Contrary to concerns that restricting work hours for surgical residents negatively affects the quality of patient care or the residents’ education, a study in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons found that limiting work hours does not compromise education or the quality of care.

Paying hospitals extra money does not appear to significantly improve the way they treat heart attack patients or how well those patients do. But giving hospitals the information that they need to improve heart attack care does help.

Hospitals that have better working conditions for nurses are safer for elderly intensive care unit (ICU) patients, according to a recent report, led by Columbia University School of Nursing researchers that measured rates of hospital-associated infections. Hospital associated infections are the number six cause of death in the United States (CDC March 2007).