Editor's Note Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have helped develop a testing device that can detect COVID-19 infection within 30 seconds, with the sensitivity and accuracy of a PCR test. The hand-held device is powered by a 9-volt battery and uses test strips similar to those used in…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on March 30, announced that it had contracted with Dynamic Health IT to help develop a new Direct Data Submission Platform (DDSP) and electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) engine. The DDSP will facilitate submission of quality measurement data directly to The Joint Commission from approximately…

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What happens when global supply chains—which are already typically operated lean across the board—are hit with a once-in-a-century pandemic? An ongoing, collective lesson in economics. The problem is not hard to understand: COVID-19 shutdowns brought manufacturing to a near standstill, during which time the demand for goods increased, and now there…

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The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the healthcare industry could fill an entire academic curriculum at this point, let alone a single article. But one potential silver lining among the storms of bad news is the increasing migration of elective procedures from hospitals to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Although…

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Editor's Note The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), designed by a team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University, has performed laparoscopic intestinal anastomoses in four experiments on pig tissue without human help. The robot outperformed surgeons using manual-laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgical techniques in the consistency of suture spacing and bite…

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Editor's Note Artificial intelligence (AI)-based scheduling significantly improved physician engagement and reduced burnout, in this study presented by Ochsner Health researchers, January 28, at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ADVANCE 2022, the Anesthesiology Business Event, in Dallas. The AI-based scheduling software, which created fair and flexible schedules that supported work-life…

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In 2020, supply costs were once again reported as one of the greatest line-item expenses in a hospital, exceeding labor expenses. US hospitals have most recently reported a combined $36 billion in medical and surgical supply costs. These expenses account for more than half of a hospital’s total supply costs.…

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With all of the advantages that come from electronic health records and connected devices, some distinct security risks also exist. Healthcare is seeing these risks grow in the form of ransomware, phishing attacks, and cybersecurity breaches. Healthcare has become one of the industries most vulnerable to cyberattacks, and one with…

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Editor's Note ECRI on July 20 announced a collaborative partnership with Nuvolo, an independent software vendor involved in cloud-based connected workplace solutions, based in Paramus, New Jersey. The partnership integrates ECRI’s standardization of medical device data with Nuvolo’s Connected Workplace for Healthcare. This automated process enables standardization of device data…

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This year, the American Hospital Association reports that hospitals could lose between $53 billion and $122 billion in revenue. Public health and the healthcare sector faced severe physical, mental, and financial stressors in 2020. Although some pandemic-driven burdens are finally easing, US hospitals are expected to face enormous fiscal losses…

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