About Covid-19
Sore throat and cough top symptoms that could be Covid Top 5 symptoms are now:
“Sore throat - reported by 58%
Headache - 49%
Blocked nose - 40%
Cough no phlegm - 40%
Runny nose - 40% “
Note that loss of taste and smell (10%) are not the most frequent symptoms.
About the public’s health
Raising the Bar This monograph from the RWJ Foundation “provides an actionable framework for the entire healthcare sector to embed equity and excellence throughout its work. In this first part of the project the National Alliance to impact the Social Determinants of Health (NASDOH) convened extensive discussions with providers, hospitals, payers, and community leaders to develop foundational principles, essential roles, and concrete actions for the sector to help achieve optimal health for all.”
Usually reports on SDOH provide research showing what is common knowledge. This report actually provides “concrete actions” to address problems.
About healthcare IT
CMS PROPOSES TO CUT AUDIO-ONLY TELEHEALTH COVERAGE “In a move expected to anger virtual care advocates, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed dropping Medicare coverage for audio-only telehealth services, including telephone calls, in its 2023 Physician Fee Schedule. The proposed action would take place 151 days after the end of the public health emergency.”
The New Electronic Health Record’s Unknown Queue Caused Multiple Events of Patient Harm From the VA OIG in response to ongoing implementation problems with the Oracle Cerner system. “The patient safety team identified 60 safety concerns across nine core domains and ranked these issues based on severity…
The clinical reviewers conducted 1,286 facility event assessments and identified and classified 149 adverse events for patients…
· Major harm: 2
· Moderate harm: 52
· Minor harm: 95”
About healthcare personnel
Top Lies Patients Tell Their Doctors No surprises, but worth a quick read aa a reminder.
About health technology
Synchron Announces Enrollment of First Patient in U.S. Endovascular Brain Computer Interface Study COMMAND in Patients With Severe Paralysis “Synchron, an endovascular brain-computer (BCI) interface company, today announced the enrollment of the first patient in the US clinical trial, COMMAND, for patients with severe paralysis, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The clinical trial is being conducted under the first investigational device exemption (IDE) awarded by the FDA to a company assessing a permanently implanted BCI. Previous BCI human clinical studies approved by FDA have been conducted in short term experimental settings.
The early feasibility study (EFS), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will primarily assess safety and begin to explore quantified efficacy measures of Synchron’s Stentrode™ in patients with severe paralysis with the goal of enabling the patient to control digital devices hands-free.”