Healthcare groups are largely excited by a new proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that aims to streamline prior authorization and reduce burden on healthcare providers.

A Northern California nurses union has approved their new employment deal with Kaiser Permanente after negotiating a 22.5% wage increase. 

Prior authorization, which requires healthcare providers to get approval from insurance providers before giving certain treatments to patients, has been long-hailed as extremely burdensome to physicians, even causing delays in patient care.

Researchers have completed a new analysis of the Evolut Pro and Pro+ devices from Medtronic and the Sapien 3 Ultra devices from Edwards Lifesciences, sharing the results in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Oversized devices are becoming more common as time goes on, which suggests operators are growing increasingly comfortable with this treatment choice.

A study that aimed to look at the association between physician burnout and electronic health record message characteristics did not find a strong link, but did reveal opportunities to improve negativity and hostility toward physicians in some messages.

“There is a crucial need to develop synthetic vascular graft materials that will increase the rate of long-term functions,” one researcher said. Could materials derived from seaweed help fill that need?

Getinge has provided a detailed breakdown of the shortage, stating that it is not yet clear when it may be over. The FDA said it will keep a close eye on the situation and provide updates when possible.