Editor's Note Researchers at New York University Langone Health, New York City, have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) computer program that predicts whether a newly discharged patient will be readmitted within 30 days, the June 7 HealthDay reports. The AI program, named “NYUTron,” is a large language model that works…
Editor's Note On April 17, electronic health records (EHR) vendor Epic and Microsoft announced a partnership to train Azure OpenAI on a large collection of information so it can “asynchronously draft responses to patient messages for providers,” Becker’s Health IT May 25 reports. According to Becker's, there are four major…
Editor's Note The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Centers on May 10 issued an alert saying that cyber attacks against Veeam Backup & Replication software are on the rise, the American Hospital Association reports. What makes the threat significant is that this software is…
Editor's Note A qualitative study funded by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and published in JAMA Network Open in April 2023 found that a majority of diagnostic errors are "at least partially caused by problems with electronic health records" (EHR), the American Organization for Nursing Leadership May 9…
Editor's Note Poor personal financial health has been linked to well-being, including burnout, substance abuse, and worsening personal relationships. This secondary analysis of a survey led by the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut examines the financial well-being of surgical residents in New England. A total of 250 surgical…
Situational awareness is the perception of events occurring around a person in a particular environment. Knowing what is happening helps that person make better decisions. But how does that apply in the perioperative context? In 2004, The Joint Commission made situational awareness the cornerstone of its surgical timeout requirement. The…
The OR department is often what keeps most hospitals afloat. Surgical services account for roughly 50% of a hospital’s revenue, but they also contribute approximately 60% to overall costs. ORs must be efficient. Successes and failures in the surgical suite affects the entire system. Healthcare systems have found that highly…
Editor's Note Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Florida, via an initiative spearheaded by Jennifer Goldman, DO, chief of Memorial Primary Care, began including social determinants of health (SDOH) data in its electronic health record (EHR), “where doctors can see and act of them”—and that is improving patient care, HealthLeaders November…
Editor's Note The Joint Commission on October 4 announced that it has joined the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health’s Sync for Social Needs coalition, committing to a role to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases in the US by 2030. The coalition brings together leading healthcare organizations…
Electronic health records (EHRs) can be a force for good, promoting patient safety, but they also often have multiple pain points. OR leaders can take steps to ease those pain points. Part 1 of this two-part series provided an overview of EHR challenges and how managers can work with staff…