A new potential threat has emerged during the pandemic, and it just might be… your treadmill? I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and we’ll dig into that and other developments in this week’s Top Stories.
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many consumers to forgo the gym in favor of at-home workouts, with Peloton’s connected bike and treadmill emerging as a popular option, allowing the company to beat fourth-quarter revenue expectations by $34 million. But as we see in MobiHealthNews (https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/consumer-safety-group-warns-parents-stop-using-peloton-tread-after-reports-child-injuries-and), Peloton has come under fire for safety issues after a slew of injuries to small children, including one death. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission believes the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures and death, and warned consumers to stop using the machine if there is a child or small pet in the home. Peloton said this was inaccurate and misleading, and said the product is only intended for individuals over the age of 16.
A study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association found that more favorable electronic health record usability scores are associated with lower odds of burnout -- but those usability scores have taken a nosedive. According to HealthcareITNews (https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/nurses-give-ehr-usability-f-new-study), a survey of almost 1,300 nurses found a mean EHR usability score of 57.6, which the researchers graded with an F. That’s higher than the mean score among physicians, but is still considered a failing grade, and in the meantime 42% of respondents said they were burned out. Burnout has been linked to lower job performance and patient satisfaction.
Finally this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is among the federal officials weighing in on the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. Healthcare Finance News reports (https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/derek-chauvin-conviction-prompts-hhs-vow-tackle-racism-serious-public-health-threat) that Chauvin was convicted on all three counts against him. Becerra said HHS and the country need to meet the challenge of promoting equity and providing support to marginalized communities.
I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and this has been Top Stories.