Study: Medical errors third leading cause of US deaths
Editor's Note An analysis of 8 years of data by Johns Hopkins University researchers finds that more than 250,000 people die annually because of medical errors, which translates to 9.5% of all US deaths each year. The findings make medical errors the third leading cause of death. This surpasses the…
CDC, OSHA issue Zika guidance for healthcare workers
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on April 22 issued interim guidance for protecting workers, including healthcare workers, from occupational exposure to the Zika virus. The guidance states that: “Employers and workers in healthcare settings and laboratories should follow…
More than 5,000 new codes will be added to ICD-10 in FY 2017
Editor's Note The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced March 9 that about 1,900 diagnosis codes and 3,651 hospital inpatient procedure codes will be added to the ICD-10 coding system in FY 2017, AHA News Now reports. The large number of…
Joint Commission, CDC collaborate on ambulatory infection prevention initiative
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating on an initiative designed to adapt, enhance, and disseminated CDC guidelines on infection prevention in ambulatory health care settings. The initiative, “Adaptation and Dissemination of Outpatient Infection PrevenTion (ADOPT) Guidance,” will focus on free-standing…
CDC reports progress in fighting HAIs, superbugs
Editor's Note Though US hospitals are making gains in the fight against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, too many patients continue to get these infections, according to a Vital Signs report released March 3 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among the findings in the report:…
CDC reports top public health issues
Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 1 updated its Prevention Status Reports, which rank the biggest public health issues in the US. Among the 10 most important health problems are: healthcare-associated infections heart disease and stroke nutrition, physical activity, and obesity HIV. The Prevention Status…
Joint Commission: Sentinel event data summary
Editor's Note The Joint Commission summarizes sentinel event-related data reported from accredited organizations quarterly and annually. The data (from 2004 through 3Q 2015) demonstrate the need for the Joint Commission and accredited healthcare organizations to continue to address these serious adverse events, the Joint Commission says. Surgery-related events in the…
Joint Commission, CDC collaborate on infection prevention in ambulatory settings
Editor's Note The Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are collaborating on an initiative to adapt, enhance, and disseminate CDC infection prevention guidance in a variety of free-standing and ambulatory healthcare settings. The Joint Commission will select and work with 12 outpatient-focused professional organizations and…
Validity of CAUTI metric used for value-based purchasing questioned
Editor's Note Two different measurement systems are used to track performance in lowering the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality metric has shown a 28.2% decrease in CAUTIs since 2010, whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s metric has shown a…
CDC, FDA issue health advisory on reprocessing procedures
Editor's Note On September 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a health advisory recommending that healthcare facilities arrange for a professional to assess their reprocessing procedures for maintaining, cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing reusable medical devices. The agencies recommend that facilities…
Free Daily News
- Hospital addresses barriers to patient rest, recovery
- Study: Psilocybin therapy reduces depression in frontline clinicians
- Exclusive articles preview OR Business Management Conference sessions
- Study: Surgeries improve survival in young BRCA-positive breast cancer patients
- Study: Advanced recovery room care could reduce long-term postoperative mortality
- FDA designates Class 1 recalls for balloon catheters, radiographic markers
- Orthopedic surgery in 2025: Embracing innovation, preserving autonomy
- Medtronic, Zimmer Biomet challenge Intuitive Surgical’s robotic surgery dominance
- Anthem’s anesthesia time limit policy, reversal sparks new legislation
- Simple procedure or ‘surgery’? Questionable medical billing practices cause confusion