Editor's Note The National Institutes of Health (NIH) on April 18 announced an initiative to support research to better understand and address disparities in surgical care and outcomes for disadvantaged populations. The new program will involve collaboration among several NIH institutes and centers along with the Agency for Healthcare Research…

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Editor's Note A new congressional investigation shows that the number of infections from contaminated duodenoscopes is much higher than previously estimated, the April 15 Los Angeles Times reports. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told investigators that from 300 to 350 patients at 41 facilities in the US and abroad…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 15 issued draft guidance on “Hospital and Health System Compounding Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” Hospital pharmacies or standalone pharmacies that are part of a health system provide compounded drugs for administration in the hospital or health…

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Editor's Note The American College of Surgeons on April 12 released an update of its Statements on Principles, which includes its position on the practice of concurrent surgeries performed by a primary attending surgeon. The statement notes that in general, the primary attending surgeon should be in the operating suite…

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Editor's Note A new ASTM International standard will help manufacturers validate a standardized, safe, and effective level for cleaning of medical devices. The standard--soon to be published as F3127, Guide for Validating Cleaning Lines for Medical Devices--is the result of a November 2011 symposium sponsored by ASTM International (formerly known…

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Editor's Note The ECRI Institute (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania) on April 13 released its “Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations” for 2016. Topping the list was “Health IT configurations and organizational workflow that do not support each other,” followed by “Patient identification errors.” “Inadequate cleaning and disinfection of flexible…

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Editor's Note Hospitals that rank higher in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Hospital Compare star ratings system have lower readmission and mortality rates, compared with those ranked lower in the system, this study finds. Hospitals with five stars had an 18.7% readmission rate, compared with 22.9% for one-star…

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Editor's Note A readmission reduction program for high-risk Medicare patients lowered 30-day readmission rates, but the effect was small and did not achieve the goal set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), this study finds. Of 10,621 patients studied, readmission rates decreased from 21.5% to 19.5% in…

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Editor's Note Cassendra A. Munro, MSN, RN, CNOR, announced April 3 at the AORN Surgical Conference & Expo in Anaheim, California, the addition of the Munro Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Patients (Adults) to AORN’s Prevention of Perioperative Pressure Ulcers Tool Kit. The Munro Scale is the only…

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Editor's Note AORN announced April 5 at the Surgical Conference & Expo in Anaheim, California, the creation of the Go Clear Award program, which will recognize health care facilities committed to a surgical smoke-free environment. The program, sponsored by Medtronic, is a 3-year national health education effort to raise awareness…

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