News From Around the Web
> A new robotic arm that can perform multiple simultaneous movements was granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday, according to Reuters. The arm, named Luke after "Star Wars" protagonist Luke Skywalker--who loses his hand in the movie's sequel, "The Empire Strikes Back"--allows users to perform complex tasks, such as using keys and locks, using zippers and brushing hair. Article
> Susan McAndrew has retired from her position as deputy director for health information privacy at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights, Health Data Management reports. Christina Heide, OCR senior advisor for health information privacy policy, will serve as acting deputy director. Article
Provider News
> The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will restructure its Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program by hiring two contractors to oversee quality improvement measures for Medicare beneficiaries. Phase one of the restructure will allow two beneficiary and family-centered care QIO contractors--Maryland-based Livanta LLC and Ohio-based KePRO--to review and monitor activities separate from the traditional quality improvement activities of the QIO, according to an announcement. Article
> Providers must continue to accurately measure patient satisfaction, due to the "deep chasm" between patient and physician perceptions of care quality, according to a Health Affairs blog post. Physicians often oppose the publication of patient satisfaction data, or its integration of patient into reimbursements, writes James Rickert, assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine. Article
Medical Imaging News
> Women significantly overestimate the amount of radiation associated with mammography--a situation that could dissuade them from undergoing screening, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society in San Diego last week. For the study, which took place over a three-month period, 133 women between the ages of 19 and 89 completed a questionnaire about radiation exposure in which they were asked to rate the amount of radiation in a single mammogram (0.4 mSv) compared to five other radiation benchmarks. Article
And Finally... Not even close. Article