Newest PHE Renewal Marks Completion of Second Year of Pandemic
For the eighth time since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national public health emergency (PHE), the secretary of Health and Human Services has extended the declaration for another 90 days, effective January 16.
Decontamination of N95 Respirators With Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Effective, Study Finds
The new research article, which was published by American Journal of Infection Control, is based on data collected at a large tertiary care academic center in Boston from June 15 to Aug. 31, 2020. Over the course of the study, the researchers tested a total of 35 3MTM brand N95 respirators for fit and seal. From the 35, seven of the N95 respirators were tested for filtration efficiency.
High Court Backs CMS’ Vaccine Mandate, But Not OSHA’s
Look for CMS and accrediting organizations to start fully enforcing the agency’s recent interim rule requiring all staff at hospitals and other healthcare facilities to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after the Supreme Court stayed an injunction that barred implementation.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 45 – Healthcare Predictions for 2022
On episode 45 of PSQH: The Podcast, Pete Reilly of Hub International talks about what healthcare organizations can expect in 2022.
Study Ties Pandemic Shift to Virtual Care to an Increase in EHR Use
Researchers led by A. Jay Holmgren, of the University of California San Francisco’s Center for Clinical Informatics and Improvement Research said the increase was due in large part to the shift from in-person to virtual care, which pushed clinicians away from their patients and onto computers.
Mass. Joins States Offering Digital Access to Vaccination Records
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced on Monday that residents are now able to use a QR code to access the My Vax Records tool on the COVID-19 SMART Health Card platform, offering a digital repository for vaccination status. They can enter their name, birth date and e-mail address or phone number to create the account, which offers the same data as a paper record.
Supreme Court Hears Emergency Arguments on CMS, OSHA Vaccine Requirements
Supreme Court justices hearing emergency arguments about an injunction stopping enforcement of a CMS interim final rule requiring hospital and other healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 seemed to lean toward the side of CMS on Friday.
AMA President Blasts New CDC Guidance on COVID-19 Isolation
CDC guidance on quarantine and isolation for those who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or people who test positive for COVID-19 has changed several times since the beginning of the pandemic. Under certain circumstances, the new guidance reduces the amount of time that people must quarantine or isolate themselves from 10 days to five days.
Study Finds Racial and Ethnic In-Hospital Mortality Disparities During Pandemic
The recent study, which was published by JAMA Health Forum, is based on an analysis of fee-for-service Medicare inpatient data for more than 31 million beneficiaries and more than 14 million hospitalizations from January 2019 through February 2021.
Integrative Services Such As Nutrition Counseling Boost Cancer Patient Survival, Study Finds
Oncologists rely mainly on conventional medicine such as chemotherapy to treat their patients. Integrative oncology combines complementary and lifestyle therapies such as meditation with conventional medicine.