measurement focused on the value of measuring, challenges, and deciding what should be assessed (see September issue,…