Supply Chain/Technology
ECRI releases statement on third-party tracking by hospital websites
Editor's Note ECRI, on April 10, released a statement saying it is “deeply disturbed” by reports that nearly 99% of US hospitals have third-party tracking on their websites that transfers patient data to technology and social media companies, advertising firms, and data brokers. Besides the violation of privacy, ECRI says…
FDA: Class I recall of certain Philips Respironics reworked DreamStation CPAP, BiPAP machines
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration, on April 7, identified the recall by Philips Respironics of certain reworked DreamStation continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bileveled positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines as Class I, the most serious. These machines also were recalled in June 2021. The recall was initiated…
ASA urges public to learn to recognize opioid overdose and how to use naloxone
Editor's Note The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), on March 29, issued a news report urging the public to learn to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose, now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved naloxone for sale over the counter. Naloxone, which is commonly sold as a…
The Joint Commission seeking comments on proposed environmental sustainability requirements
Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on March 22, announced that it is seeking comments on proposed new requirements to address environmental sustainability for the hospital and critical access hospital programs. The aim of the proposed new Leadership (LD) Standard LD.05.01.01 is to help facilities minimize their carbon footprints as they…
COVID-19 trends offer hope the pandemic will end in 2023
Editor's Note Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show 1,706 COVID-19 deaths for the week ending March 15, the lowest number since March 25, 2020, according to the March 20 US News & World Report. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations also continue to drop, with weekly infections at their lowest…
FDA updates list of COVID-19 device shortages, discontinued devices
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 16 updated its list of COVID-19 medical device shortages to reflect changes in estimated shortage durations during the public health emergency. These include: Radiological devices General plastic surgery devices Cardiac diagnostic and monitoring products General ICU/hospital products Specimen collection, testing…
HHS: COVID-19 product EUAs remain in effect
Editor's Note Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on March 15 amended the February 4, 2020, COVID-19 emergency use authorizations for: diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 personal respiratory protective equipment other medical devices including alternative products used as medical devices drug and biological products. These emergency…
Minimizing procedural variability must be a priority for MedTech
The medical device industry aims to create valuable innovations that help improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and improve efficiencies for OR staff. Because these technologies and devices have a myriad of benefits, improving speed to value is a top priority. A key component of extracting the full value of these…
FDA updates reports of squamous cell carcinoma in capsule around breast implants
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on March 8, issued an update on reports of squamous cell carcinoma in the scar tissue (capsule) that forms around breast implants—both saline and silicone as well as textured and smooth. Previously, on September 8, 2022, the FDA informed the public of…
Promising AI applications in healthcare: Chat GPT-4, natural language processing
Editor's Note Chat GPT-4, the latest version of an artificially intelligent chatbot, shows promising applications in healthcare, as reported by The New York Times on March 14. With greater accuracy and descriptive abilities, the chatbot was recently tested by Anil Gehi, MD, associate professor of medicine and cardiologist at the…
Free Daily News
- AI boosts accuracy in surgical reports, outperforming surgeons
- AI models improve prediction of surgical complications using preoperative clinical notes
- Ambient AI healthcare documentation gains traction as capabilities expand
- Healthcare M&A faces tighter review as FTC retains guidelines
- Healthcare giants prioritize shareholder payouts over patient care
- Texas abortion ban linked to spike in pregnancy complications, maternal death
- AI streamlines documentation, frees time for nurses at Cedars-Sinai surgical unit
- Study identifies potential non-surgical treatment for inguinal hernias
- Rural hospital closures remain a growing concern despite slight financial improvement
- Session: Hoisting the Sails—Winning Strategies for Growing Service Lines in an ASC