Blood Test Claims to Find Cancer 4 Years Earlier than Current Methods
The test, which detects stomach, esophageal, colorectal, lung and liver cancer, also found cancer in 88% of samples from 113 patients who were already diagnosed when the samples were collected, and recognized cancer-free samples 95% of the time, according to the study, which was published this week in Nature Communications.
Coronavirus Antibodies Drop Precipitously 3 Months After Mild Cases
UCLA researchers wrote that a small study of 34 patients, with a median age of 43, found that the antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes the disease — decreased by roughly half every 73 days, and would disappear entirely within a year at such a rate.
Researchers Examine Death Risks for Coronavirus Patients in ICUs
The new research, which was published by JAMA Internal Medicine, is based on data collected from more than 2,000 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to ICUs at 65 hospitals across the United States from March 4 to April 4.
Physician Fatigue Linked to Electronic Health Record Use
EHR use has been directly linked to physician burnout. For years, physicians have complained about click-intense and data-busy EHR interfaces. Excessive EHR screen time has been associated with medical errors.
TJC Approved as Hospital AO for Only Two Years This Time
The last time TJC was renewed as a hospital AO was in 2014, for a six-year period. That ran out as of July 15, 2020. In a special filing in the July 15, 2020, Federal Register, CMS published a notice that TJC had been approved as a hospital AO through July 15, 2022.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 7 – Lean Management and Patient Safety
On episode 7 of PSQH: The Podcast, host Jay Kumar talks to Rachel Mandel, MD, MHA, about using Lean management principles to improve patient safety and quality.
As Pandemic Drags On, NAHQ and ASHE Conferences Go Virtual
NAHQ Next 2020 is scheduled for September 14-16, featuring speakers from quality or leadership positions at healthcare organizations including Cedars-Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Lifespan, and SSM Health. Initial plans were to have the conference take place in Indianapolis.
HHS Presses Hospitals to Use New COVID-19 Data Reporting Modules
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network COVID-19 module will no longer be an option for daily reporting, effective July 15, the Department of Health and Human Services announced.
Coronavirus Pandemic Flips Clinician Workforce Market
The new Merritt Hawkins report, “2020 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives and the Impact of COVID-19,” examines clinician recruitment data for the one-year period ending March 31, 2020. Although the number of physician search engagements the company conducted during the period increased, search engagements conducted since March 31 have declined 30%.
Coronavirus: 4 Methods Effective in Decontaminating N95 Respirator Masks
With the virus primarily spread through respiratory droplets and aerosol particles, N95 masks have been in high demand and limited supply. In March, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that a prolonged pandemic would require 3.5 billion N95 masks but only 35 million were stocked.