The ASTM standard, which would create minimum design, performance, and labeling and care requirements for face coverings, is being developed by the subcommittee on respiratory protection at ASTM. ASTM is targeting a February 2021 approval for the standard, Daniel Smith, vice president of technical committee operations said in an e-mail.

NIOSH confirmed that approved FFRs like N95 respirators protect the wearer, filtering particle penetration to less than 5%. The report, “Filtering Facepiece Respirators with an Exhalation Valve: Measurements of Filtration Efficiency to Evaluate Their Potential for Source Control” (NIOSH Publication No. 2021-107), also confirmed that an FFR with an exhalation valve provided the same source control as commonly used measures like surgical masks, procedure masks, and cloth face coverings.

According to The Joint Commission, intimidating and disruptive behavior in healthcare settings is associated with medical errors, poor patient satisfaction, and preventable adverse outcomes. In June, the AMA Board of Trustees recognized the health consequences of violent police interactions and called racism an urgent threat to public health.

The alarming results of the test evaluating 34 models of disposable gowns from foreign or non-traditional suppliers prompted ECRI to issue a high-priority hazard alert to warn healthcare organizations about its safety concerns.

A 2020 study found that one or more of six disruptive behaviors were reported at 97.8% of healthcare workplaces, with disruptive behaviors associated with poorer teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, and perceptions of management.

Research published in September 2018 indicates that nearly half of physicians nationwide are experiencing burnout symptoms, and a study published in October 2018 found burnout increases the odds of physician involvement in patient safety incidents, unprofessionalism, and lower patient satisfaction.

The recent research, which was published by JAMA Surgery, examines NVDRS data collected from January 2003 to December 2016. More than 170,000 individuals who died by suicide were identified. Of that total, 767 individuals (0.5%) were physicians. Non-surgeon physicians accounted for 63.2% of doctors who committed suicide, dentists accounted for 23.3%, and surgeons accounted for 13.4%.

Researchers from the American College of Surgeons and Surgical Outcomes and Quality Improvement Center at Northwestern University, both in Chicago, surveyed U.S. 6,956 general surgery residents and found that 67% of respondents have experienced at least one bullying behavior during their time as a resident.