Happy Earth Day!
50 Years of Earth Day: What’s Better Today, and What’s Worse: Good summary from The New York Times of the status of the environment.
What's the State of YOUR Air?: This interactive site from the American Lung Association allows you to check the quality of your local air.
About healthcare IT
Healthcare Interoperability Expanded Significantly in 2019 with More than 19 Billion Secure Health Data Transactions Nationwide: “Healthcare interoperability and enhanced information sharing continued to improve healthcare quality, safety and cost for U.S. patients and providers, according to the Surescripts 2019 National Progress Report. The nationwide health information network processed 19.15 billion secure transactions in 2019, while connecting 1.78 million healthcare professionals and organizations with actionable patient data for 95% of the U.S. population.” See the report for more details.
CMS Interoperability and Patient Access final rule: “CMS is extending the implementation timeline for the admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) notification Conditions of Participation (CoPs) by an additional six months. In the version of the rule displayed on March 9, 2020 on the CMS website, it stated these CoPs would be effective 6 months after the publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. We have changed this in the final rule now displayed on the Federal Register to state that the new CoPs at 42 CFR Parts 482 and 485 will now be effective 12 months after the final rule is published in the Federal Register.”
Nearly 25,000 email addresses and passwords allegedly from NIH, WHO, Gates Foundation and others are dumped online: The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors online extremism and terrorist groups…"was unable to verify whether the email addresses and passwords were authentic…” The information was released Sunday and Monday and “almost immediately used to foment attempts at hacking and harassment by far-right extremists. An Australian cybersecurity expert, Robert Potter, said he was able to verify that the WHO email addresses and passwords were real.”
About the public’s health
CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating: “…the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday that a second wave of the novel coronavirus will be far more dire because it is likely to coincide with the start of flu season.” But COVID-19 hit in flu season this year. Perhaps more people will get flu shots next time around. This year we were also lucky that the flu strains were sensitive to the usual anti-viral drugs.
Guidance for Licensed Independent Freestanding Emergency Departments (EDs) to Participate in Medicare and Medicaid during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: “CMS is creating additional flexibilities to allow licensed independent freestanding emergency departments (EDs) to participate in Medicare and Medicaid to help address the urgent need to increase hospital capacity to provide care to patients…
Due to their existing infrastructure, independent freestanding EDs, which have no hospital affiliation and are specifically licensed by the state to operate independently to provide emergency services, have been identified as a critical resource to assist in expanding capacity for inpatient and outpatient hospital services for patients requiring a higher level of care. Currently, only four states license independent freestanding EDs to operate without hospital affiliation Colorado, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Texas.”
Immediate Use Steam Sterilization (IUSS) Sterilizes N95 Masks Without Mask Damage: In addition to hydrogen peroxide and UV light treatments: “Despite the limitations of this study, the data herein provide a valid basis for the use of IUSS [Immediate-use steam sterilization] N95 masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to healthcare workers.”
About pharma
Outcomes of hydroxychloroquine usage in United States veterans hospitalized with Covid-19: Here is the original pre-publication paper that was widely referenced in today’s media. “In this study, we found no evidence that use of hydroxychloroquine, either with or without azithromycin, reduced the risk of mechanical ventilation in patients hospitalized with Covid-19. An association of increased overall mortality was identified in patients treated with hydroxychloroquine alone. These findings highlight the importance of awaiting the results of ongoing prospective, randomized, controlled studies before widespread adoption of these drugs.” The death rate in the hydroxychloroquine [HC] group was 27.8%, compared to 11.4% in the no- HC group.
Glaucoma could be successfully treated with gene therapy : “A new study led by the University of Bristol has shown a common eye condition, glaucoma, could be successfully treated with a single injection using gene therapy, which would improve treatment options, effectiveness and quality of life for many patients.”
DOJ Won’t Challenge AmerisourceBergen’s COVID-19 Efforts: “The DOJ decided earlier this month to waive antitrust concerns about collaborative efforts by McKesson and Cardinal Health to distribute medical supplies during the pandemic.”
About hospitals
How COVID-19 Could Inform the Future of Hospital Design: Fascinating discussion of creative and flexible hospital designs from Smithsonian Magazine.
5th Circuit upholds CMS rule tweaking DSH payment calculations: “A federal appeals court has upheld a rule that would allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to include payments from Medicare and private payers in calculating disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payment caps.
The opinion (PDF), issued Monday, reversed a lower court win for eight Mississippi hospitals challenging the payment changes. The 5th Circuit Court argues that wording in the Medicaid Act on how the payments must be calculated is ambiguous, giving the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) room to interpret it. “
About healthcare personnel
Emergency room doctors facing pay cuts and understaffing during pandemic: “CBS News spoke with ER doctors in at least half a dozen states who said they're taking pay cuts of up to 40%.
The American College of Emergency Physicians said cutting benefits and shifts could force some emergency rooms to shut down.”
The physicians who are busiest and taking the highest risk are getting pay cuts? I would think they would be getting “combat pay” as a way to thank them.