November/December 2021 Issue of Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control
ON THE COVER
Pandemic surgery delays exact an emotional toll, too, physicians say
As hospitals again pause nonemergency surgeries in response to surging COVID-19 patient volumes, healthcare leaders and physicians are closely watching what effect this will have on patients' health and healthcare experience.
NewYork-Presbyterian CXO Rick Evans: 7 principles to maintain relationships with our patients in a world of transactions
I've written in the past about how we need to reconcile the terms "patient" and "customer" in healthcare. There are segments of the healthcare community that still believe thinking of the people we serve as anything but patients diminishes the dignity of the patient-provider relationship.
AMA recognizes 44 systems for clinician burnout efforts
The American Medical Association honored 44 health systems for their efforts to support clinicians' well-being amid potential burnout. The organization unveiled the list in an Oct. 7 press release as recipients of the 2021 Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition Program.
The less-discussed consequence of healthcare's labor shortage
The healthcare industry's staffing shortage crisis has had clear consequences for care delivery and efficiency, forcing some health systems to pause nonemergency surgeries or temporarily close facilities. Less understood is how these shortages are affecting care quality and patient safety.
1 in 5 physicians has considered quitting their current job, survey finds
The Medscape Physician Nonclinical Careers Report 2021 published Oct. 8 found one in five physicians has considered leaving their current job to pursue nonclinical careers.
It's time to upgrade from cloth masks, experts say
Misinformation surrounding masking has turned the topic into a binary for Americans: either you're masked or not — but experts say the public needs to start paying attention to the quality of their masks.
What researchers found reviewing 250,000 long COVID-19 cases
More than half of COVID-19 survivors experience at least one symptom six months or more after initially recovering from the illness, a systematic review involving 250,351 COVID-19 survivors found.
COVID-19 reinfection likely for unvaccinated, study suggests
New modeling estimates suggest natural immunity from a COVID-19 infection fades quickly, leaving individuals susceptible to reinfection, according to a study published Oct. 1 in The Lancet Microbe.
Healthcare safety scores fell amid pandemic, analysis shows
Safety performance declined across the entire healthcare industry in 2020, according to an analysis published Oct. 21 by Press Ganey.
CDC releases data on COVID-19 cases, deaths by vaccine type: 5 things to know
Unvaccinated people are about six times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 and 11 times more likely to die from the illness compared to people who are vaccinated, though there are slight differences in risk based on vaccine type, according to newly released CDC data.
2 EHR measures that can predict physician departures
Two key EHR use metrics can help flag which physicians are most likely to leave their position, according to a study published Oct. 12 in JAMA Network Open.
Epic's sepsis model used at 100+ hospitals has conflicting results: 6 things to know
A new study from researchers at Cleveland-based MetroHealth found that Epic's sepsis warning system, which is used at hundreds of U.S. hospitals and health systems, is associated with administering antibiotics faster, according to an Aug. 20 study published in Critical Care Medicine.
Overdose deaths at new high, CDC data show
More than 96,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending in March, marking a new record high, according to preliminary CDC data released Oct. 13.
How Mayo Clinic uses data to improve surgical outcomes: 4 insights
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic has developed an approach using clinical databases to improve surgical outcomes that can be applied at other hospitals, according to a Sept. 30 Harvard Business Review report.
INFECTION CONTROL
CHOP warns 'small number' of patients about measles exposure
Health officials began notifying people Oct. 8 who may have been exposed to measles at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, after a case of the disease was reported in the facility, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
U of Maryland researchers develop new personal protective equipment for prolonged use
A team of researchers at the University of Maryland is developing a new type of personal protective equipment that is more comfortable for periods of longer use, according to an Oct. 4 press release.
Most hospital-acquired COVID-19 cases linked to patients, not staff, UK study suggests
Most patients who contracted COVID-19 during their stay at a U.K. hospital got it from other patients, not hospital staff, according to a study published Aug. 24 in eLife.
Breakthrough infections may not pose major transmission risk, immunologists say
The virus shedding from people with breakthrough COVID-19 infections may be less infectious than that coming from an unvaccinated COVID-19 patient, NPR reported Oct. 12.
COVID-19 variants travel farther in the air, new studies suggest
The coronavirus has evolved to become more airborne, a possible explanation as to why variants like alpha and delta are more transmissible than the original strain, The New York Times reports.
PATIENT SAFETY & OUTCOMES
Lung maintains long-term memory of COVID-19 infection, study finds
A Columbia University study published Oct. 7 found the memory of COVID-19 infection is primarily stored in T and B cells in the lungs and surrounding lymph nodes.
Healthcare safety scores fell amid pandemic, analysis shows
Safety performance declined across the entire healthcare industry in 2020, according to an analysis published Oct. 21 by Press Ganey.
NYU Langone gets $470M to support national long COVID-19 research
New York City-based NYU Langone has received nearly $470 million from the National Institutes of Health to build a national study cohort of tens of thousands of people to accelerate research on the long term effects of COVID-19.
Substance use disorders tied to higher risk of breakthrough COVID-19, study finds
While the overall risk is low, people with substance use disorders such as drug and alcohol abuse may be more susceptible to a breakthrough COVID-19 infection than those without the disorders, research published Oct. 5 in World Psychiatry suggests.
'COVID toes' linked to immune system overreaction, small study suggests
A British Journal of Dermatology study published Oct. 6 shed more light on "COVID toes," a symptom of some COVID-19 patients who experience toes and fingers change color, itch and swell.
PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE
Pandemic surgery delays exact an emotional toll, too, physicians say
As hospitals again pause nonemergency surgeries in response to surging COVID-19 patient volumes, healthcare leaders and physicians are closely watching what effect this will have on patients' health and healthcare experience.
2 EHR measures that can predict physician departures
Two key EHR use metrics can help flag which physicians are most likely to leave their position, according to a study published Oct. 12 in JAMA Network Open.
COVID-19 influenced decrease in patients' likelihood to recommend services, survey finds
The overall number of patients who would definitely recommend a hospital to others decreased by 4.5 percent during the pandemic, reflecting a national decrease in patients’ perceptions of care across all care settings, according to a Press Ganey survey published Nov. 4.
NewYork-Presbyterian CXO Rick Evans: 7 principles to maintain relationships with our patients in a world of transactions
I've written in the past about how we need to reconcile the terms "patient" and "customer" in healthcare. There are segments of the healthcare community that still believe thinking of the people we serve as anything but patients diminishes the dignity of the patient-provider relationship.
76% of patients leave physician's office unsatisfied, turn to the internet to supplement visits
Most patients use the internet to research their health concerns after leaving their physician's appointment unsatisfied, according to an October report by the AHIMA Foundation, the charitable affiliate of the American Health Information Management Association.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & MEASUREMENT
Black COVID-19 patients less likely to receive medical follow-ups, study finds
A University of Michigan study published Oct.11 found Black COVID-19 patients are less likely to receive medical follow-ups after hospitalizations and more likely to experience longer wait times to return to work.
People with disabilities less vaccine hesitant, but face more access barriers, CDC report finds
Although people with disabilities are less likely to report vaccine hesitancy, COVID-19 vaccination coverage is lower among this population compared to those without a disability, according to the CDC's Oct. 1 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Anxiety and depression down in 2021, but still elevated: CDC
National rates of anxiety and depression declined in the first half of 2021 but remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to a CDC report published Oct. 5.
Poll finds many Americans' health, finances still far from baseline due to pandemic
Even as COVID-19 infections begin to fall more than a year and a half into the pandemic, many Americans continue to face severe financial problems and disruptions to healthcare access, poll findings released Oct. 12 found.
Epic's sepsis model used at 100+ hospitals has conflicting results: 6 things to know
A new study from researchers at Cleveland-based MetroHealth found that Epic's sepsis warning system, which is used at hundreds of U.S. hospitals and health systems, is associated with administering antibiotics faster, according to an Aug. 20 study published in Critical Care Medicine.
DATA ANALYTICS & INFORMATICS
How Mayo Clinic uses data to improve surgical outcomes: 4 insights
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic has developed an approach using clinical databases to improve surgical outcomes that can be applied at other hospitals, according to a Sept. 30 Harvard Business Review report.
Missouri Hospital Association's data arm launches health equity dashboards: 3 details
The Missouri Hospital Association launched a data dashboard Oct. 11 that displays details of health inequities by zip code, symptom and prevalence, according to details shared with Becker's.
CDC to use de-identified data from 5 million patients to research COVID-19 in older adults
The CDC has selected PointClickCare, a healthcare cloud company, to provide data sets to give insights that help researchers learn more about COVID-19.
Childbirth complications cost US $825M annually — 3 ways AI can reduce costs, improve care
Physicians from Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine and Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Center shared three ways artificial intelligence can be deployed in hospitals to curb maternal mortality in an Aug. 9 Harvard Business Review report.
Mayo, Google develop algorithm to help treat brain injuries, psychiatric illnesses
Google and Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic have collaborated on an artificial intelligence algorithm to improve brain stimulation and assist in treating patients with psychiatric illness and direct brain injuries, Onmanorama reported Sept. 6.