Patient Experience A new retrospective observational study published in Scientific Reports examines the effect of insurance status on mortality following surgical treatment of colorectal cancers (CRC) in the U.S. “Healthcare disparities in colorectal cancer, driven by insurance status and socioeconomic factors, lead to delayed diagnoses and poor surgical outcomes,” the researchers write. “We…
A randomized trial by German researchers examined the potential stress-reducing benefits of parents receiving intraoperative text messages from their child’s OR team during outpatient pediatric surgeries. What they found was less than satisfying for those who might assume that increased intraoperative communication and transparency with pediatric caregivers is unquestionably beneficial.…
Is a hybrid operating room an effective marketing tool? For one health system, it garnered coverage on local TV news. KSAT-TV in San Antonio last week reported that Baptist Health System’s hybrid OR “saved an 82-year-old patient’s life” after doctors found an aneurysm. The patient, facing major surgery for an…
The American College of Surgeons (ACS) announced that it has been awarded a grant of approximately $200,000 from the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), in partnership with The John A. Hartford Foundation, to advance age-friendly care in outpatient specialty and subspecialty medicine. The funding is part of an effort to…
A free clinical report published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) examines the role that pediatricians should play in evaluating and preparing patients and families for anesthesia and surgery. It focuses on two major areas of concern. The first is preparation and optimization of the…
CBC News in Canada published a report that portable weapon detectors powered by artificial intelligence (AI) were placed into service last week by Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, Nova Scotia, to help Nova Scotia Health track potentially dangerous incidents. The provincial government began installing AI-powered weapon detectors, which it…
A study published this week on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website examines how a tailored geriatric surgical pathway (GSP) halved the risk of patient complications such as respiratory failure, sepsis and shock, and led to shorter hospital stays. The researchers, who describe GSPs as an effective…
For many patients scheduled for brain surgery, having their entire head shaved during prep so that proper incisions are made can be distressing and damaging to their self-esteem. A little over a year ago, Ezequiel Goldschmidt, MD, a neurosurgeon at Hoag Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute and Hoag Family Cancer Institute…
What exactly should the hospital of the future look like? Many in academia and beyond have taken a swing at this question. The latest to do so is Timothy Hoff, PhD, professor of management, healthcare systems and health policy at Northeastern University in Boston, and associate fellow at Green Templeton…
A new study published last week in NEJM Catalyst examines the how the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and remote video interpretation (RVI) tools to overcome language barriers with Spanish-speaking patients in surgical care is perceived by those patients. Researchers from Mass General Brigham Department of Surgery’s Center for Surgery and…
