Editor's Note On January 10, ECRI released a new report calling on healthcare leaders to change their approach and embrace Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved weight loss drugs. ECRI says there is a large body of evidence showing that these drugs are beneficial as an adjunct to diet, exercise, and…

Read More

Editor's Note This week the Biden administration will be renewing the COVID-19 public health emergency for the 11th time since the pandemic began with claims that it will be the last time, reports January 10 Politico. The administration seeks to end the public health emergency as early as the spring.…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of Vienna, Austria, finds that listening to music in daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was associated with lower stress and better mood. This cohort study of 711 adults living in Austria and Italy was conducted between April 1 and May 8,…

Read More

Editor's Note For more than 2 decades, nursing has been ranked the most honest and ethical profession in Gallup’s annual poll, the American Nurses Association (ANA) reported on January 10. In the poll, 79% of Americans rated nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high.” The second highest…

Read More

Editor's Note This study led by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, finds that contrary to popular perceptions, there is no evidence of rising surgeon burnout in the published literature. Of 3,575 studies screened (publication dates from 1996 through 2021), 103 (representing 63,587 surgeons) met inclusion criteria. Among the…

Read More

Editor's Note Overall healthcare employment in the US was up in December to a seasonally adjusted 16,687,700 workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on January 6. That’s up 54,700 since November. Hospital employment also was up by 15,700 jobs. The overall unemployment rate for December was 3.5%, for a…

Read More

Editor's Note Metaverse company, Ubitus K.K., will help Smart Surgery Technology roll out Sim Surgery – a VR surgery simulation application, reports January 5 Healthcare Purchasing News. Sim Surgery will be an affordable and more available solution addressing the growing need for medical students and physicians to gain ample surgical…

Read More

Editor's Note This study, led by researchers at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, finds that a liberal preoperative fasting policy allowing adults scheduled for general anesthesia to drink clear fluids until arrival in the OR was associated with reduced fasting duration and improved patient well-being with regard…

Read More

Editor's Note Five more healthcare systems are launching or expanding nursing programs, the January 4 Becker’s Hospital Review reports. Penn medicine, Philadelphia, partnered with the Howley Foundation and La Salle University to launch the ASPIRE Program at the University of Pennsylvania, which allows high school juniors to begin training to…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of California, San Francisco, finds that patient access to elective surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery phase was limited by disparities based on age, language, marital status, insurance, socioeconomic status, and distance from care. Among the findings: The number of patients with…

Read More