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  • Study shows mixed trends in alcohol-linked hospitalizations

    A study using data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample indicates that the annual rate of US alcohol-related hospitalizations held steady between 2016 and 2022, but the mean length of stay increased to 6.2 days from 5.6, and in-hospital mortality increased to 3.1% from 2.4%. The study also found that the cost of hospitalizations increased, reaching a total of $32.6 billion in 2022. Readmissions rose from 2016 to 2022 as well. Medscape (1/13) Learn More

  • Flu activity remains high; 15M cases reported

    Flu activity in the US continues to be high, with 15 million cases, 180,000 hospitalizations and 7,400 deaths reported so far this season, according to the CDC. Pediatric cases are surging, and more than 18% of clinician visits for children under age 4 are related to flu, the highest since at least 2016. Hospitalization rates for flu among children and teenagers are at their second highest in 15 years. Flu vaccine uptake was at 43.5% for adults and 42.5% for children as of late December. ABC News (1/9) Learn More

  • Drug shortages in US affect quality of care, survey shows

    A survey of 902 clinicians, published as a research letter in JAMA Network Open, showed that 87% believe drug shortages have lowered the quality of care they can provide. The survey indicates that 88% of respondents have encountered drug shortages, with endocrinologic drugs, stimulants and infectious disease medications the most affected. Clinicians say the shortages have led to increased administrative work and workplace stress. Medscape (1/12) Learn More

  • Physicians describe 1 in 6 patient encounters as difficult

    Physicians consider 17% of patient encounters difficult, with mental health issues and chronic pain as main factors, a meta-analysis shows. The analysis, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that more training is needed to help clinicians handle these situations effectively. MedPage Today (free registration) (1/12) Learn More

  • How the NYC nurses' strike is affecting hospital systems

    Nearly 15,000 nurses in New York City have begun to strike, with affected hospital systems saying they remain open. Mount Sinai has brought in 1,400 temporary nurses, identified patients who could be safely discharged, rescheduled some appointments and transferred other patients. The New York-Presbyterian hospital system said its hospitals and emergency departments are open and patients will be contacted if appointments need to be rescheduled, while the Montefiore hospital system said services are not affected by the strike. Gothamist (New York) (1/12) Learn More

  • Master data management system can boost patient experience

    Fragmented, siloed patient data can result in errors, duplicated records and missed lab results that undermine the patient experience and erode trust, says Clay Ritchey, CEO of Verato, which recently surveyed health care leaders on the topic. Seventy percent of respondents said they have lost patients due to poor experiences, only 30% of leaders are confident their systems provide a complete patient view, and less than 6% feel prepared for digital health challenges. An enterprise-wide master data management system creates a unified patient identity, enabling better care coordination and improving the patient experience, Ritchey says. Healthcare Innovation (1/9) Learn More

  • AI integration in health care raises oversight concerns

    Artificial intelligence is expected to become even more integrated into health care workflows this year, with advancements in areas including AI scribes and computer vision in radiology, and experts highlight the need for continuous monitoring and clinical oversight to ensure safety and accuracy. "We should not confuse intuitiveness and how good [AI platforms] look or how efficient they are with accuracy," said Ashish Atreja, president of GenServe.AI. TechTarget (1/7) Learn More

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