Study: Pulse oximeters may misestimate oxygen saturation in darker skin tones
Editor's Note Pulse oximeters may overestimate blood oxygen levels in critically ill patients with darker skin tones, according to a March 30 article in HCP Live. The article focuses on the EquiOx study, conducted at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital between 2022 and 2024. Presented at the American College…
Study: Implicit bias linked to low-value vascular procedures, worse outcomes for Black patients
Editor's Note Reducing the negative influence of implicit bias requires system-level interventions to ensure procedures align with best practices for all patients, according to results of new research on outcomes for vascular surgery patients. Published February 26 in JAMA Surgery, the study showed that implicit racial bias among vascular specialists…
Rural hospital closures remain a growing concern despite slight financial improvement
Editor's Note While fewer rural hospitals are operating at a loss than last year, more are now at risk of closure, according to a new report from Chartis. Fierce Healthcare reported the news February 13. As detailed in the article, the analysis found that 46% of rural hospitals are operating…
Healthgrades names best hospitals for patient outcomes
Editor's Note Healthgrades has announced its 2025 America's Best Hospitals Awards, recognizing the top 50, 100, and 250 hospitals in the U.S. for overall clinical performance. According to a January 28 announcement, the rankings are based on an analysis of approximately 4,500 hospitals, evaluating outcomes for more than 30 common…
Legislation proposes to halt Medicare physician payment cuts
Editor's Note A January 31 statement from the American Medical Association (AMA) announces the organization’s support for bipartisan legislation aiming to reverse steep Medicare reimbursement reductions threatening physician practices and patient care access. Introduced by a coalition of 10 House members, the "Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act" would…
Initiative addresses nurses' underrepresentation in health media
Editor’s Note Despite being the largest healthcare workforce, nurses are cited in just 4% of health news stories, a statistic unchanged since 1997, according to researchers writing in the January issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration. However, a new initiative aims to change the equation. Titled Nurses’ Voices in…
Study: Racial, gender disparities persist in bariatric surgery
Editor's Note Despite a rise in discussions about bariatric surgery, a retrospective study spanning two decades revealed persistent racial and gender disparities in which patients undergo the procedure. MedPage Today reported the news January 16. The analysis, involving 122,487 patients, showed that only 9.1% with class II obesity or higher…
Prosthetic insurance coverage disparities persist despite legal protections
Editor's Note Health insurance coverage of prosthetics remains inconsistent and often inadequate, KFF Health News reported January 6. As a result, many patients face coverage denials due to claims of lack of medical necessity or high costs despite significant advancements in prosthetic technology, such as microprocessor-controlled knees and myoelectric hands.…
Study: Black CABG patients disadvantaged in accessing best hospitals
Editor's Note Black patients are less likely to receive surgery at hospitals with the lowest mortality rates despite living closer to these facilities, according to a new study examining Medicare patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from 2017 to 2019. Authors suggest that physician referral patterns may play a…
Research reveals racial disparity in postoperative pain management
Editor's Note Black patients are less likely to receive multimodal analgesia and more likely to be given additional oral opioids compared to white patients, according to research presented at the Anesthesiology 2024 annual meeting. According to an October 20 report on the retrospective study from the American Society of Anesthesiologists,…
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- Study: Cannabis use complicates sedation, cancer care
- Medication vial coring incidents prompt patient safety concerns
- First single-port robotic renal vein transposition surgery treats nutcracker syndrome
- Study: Mortality prediction models fail to recognize severe patient injuries
- Nurse-coordinated care reduces long-term heart risks after acute coronary syndrome
- Study: Preoperative VR reduces ICU sedation, ventilator time
- Survey: AI reduces administrative burden, improves physician outlook
- Healthcare employment up in March
- Study: Excessive nurse overtime, agency staffing harm patients
- Commentary: Technology no substitute for cadaver-based medical education