Editor's Note The implementation of Lean system redesigns was associated with a significant and sustained wait list reduction from 33.4 days to 12.0 days for patients waiting for elective general surgery in a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, this study finds. Along with the three-fold decrease in wait times from 2014…

Read More

Editor's Note In a September 6 letter to device labelers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it is extending unique device identifier (UDI) requirements for certain Class II devices from September 24, 2016 to September 24, 2018. The extension applies to repackaged single-use devices and device convenience kits. The…

Read More

Editor's Note The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) on September 8 announced the launch of its new patient website that offers resources for individuals facing heart, lung, and esophageal surgery. The site allows patients and their families to research their conditions and gather information on treatment options and recovery.  …

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission is asking hospitals to share their discharge instructions and educational materials for patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) who are on anticoagulants. The Joint Commission’s Department of Health Services Research is soliciting this information as part of a research project. These materials may be used to develop…

Read More

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 6 classified the recall of the Roadrunner UniGlide Hydrophilic Wire Guides by Cook Medical (Bloomington, Indiana) as Class I, the most serious. All serial and lot numbers are being recalled, and the product line is being discontinued because of concern…

Read More

Editor's Note A human centered design approach to OR-to-ICU patient handoffs led to improvements in the patient handover process in this study. Researchers uncovered technical and communication flaws when receiving postoperative patients at the Durham, North Carolina, Veterans Affairs Medical Center surgical ICU. The handoff process was redesigned to address…

Read More

Editor's Note The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has updated its “Preventing hospital-associated venous thromboembolism [VTE]: A guide for effective quality improvement.” The guidelines were originally published in 2008. The update includes: new and improved metrics for tracking the adequacy of VTE prophylaxis good and bad aspects of…

Read More

Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 2 issued a final rule saying that over-the-counter (OTC) antiseptic wash products containing active ingredients can no longer be marketed. The rule applies to products containing one or more of 19 ingredients, including the most commonly used triclosan and triclocarban.…

Read More

Editor's Note The nation’s top performing states for healthcare quality according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s updated State Snapshots are: Main Massachusetts Wisconsin New Hampshire Minnesota. State Snapshots is an interactive online resource that provides data on how each state and the District of Columbia perform on…

Read More

Editor's Note This study found a strong association between spinal anesthesia and lower 30-day mortality along with a shorter length of stay after total hip and knee replacements. Of 10,868 patients analyzed, 8,553 had spinal anesthesia and 2,315 had general anesthesia. The 30-day mortality rate was 0.19% in the spinal…

Read More