Alabama immunity legislation shields IVF patients, providers
Editor's Note A new Alabama law provides civil and criminal immunity for providers and patients of in vitro fertilization (IVF) services, the Associated Press reported March 7. Last month, the Alabama Supreme Court effectively ruled that frozen embryos are people with a constitutional right to life, casting doubt on the…
Editorial: Social media raises privacy, ethical concerns
After spending many years in management roles, I can testify to the truth of one old proverb: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Patient privacy is a prime example. Confusion on this topic seems just as rampant today as in the early 2000s, amid the widespread…
Unveiling ECRI’s 2024 top 10 health technology hazards list
What is the purpose of the top 10 health technology hazards list, released every year by ECRI? “Our number one goal at ECRI is to reduce preventable harm,” stresses Jason Launders, MSC, former director of operations, device evaluation, at ECRI. “We know that every healthcare provider has a lot they…
South Korea issues deadline, threatens prosecution for junior doctors amid surgery-stopping strike
Editor's Note A week after a walkout of junior doctors in South Korea halted about a third of surgeries at large hospitals in Seoul, the government is threatening prosecution and the revocation of medical licenses if the walkout doesn’t end by February 29. As reported by the Associated Press February…
Cyberattack disrupts systems at health technology giant Change Healthcare
Editor's Note Nationwide pharmacy delays and disrupted internal systems are among the effects of a February 21 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare technology companies in the United States. Systems were immediately disconnected to protect partners and patients, the organization reports, and “all other systems across UnitedHealth…
Studies link bacteria from long nurse fingernails to lethal infections in infants
Editor's Note Without proper nail care, proper handwashing might not be enough to prevent infection and death among infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). That’s according to a February 8 report from nurse.org, which drove home the importance of following hygiene protocols by highlighting real-world evidence confirming the…
Expected CDC COVID-19 isolation guidance revisions exclude those with mild symptoms, no fever
Editor's Note This spring, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to announce that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 no longer need to isolate if they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours and symptoms are mild or improving. Current guidelines, in place since 2021, recommend isolating for…
Session: What to expect from healthcare policy, regulation in 2024
Editor's Note Since the pandemic, the view of the healthcare industry in congress has essentially gone from “hero to zero” – a shift with potentially big implications for the healthcare business leaders gathered at yesterday’s closing session from Soumi Saha, PharmD, JD, senior vice president of government affairs at Premier…
Session: How value-based care will impact surgical services
Editor's Note Understanding the impact of value-based care on the surgical suite (VBC) will be essential for hospitals to understand as payers begin to seek partners in new payment models. In a conference session yesterday, Lauren Cricchi, associate principal, financial services at Avalere Healthcare and Katie Sullivan, senior vice president,…
Session: What are the legal implications of AI in healthcare?
Editor's Note How will healthcare regulators deal with artificial intelligence? How will malpractice law change, and who will be liable for harm derived from AI diagnosis and treatment recommendations? What can be done about bias in AI? Even amid a surge in algorithms cleared by the FDA, all of these…
Free Daily News
- Cardiovascular disease trends raise alarms on primary care
- Study: Kidney transplants safe between donors, patients with HIV
- Study: Women more likely to die from postoperative complications after high-risk surgery
- Study: Same-day aquablation surgery safe for ASCs
- Outpatient, ASC clinicians share perspectives on upcoming NOPAIN Act implementation
- Study dispels orthopedic surgeon turnover myth
- Feds take action on Hurricane-wracked medical supply chain with wartime powers, drug compounding guidance
- Study: Wearable devices improve postoperative physical activity in lung cancer patients
- Digital twin technology aids cardiac surgery at Boston Children's Hospital
- Study: Staff shortages increase hospital infection rates