Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to pop up in headlines nearly every day. With applications ranging from individual nutritional guidance to prediction of premature death, ever-evolving computer-based algorithms present intriguing possibilities for the future of healthcare. Depending on how proactive your facility is and how rich in resources, you may already…

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Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) in Sarasota, Florida, is a Level 2 trauma center with 839 beds and more than 900 physicians. The 430 members of the surgical staff perform more than 24,300 inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures in the 34 operating suites each year. With this level of…

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Editor's Note A new artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine improved the ability to diagnose prostate cancer in this study. The system, called “FocalNet,” helps identify and predict the aggressiveness of the disease by evaluating MRI scans. Results showed that FocalNet…

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Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 15 identified the recall of Brainlab's Spine & Trauma 3D Navigation Software as Class I, the most serious. The Software is being recalled because of the potential for incorrect information to display during surgery, which may prevent the surgeon from…

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Editor's Note The ECRI Institute on April 1 announced the 11 US healthcare organizations that received its 2019 Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Award. The winners demonstrated excellence in overall spend management in their supply chain processes, and include: Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA Cooperative Services…

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Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on April 2 issued a statement announcing steps toward a new, tailored review framework for artificial intelligence (AI)-based medical devices. AI and machine learning have the potential to transform the delivery of healthcare, with earlier disease detection, more accurate diagnoses, more targeted…

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Editor's Note The Mayo Clinic in Florida announced March 26 that it is the first center in the state to perform endoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves. The procedure, which was recently approved by the Food & Drug Administration, is used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as…

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Editor's Note Minimally invasive embolization can be used to effectively treat uterine fibroids with fewer postoperative complications and a lower need for additional treatments than myomectomy, finds this study presented March 25 at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting in Austin, Texas. Of 950 patients analyzed, half…

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Editor's Note The Food & Drug Administration on March 21 issued a Safety Communication on cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified in wireless telemetry technology used for communication between Medtronic’s implantable cardiac devices, clinic programmers, and home monitors. Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland) is working on updates to address the vulnerabilities and recommends that healthcare…

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Editor's Note The US government claimed that digitization of healthcare records would improve the quality and value of healthcare; however, 10 years after legislation fast-tracked the move to electronic healthcare records (EHRs), even the architects of the effort agree that the $36 billion investment has not delivered as expected, the…

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