Editor's Note ECRI has named cybersecurity attacks as the number one health technology hazard for 2022. In its report, ECRI notes that all healthcare organizations are subject to cybersecurity attacks, and that the question is not whether they will be attacked but when. A cybersecurity attack could threaten medical devices…

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As representatives of a global healthcare solutions company, we talk and listen to clinicians at hospitals around the country. One of the issues that continually surfaces is that physician preference cards (PPCs) are a challenge at their hospitals. We hear many frustrations related to supply chain documentation. In the end, it all comes…

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In 2018, Sam Weprin, MD, started his first year of residency in Urology. During one of his first prostatectomy cases, he witnessed an impeccable surgery performed by the attending surgeon. Unfortunately, a surgical needle went missing inside the patient. The surgeon and her team spent an hour searching for it,…

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With all of the advantages that come from electronic health records and connected devices, some distinct security risks also exist. Healthcare is seeing these risks grow in the form of ransomware, phishing attacks, and cybersecurity breaches. Healthcare has become one of the industries most vulnerable to cyberattacks, and one with…

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Editor's Note Please participate in an important nationwide perioperative survey on surgical smoke evacuation. The purpose of the research led by Brenda Ulmer MN, RN, CNOR, is to determine evacuation behaviors in hospitals before COVID-19, and then note changes as the virus continued to spread in the US. Ulmer and…

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  Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on October 20, announced a new Quick Safety—“Organization-wide cybersecurity: Creating a culture of defense.” Cybersecurity can no longer be viewed as just the province of the IT department. It must be the responsibility of all staff that have access to digital information, electronic health…

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Editor's Note In this study, researchers from Colorado Joint Replacement, Denver, find that a back table ultraviolet light (UV) decreases environmental contamination near the operative field, which may lead to a decrease in joint infections. Either a back table germicidal UV light-emitting diode or a sham device was used during…

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Editor's Note ECRI, on October 6, announced the winners of its tenth annual Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award. This year, ECRI recognizes 12 US healthcare systems for achieving excellence in overall spend management and adopting best practice solutions into their supply chain process. The winners are: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles…

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Editor's Note ECRI, on September 30, announced a new partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve the safety of medical devices through the use of safer materials. ECRI is developing safety reports for materials commonly used in implantable medical devices and assessing their possible effects on patients…

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Telehealth services grew exponentially in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall telehealth utilization for office visits and outpatient care was 78 times higher in April 2020 than in February 2020, according to a McKinsey & Company July 2021 report. Since then, telehealth utilization has stabilized at levels that…

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