Editor's Note This study from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, finds that the introduction and removal of Michigan’s executive order curtailing elective surgery during COVID-19 lagged behind the ramp-down and ramp-up of elective surgery volume. Hospitals had already achieved a 91.7% reduction in case volume before the executive order…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on January 10 announced that it had elevated the Leadership (LD) Standard LD.04.03.08, which addresses healthcare disparities as a quality and safety priority, to a National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG), effective July 1, 2023. Current requirements for accreditation will not change, and the intent behind…

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Editor's Note On January 10, ECRI released a new report calling on healthcare leaders to change their approach and embrace Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved weight loss drugs. ECRI says there is a large body of evidence showing that these drugs are beneficial as an adjunct to diet, exercise, and…

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Editor's Note For more than 2 decades, nursing has been ranked the most honest and ethical profession in Gallup’s annual poll, the American Nurses Association (ANA) reported on January 10. In the poll, 79% of Americans rated nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high.” The second highest…

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Editor's Note This study led by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, finds that contrary to popular perceptions, there is no evidence of rising surgeon burnout in the published literature. Of 3,575 studies screened (publication dates from 1996 through 2021), 103 (representing 63,587 surgeons) met inclusion criteria. Among the…

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Editor's Note This study from the University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, finds that postoperative opioid prescriptions written by advanced practice clinicians (APCs), defined as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, had higher total dosages compared with those written by surgeons. A total of 628,197 surgical procedures involving 581,387 adults…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 16 identified the recall by Teleflex and Arrow International, LLC, of its Arrow MAC Two-Lumen Central Venous Access Kits and Arrow Pressure Injectable Arrowg+ard Blue Plus Three-Lumen Central Venous Catheter (CVC) Kits as Class I, the most serious. The recall…

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Editor's Note This study led by epidemiologist Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and associates, St Paul, Minnesota, found visible damage and residue or debris in 100% of 25 processed flexible endoscopes, using a new visual inspection program that included magnification and borescopes. Fully processed endoscopes were examined twice during a 2-month…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on December 20, identified the recall by Arrow International, LLC, subsidiary of Teleflex, Inc, of its Arrow AutoCAT 2 and AC3 intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs) as Class I, the most serious. IABPs are used in patients having cardiac and non-cardiac surgery, and…

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Editor's Note Hospital leaders are preparing for what is expected to be a turbulent 2023, according to results of a December 13 survey from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, reports December 19 Healthcare Purchasing News. The majority of health system leaders said that staffing challenges (85%) and inflation (76%)…

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