The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 12 issued a proposed rule with potential changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on or after January 1, 2019. According to CMS, the changes would increase the time available for physicians and other clinicians to spend with their patients…

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Editor's Note On August 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) rule for FY 2019. The rule will empower patients and advance the White House “MyHealthData” initiative and the CMS “Patients…

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Editor's Note Rates of infection after colonoscopies and osophagogastroduodenoscopies (OGDs) performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are higher than previously thought and vary widely by facility, this study from Johns Hopkins finds. Rates of postendoscopic infection per 1,000 procedures within 7 days were: 1.1 for screening colonoscopy 1.6 for nonscreening…

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Editor's Note The US Congress on February 9 passed a budget deal that will have a significant impact across nearly every sector of the healthcare industry, the March 9 Business Insider reports. Among the initiatives are: $2 billion for the National Institutes of Health $6 billion to combat the opioid…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 7 announced that it had cleared the updated design and labeling for Pentax Medical's duodenoscope Model ED-3490TK. Pentax replaced the forceps elevator mechanism, O-ring seal, and distal end cap, and updated the Operation Manual to recommend annual maintenance. The design…

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Editor's Note Implementation of stringent OR attire policies that include full coverage of ears and facial hair do not reduce surgical site infection (SSI) rates, finds this study. Researchers compared National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data from all patients having surgery 9 months before implementation (3,077) to 3,440 patients…

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Medical technology is intended to improve patient care, but even the best technology—if configured, used, or maintained improperly—can lead to problems. Hospitals must regularly examine their hazard control priorities to target the most pressing risks. ECRI Institute’s annual Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report identifies high-priority sources of danger or…

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On November 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule for the 2018 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System/ASC Payment System and Quality Reporting Programs. In summary, several ambulatory surgery center (ASC) measures (ASC-1 to ASC-14) are unaffected, except that three measures (ASC-5, -6,…

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Editor's Note ECRI Institute on December 12 issued its list of Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2018. The list, which is available for free (registration required), identifies sources of technology dangers or difficulties and details steps to minimize the occurrence of adverse events. Topping the list is ransomware and…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 20 cleared the first duodenoscope with a disposable end cap, which will improve access for cleaning and reprocessing. The new features of the Pentax ED34-i10T duodenoscope include a single-use detachable and disposable distal cap, simpler user interface, improved ergonomics, improved…

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