Quality Improvement for Institutions
www.cvquality.acc.org

Cardiovascular Quality and Research News

ACC CV Quality SmartBrief

The ACC CV Quality SmartBrief eNewsletter is a free, twice-weekly briefing for health care stakeholders interested in quality care. Learn more about the ACC CV Quality SmartBrief and subscribe.

  • Nurse understaffing tied to mortality, readmission risk

    A study in JAMA Network Open found nurse understaffing was associated with higher in-hospital mortality and readmission rates. The retrospective study, which involved more than 77,000 hospital admissions across 82 wards in Japan, found the association was greater during day shifts. "Ongoing monitoring of daily nurse staffing and addressing understaffing relative to the current annual median or higher may contribute to improved patient outcomes," researchers wrote. MedPage Today (free registration) (3/2) Learn More

  • U.S. News introduces hospital quality comparison tool

    U.S. News & World Report has introduced an interactive tool that patients can use to compare up to five hospitals at a time across 37 adult and 11 pediatric specialties, procedures and conditions. The tool displays hospitals' quality metrics side-by-side and allows users to save comparisons and book appointments with participating hospitals. TechTarget (3/2) Learn More

  • COVID-19, RSV caused up to 76,000 deaths in the US last year

    Data from the CDC show RSV was linked to as many as 23,000 deaths and 350,000 hospitalizations from July 2024 through June 2025, while COVID-19 was associated with as many as 53,000 deaths and 450,000 hospitalizations. The highest hospitalization rates for RSV were for babies younger than 1 year, while the highest rates for COVID-19 were for people 75 years and older. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (3/3) Learn More

  • Ala. hospitals see decline in infection rates

    Alabama hospitals have reported a decrease in health care-associated infections, with rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections and colon surgery-related infections lower than the national baseline. An Alabama Department of Public Health report attributes the decline to advancements in patient care practices. Alabama Political Reporter (3/4) Learn More

  • Physician interest in infectious disease specialty drops

    Fewer physicians are pursuing infectious disease as a specialty amid a surge in vaccine-preventable illnesses such as measles and whooping cough. Only 61% of infectious disease fellowship positions have been filled this year, down from 88% five years ago, according to the National Resident Matching Program. The Trump administration's public health funding cuts and changes to vaccine policy are cited as factors, along with low compensation for the specialty. Axios (3/2) Learn More

  • Telemedicine visits for common conditions cost much less than in-person care

    Data on more than 160,000 appointments found that telemedicine costs about one-fifth as much as in-person care for many common conditions, except for mental health issues, according to a study in JAMA Network Open. The average telemedicine charge was $96, compared with $509 for in-person visits, and patients using telemedicine had an average of three follow-up visits, compared more than four for in-person care. HealthDay News (3/2) Learn More

  • First-in-human TAVR case uses novel anchoring technique

    Cardiologists at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Israel performed a first-in-human transcatheter aortic valve replacement using a novel anchoring strategy for pure native aortic regurgitation. The ATLAS technique involves anchoring the valve to a crushed stent, with the noncoronary cusp as an optimal target for anchoring. The procedure highlights the need for TAVR valves designed for noncalcified AR. Findings were published in JACC: Case Reports. Cardiovascular Business (3/3) Learn More

Temp Styles

American College of Cardiology: 2400 N St. NW, Washington DC 20006