Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Otolaryngology for April 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Physician Compensation Up for Most Specialties
TUESDAY, April 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physician compensation has gone up for almost all specialties, according to a 2015 report published by Medscape.
CDC: Surveillance System Can Help Reduce Health Care Injuries
TUESDAY, April 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A surveillance system for health care facilities can be used to identify and help reduce the number of preventable injuries among health care personnel, according to research published in the April 24 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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More Evidence Needed to Assess Impact of Duty Hour Policies
FRIDAY, April 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Evidence is necessary to assess the safety of duty hour limit policies for surgical residents, according to a viewpoint piece published online April 22 in JAMA Surgery.
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Antibiotic Choice Affects Infection Rate After Head and Neck Sx
FRIDAY, April 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing head and neck free flap reconstruction, the choice of antibiotic impacts postoperative infection rate, according to a study published online April 23 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
EHR Data Mining Helps With Quality Improvement
WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Electronic health records (EHRs) are a valuable source of data that can be mined to help practices with quality improvement performance, according to a study published in Medical Economics.
30-Day Unplanned Readmit Rate Low but Costly in Head, Neck Sx
WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing head and neck surgery, 30-day unplanned readmission rates are low, but costly, according to a review published online March 9 in Head & Neck.
EHR Decision Support Ups Radiologic Test Appropriateness
TUESDAY, April 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Computerized clinical decision-support (CCDS) capabilities of electronic health records may improve appropriate use of diagnostic radiologic test ordering and reduce test use, according to a review published in the April 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Guidance Offered for Managing Conflict With Patients
MONDAY, April 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Good communication is key to managing conflict with patients, according to an article published April 1 in Medical Economics.
Antibiotic-Glucocorticoid Eardrops Found Superior in Acute Otorrhea
MONDAY, April 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For children with tympanostomy tubes who develop otorrhea, antibiotic-glucocorticoid eardrops are clinically superior and cost less than oral antibiotics or initial observation, according to a study published online April 20 in Pediatrics.
Suboptimal Prescribing Attitudes Could Signal Personal Distress
FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical students in personal distress may be more likely to have suboptimal attitudes about self-prescribing and personal responsibility for reporting impaired colleagues, according to a study published in the April issue of Academic Medicine.
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Ethical Implications for Looking Up Applicants on Facebook
THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Looking up students on Facebook and other social networking sites (SNS) is associated with ethical concerns, according to a perspective piece published in the March issue of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
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Medicare Spending Down in Year One of Pioneer ACO
THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medicare spending is down in year one of the Pioneer accountable care organization (ACO) program, according to a study published online April 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
AMA Announces End of Sustainable Growth Rate Formula
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Recently adopted legislation has repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Survey Looks at Patient Attitudes Regarding Informed Consent
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most U.S. adults would prefer to be asked for permission to participate in studies assessing usual medical practices, according to a study published online April 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Security Breaches of Health Records Up Over Past Decade
TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Breaches in data security exposed more than 29 million health records to potential criminal misuse between 2010 and 2013, according to a new study. Security breaches involving hacking have nearly doubled in recent years, rising to 8.7 percent in 2013 compared with 4.7 percent in 2010, according to the study, published as a research letter in the April 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Placebo Response May Depend on Individual DNA
TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The strength of the placebo effect may depend on particular DNA, according to a report published online April 13 in Trends in Molecular Medicine.
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Quality Improvement Intervention Cuts Lost OR Time
TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Significant reductions can be made in operating room (OR) time lost due to cancellation on the day of surgery (DoSC), according to a study published online April 13 in Pediatrics.
HPV4 Vaccine Cost-Effective for OPC Prevention in Teen Boys
MONDAY, April 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV4) vaccine appears to be cost-effective for the prevention of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) among 12-year-old males, according to a study published online April 13 in Cancer.
Adverse Ocular Effects From Aesthetic Facial Tx Rare
MONDAY, April 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Adverse ocular effects from aesthetic facial procedures are infrequent, according to a review published online March 19 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
Many Doctors Haven’t Started Dealing With ICD-10 Revision
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most physicians have barely begun to deal with issues relating to documentation associated with the transition to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Medical Debt Burden Higher in Texas, Florida
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Significantly more adults in Florida and Texas struggle to pay medical bills or pay off medical debt over time compared with residents of New York and California, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report released Friday.
Art Program Hones Med Students’ Visual Observation Skills
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An innovative interdisciplinary program, Art Rounds, is effective for improving medical and nursing students’ physical observation skills, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nursing Education.
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Pharmacists Raise Concerns for Patient Access to Generic Drugs
THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nearly all pharmacists have experienced upswings in the acquisition costs of generic drugs, with price spikes reported to be worse since 2013, according to a report published by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).
Many Head and Neck Cancer Survivors Don’t Return to Work
THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many head and neck cancer survivors do not return to work, according to a study published in the April issue of Head & Neck.
Limited Time Available to Review Sunshine Act Data
WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians have only 45 days to review and dispute reports regarding their financial ties to drug and medical device manufacturers reported under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Med Students, Residents Rarely Perform Stethoscope Hygiene
TUESDAY, April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Stethoscope hygiene is rarely performed by trainee physicians, according to a research letter published online April 2 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Article Highlights Legal Issues Linked to Physician Extenders
FRIDAY, April 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The use of physician extenders (PEs; mainly physician assistants and nurse practitioners) may bring added legal risks to a practice, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Bleach Exposure May Increase Risk of Infections in Children
FRIDAY, April 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Bleach exposure is associated with increased risk of respiratory and other infections in school-aged children, according to a study published online April 2 in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
MED15 Involved in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
THURSDAY, April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The mediator subunit MED15 appears to be involved in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), according to a study published in the April issue of The American Journal of Pathology.
Patients May Be Modifying Meds Due to Trouble Swallowing
THURSDAY, April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Some patients experience difficulties swallowing and modify medication dosage forms, without necessarily consulting health professionals, according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.
Legal Issues of Removing Patient From Practice Explored
WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The legal and ethical responsibilities of removing a patient from practice are discussed in an article published March 16 in Medical Economics.
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Obesity Ups Respiratory Events in Peds Procedural Sedation
WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Obesity is associated with increased odds of respiratory events and more frequent need for airway intervention in patients undergoing pediatric procedural sedation, according to a study published online March 27 in Pediatric Anesthesia.
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