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CDC advises strict avian flu infection control in health care

The CDC has issued a health advisory emphasizing infection control measures to prevent the spread of avian influenza, and recommending airborne infection isolation precautions and strict personal protective equipment use for health care workers. Enhanced environmental cleaning and hand hygiene are also advised to protect both patients and staff in health care settings. Infection Control Today (1/17) Learn More

Health systems weave quality into daily operations

Health systems are increasingly integrating clinical quality into daily operations, with leaders from Ascension, Jefferson Health and Johns Hopkins Medicine emphasizing the importance of organizational culture and data. Jefferson has developed the OnPoint platform to align clinical priorities, leading to significant improvements, such as a 25% drop in sepsis mortality. Ascension focuses on building a high-reliability culture and uses data to address disparities, while Johns Hopkins balances systemwide goals with local needs through flexible structures and real-time safety dashboards. Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control (1/17) Learn More

Physician's prognosis for digital health in 2025

Value-based care pilot programs will show their worth this year, advancing the care model from theory to action, writes cardiologist Dr. Jeff Wessler. Artificial intelligence will make health care more efficient, making sense of patient data will be a priority, new regulations will reshape telehealth, and cardiovascular care will increasingly be bundled with metabolic, renal and sleep medicine, Wessler predicts. "The road to 2025 ... [is] paved with incremental improvements, real-world applications and a commitment to what actually works," Wessler writes. Forbes (tiered subscription model) (1/17) Learn More

Survey: Most older adults use patient portals, health tech

A survey found that 81.4% of 50- to 80-year-olds use digital health technology, with 64.5% of respondents using patient portals, 49.1% using telehealth and 44% using mobile apps, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open. Digital tech usage is higher among women, people with higher education levels and income, people with private health insurance and those living in metropolitan areas. McKnight's Long-Term Care News (1/15) Learn More

AI model aims to enhance cardiac risk prediction

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, Houston Methodist and University Hospitals are developing an artificial intelligence model to predict major cardiovascular events and heart failure by "learning" from cardiac computed tomography scans. The project, funded by $4 million in NIH grants, aims to integrate imaging markers with patient demographics to provide personalized risk assessments. Health Imaging (1/14) Learn More

Wearables tied to lower death risk in heart disease patients

Smartwatches, bands, patches and other wearable sensors may reduce ischemic heart disease patients' risks for all-cause mortality and major adverse events, according to a meta-analysis published in Maturitas. However, researchers found no significant association between the use of wearable devices and risks for heart failure, arrhythmia or hospitalization. Medscape (1/17) Learn More

Physician aims to advance health equity, justice

Dr. Utibe Essien of the David Geffen School of Medicine discusses his journey into the field, focusing particularly on health equity and justice. Essien highlights the importance of addressing social determinants of health as well as the role of technology in serving diverse populations. He also emphasizes the need for cultural competence among medical professionals to improve patient outcomes. Daily Bruin (University of California, Los Angeles) (1/20) Learn More

Cardiovascular Quality and Research News

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