Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated recalls of Medtronic’s NIM Vital Nerve Monitoring System and Smith Medical’s CADD-Solis Ambulatory Infusion Pumps as Class 1, the most severe category indicating serious risk of injury or death. Reports of false negative responses prompted Medtronic to recall the nerve…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on July 31 it has secured renewed deeming approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for its Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Accreditation Program. This renewed approval is effective from September 1, 2024, through September 1, 2030, the maximum term allowed by…

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Editor's Note A recent study led by the University of Bristol reveals nearly 9 months of joint replacement surgeries, amounting to approximately 160,000 procedures, have been lost since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, News Medical Life Sciences July 31 reports. Published in The Bone & Joint Journal, the study…

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Editor's Note In healthcare, ensuring the safety of staff and patients is paramount, particularly in outpatient clinics where incidents of violence can occur unexpectedly. At the 2024 SGNA Annual Course, experts discussed the importance of preparedness in managing violent situations in such settings, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy News August 7 reports.…

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Editor's Note Lumbar spinal fusion procedures are significantly more likely to fail in individuals with diabetes, according researchers at The University of Toledo. According to a July 9 EurekAlert! report on the study, published in JBMR Plus, diabetic patients are already known to have a higher risk of infection from…

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Editor's Note The American Hospital Association (AHA) criticized new inpatient prospective payment system rates issued August 1 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), citing the potential of financial struggles for hospitals and reduced access for patients, particularly in rural or underserved areas. Under the new rule, most…

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Editor's Note An electronic health record (EHR)-based nudge could significantly reduce low-value axillary surgeries in older women with early-stage breast cancer, researchers reported July 17 in JAMA Surgery. Conducted across eight clinical settings, the initiative significantly cut the rates of low-value sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNB) by nearly 50% over…

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Editor's Note Responding to and recovering from data breaches in healthcare is more expensive than any other industry, according to a report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute. Healthcare Dive reported on the results August 1. According to that article, the $9.8 million average cost for a breach this year…

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Editor's Note A CMS citation for immediate jeopardy this past June allegedly resulted in the cancellation of nearly 1,000 surgeries at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, California, according to a July 30 article in Becker’s ASC Review. Citing a July 26 letter from California Assemblymen Heath Flora and Juan Alanis…

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Editor's Note Acquisition by private equity firms leaves healthcare facilities less equipped to care for patients, according to a recent study published in JAMA. NBC reported the news July 31. Conducted by researchers from the University of California at San Francisco, Harvard Medical School, and Hunter College, this nationwide study…

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