Dive into the fascinating world of AI in gastroenterology with Andrea Cherubini, PhD, Senior Vice President for Science, AI, and Data at Cosmo Intelligent Medical Devices, Medtronic’s partner behind GI Genius. Cherubini’s insights offer a unique window into the future of medicine, where AI not only supports but enhances medical expertise. Specifically, he shares how GI startups and enterprises can take advantage of the GI Genius platform by developing and launching their own apps. https://youtu.be/9thB5mZFZFM?si=z2-2PVC_3FJ48zsy Highlights: The Genesis of GI Genius: Andrea Cherubini shares the inception story of Cosmo IMD’s collaboration with Medtronic in developing GI Genius, emphasizing the ‘perfect…
Author: Abhay Panchal
Dr. Austin L. Chiang’s new book “Gut: An Owner’s Guide” aims to empower readers with digestible information, debunking common myths and providing insights into gastrointestinal health. READ MORE
A newly developed quality performance measure focuses on completion of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with a colonoscopy within 6 months of an abnormal stool-based screening test (SBT) in adults. A retrospective study of 20,581 adults aged 50-75 years from 38 health systems revealed that fewer than half (48%) had a follow-up colonoscopy within 180 days of an initial abnormal SBT for CRC. The low follow-up rates were attributed to the lack of tracking of this measure by clinicians and incorrect assumptions about higher follow-up rates. The proposed CRC screening completion measure addresses an important shortcoming in existing measures and aims…
Key Points: A recent study published in Gastroenterology compared the effectiveness and cost of blood-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tests with recommended strategies such as colonoscopy or stool-based tests. The study found that blood-based CRC screening tests were less effective and more costly compared to recommended strategies. Specifically, the study evaluated the effectiveness of two blood-based tests: a multi-analyte test (Septin 9) and a single-analyte test (ColoVantage). When compared to colonoscopy, blood-based CRC screening tests were less effective in detecting CRC and advanced adenomas. Additionally, blood-based tests were associated with higher costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained compared to…
Power-washing, traditionally used for cleaning surfaces, is now explored as a method for collecting cytology specimens from the stomach during endoscopy procedures for gastric cancer screening or surveillance. Led by Dr. Charles J. Lightdale and colleagues from Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a novel high-pressure liquid spray delivered via the ERBEJET flexible probe was tested in a proof-of-concept study. Standard biopsy collection methods, such as systematic random biopsies, can be laborious, time-consuming, costly, and prone to sampling error due to the large surface area of the stomach. The power-washing procedure involves spraying the gastric mucosa systematically with a high-pressure liquid…
Key Points: Patients newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) who experienced higher levels of psychological distress at disease onset were less likely to see improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain over time. The study assessed 98 adult patients with new-onset UC over a period of 3 years. Biopsies, blood samples, and fecal samples were collected at diagnosis, and self-report questionnaires were used to assess symptom severity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety, depression, and coping resources. Patients with higher psychological distress at baseline were more likely to experience increased severity of gastrointestinal symptoms and reduced mental…
Key Points: The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy generates vast amounts of data. For example, a single 15-minute endoscopic procedure can produce approximately 27,000 high-definition images. This data stream holds potential for innovative research but also raises ethical and legal concerns regarding data privacy and ownership. Companies are developing platforms to leverage the value of video endoscopy data. Examples include Medtronic’s GI Genius, Virgo’s endoscopy video storage and AI analysis platform, and Iterative Scopes’ agreements with GI practices and pharmaceutical companies. These platforms are used for various applications, including AI algorithms…
Key Points: UC Davis Health launched a digital health program for colorectal cancer screening using the Cologuard test to coincide with Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March. Early detection of colorectal cancer is crucial for effective treatment. The program aims to provide patients with convenient and less invasive screening options to improve the chances of detecting cancer at an early stage. Cologuard is a non-invasive, stool DNA-based test that detects blood in stool and 11 distinct biomarkers associated with colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps. It boasts a 92% success rate in identifying polyps at their earliest and most treatable stages.…
Key Points: A tele-study by Vibrant Gastro reveals that 74% of high-volume gastroenterology providers surveyed are unsure or believe that the medications they prescribe for chronic constipation patients are ineffective. A 2020 study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology indicates that 12-19% of Americans suffer from chronic constipation. However, many patients do not discuss their symptoms with their doctors and instead rely on over-the-counter products and food trends. Vibrant Gastro’s technology offers a non-pharmaceutical alternative to traditional constipation treatments. Their ingestible capsule uses micro-vibrations to signal the body to move its contents and resync the colon. This innovation has been…
Key Points: Change Healthcare experienced another significant cyber attack shortly after a major ransomware attack earlier in the year, causing disruptions to prescription services across the United States. The recent attack was carried out by a relatively new threat actor called RansomHub, distinct from the previous attack orchestrated by the ALPHV/BlackCat threat collective. RansomHub claims to have stolen 4TB of sensitive data from Change Healthcare’s network. This includes personally identifiable information (PII) of active US service members and other patients, medical records, insurance records, payment information, and over 3,000 source code files for Change Healthcare solutions. read more