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 In a first of its kind surgical procedure, doctors have installed artificial intelligence (AI) implants in the brain of a 46-year-old man who was paralyzed from a fall on the ice, CNN September 27 reports. The AI implant formed a "digital bridge"–an idea pioneered by the French neuroscientist…
Editor's Note A September 2023 report from market research and consulting company PRC and published by Nursing Academy looked at retention, burnout, and engagement issues among more than 1,900 nurses at 37 hospitals. The report found that only 45% of nurses report being “fully engaged” at work, while 14.1% percent…
Editor's Note With COVID-19 rates rising again, and winter cold and flu season around the corner, it is time for healthcare personnel to get a COVID-19 booster shot to help protect against illness–and recommend patients to do the same. In a September 2023 TIME Magazine article, doctors weigh in on…
Editor's Note In this retrospective cohort study, researchers looked at the association between inflammation and various outcomes following major abdominal surgery. The study, titled "Postoperative systemic inflammation after major abdominal surgery: patient-centered outcomes," was published in the journal Anaesthesia, of the Association of Anaesthetists, in August 2023. Data came from…
Editor's Note Researchers from the University of North Carolina developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can predict whether cancerous tissue has been fully removed from the body during breast cancer surgical procedures. Their findings were published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology August 2023 issue. During the procedure, surgeons…
Editor's Note Transgender people are subject to mistreatment in healthcare encounters, including harassment, assault, and denial of care, according to this September 2023 qualitative study published by Annals of Family Medicine. This study comprised 30 transgender adults and found the following experiences among transgender patients: Transgender people often found clinicians’…
Editor's Note The nonprofit Leapfrog Group has joined forces with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to recognize hospitals providing exceptional care for patients with diabetes, Chief Healthcare Executive September 12 reports. Earning the designation will be based on how well hospitals meet ADA’s standards of care, in addition to their…
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…
Editor's Note This cohort study, published by the British Journal of Anesthesia in September 2023, finds that surgical patients who are discharged with prescribed opioids have higher risks of hospital readmission and mortality. The study looked at data from a territory-wide retrospective cohort of patients in Hong Kong who underwent…