Editor's Note In this study from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, researchers find that nearly a fifth of cases canceled on the day of surgery are never rescheduled, and, if they are rescheduled, the delay can be substantial. During the 2-year study period, 4,472 cases were canceled on the day…
Editor's Note This study led by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine finds significant sustained reduction in weight and comorbidities as well as low rates of long-term complications 10 years or more after having metabolic and bariatric surgery as an adolescent. A total of 96 patients (83% female,…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 5 announced that refreshed Accelerate PI Dashboard Reports are available for primary and comprehensive stroke centers to provide performance measurement data on the quality measures selected for advanced certification. The reports contain data through the first quarter of 2022 and are intended to…
Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released new statistics on inpatient stays with OR procedures by patient race and ethnicity from the 2019 National Inpatient Sample. Among the findings: Nonmaternal (ie, men and women of any age) hospitalizations with OR procedures in Black and White…
Editor's Note This study led by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, finds that it may be reasonable to consider performing cataract surgery without routine anesthesia support. Medicare claims for 36,652 patients who had cataract surgery were analyzed. Among the findings: 89.8% had an anesthesia provider, compared to…
Editor's Note The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience has finalized its National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being, the October 3 AHAToday reports. The plan, which builds on 6 years of work among 200 participants, including the American Hospital Association (AHA), identifies goals and…
Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 30 identified the recall by LivaNova (TandemLife) of its LifeSPARC System, Model LS-1000, as Class I, the most serious. The recall was initiated because of the risk of unintentional extended pump stop during Controller Critical Failure mode, caused by a…
Editor's Note In a recent American College of Emergency Physicians survey, some 85% of emergency physicians say they believe violence in US emergency departments (EDs) has risen over the past 5 years, and 45% say it has “greatly increased,” the September 22 EmergencyPhysicians.org reports Two-thirds of the 3,000 physicians surveyed…
With all the factors involved in optimizing OR utilization, assigning OR slots is a complex proposition. When you consider that the average cost to run a fully equipped OR is now at approximately $1,000 per hour in staff and equipment costs, it is more important than ever for hospitals to…
Editor's Note This study led by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, finds a 23.5% decrease in substance use disorder treatment admissions across the US during COVID-19. In 2020, the number of substance use disorders admissions decreased from 65.9 to 50.4 per 10,000. The decrease was larger for men (87.5…