The new AGA guidelines represent a significant shift in the management of Crohn’s Disease, emphasizing less invasive methods for disease monitoring and potentially improving patient comfort and care efficiency. New Guidelines for Crohn’s Disease: The AGA has introduced new evidence-based guidelines for managing Crohn’s Disease. These guidelines emphasize the use of specific biomarkers for disease management, potentially reducing the need for invasive procedures like colonoscopies. Role of Biomarkers: The guidelines recommend using the C-reactive protein (CRP) biomarker in blood and the fecal calprotectin (FCP) biomarker in stool to measure inflammation levels. These biomarkers help assess whether Crohn’s Disease is in…
Author: Abhay Panchal
Partnership Overview: Allied Digestive Health, a leading provider of gastroenterology services in New Jersey and New York, has partnered with Provation, a software and SaaS company specializing in clinical productivity and workflow automation. This partnership is aimed at enhancing patient care through improved clinical processes. Provation’s Role: Provation, a Fortive Corporation operating company, will provide ADH with its leading cloud-based procedure documentation and charting solutions. These solutions are designed to be used by ADH’s 150+ board-certified gastroenterologists across over 30 office-based surgery (OBS) and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) facilities. Benefits of the Agreement: The agreement focuses on implementing Provation Apex,…
There is a long-standing belief that patients with a presumptive diagnosis of diverticulitis may instead be harboring colon cancer, but what is the real risk? In an analysis of a large database, patients whose diverticulitis is considered complicated—with abscess or perforation—had nearly a fourfold increased likelihood of having cancer or an advanced adenoma found on colonoscopy compared with the average-risk screening population. However, those with less severe diverticulitis had a decreased likelihood. “Colon cancer can be misdiagnosed as diverticulitis, and for this reason colonoscopy is often recommended to exclude a missed cancer after patients recover from an episode of diverticulitis.…
Therapeutic strategies employing a combination of advanced therapies, specifically dual biologics or biologic–small molecule combinations, are starting to reveal promising outcomes in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. At the 2023 annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, Christopher Ma, MD, MPH, FRCPC, an associate professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Calgary, in Alberta, highlighted several studies that have demonstrated superior results with a combination treatment approach, particularly in patients who have refractory IBD or high-risk phenotypes. However, Dr. Ma also underscored the need for more data to determine safety and efficacy conclusively. “It’s evident from…
AMIE, based on large language models (LLMs), is designed to enhance diagnostic medical reasoning and conversations. Here are the key points: Purpose and Challenge: AMIE aims to replicate the physician-patient conversation, a critical aspect of medicine where communication is essential for diagnosis, management, empathy, and trust. The challenge lies in approximating the expertise of clinicians, a task made difficult due to the unique aspects of medical dialogues. Development of AMIE: AMIE is developed as a research AI system optimized for diagnostic reasoning and conversations. It was trained and evaluated on various dimensions reflecting real-world clinical consultations. The training involved a…
The new final rule, set to be enforced from January 1, 2026, aims to streamline and digitize the prior authorization process in healthcare. Key aspects of this rule include: Timelines for Authorization Decisions: The rule mandates that decisions on urgent prior authorization requests must be made within 72 hours, and within 7 days for standard requests. This is expected to expedite the process and reduce delays in patient care. Specific Reasons for Denials: Payers are required to provide specific reasons for denying authorization requests. Additionally, they must publicly report certain prior authorization metrics on their websites, enhancing transparency in the…
From private equity’s growing presence in the specialty to changes in the use of anesthesia, here are three trends shaping the gastroenterology field in 2024. Changes in anesthesiaBeginning Jan. 1, Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts stopped its coverage of monitored anesthesia for certain gastrointestinal patients undergoing endoscopic, bronchoscopic or interventional pain procedures. The insurer no longer considers monitored anesthesia “medically necessary” through this new policy except for cases wherein a patient receives documentation that specific risk factors or significant medical conditions are present from the operating physician or anesthesiologist/certified registered nurse anesthetist. Meanwhile, the shortage of anesthesiologists continues to affect…
Geneoscopy said Friday that it has petitioned the US Patent and Trademark Office for inter partes review challenging the patentability of Exact Sciences’ patent No. 11,634,781, which is at the heart of a lawsuit filed by Exact against Geneoscopy last November. Geneoscopy said it moved to dismiss the suit in its entirety in December. The company’s new inter partes review petition argues that the claims of the ’781 patent, titled “Fecal Sample Processing and Analysis Comprising Detection of Blood,” are not inventive. Exact’s patent describes the preparation of stool samples for colorectal cancer testing, which includes removal of one portion…
EndoClot Adhesive is an innovative hemostatic spray with a composition and mechanism of action that distinguish it from other available agents. The Adhesive Hemostatic Polymer technology underlying EndoClot Adhesive provides a unique mechanism to address limitations typically encountered with standard-of-care hemostatic options. EndoClot Adhesive is ideally suited to prevent bleeding after endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection.
Mainz Biomed N.V., a molecular genetics diagnostic company specializing in early cancer detection, provided a year-end summary of its corporate and product development progress for 2023. The company announced significant advancements in its clinical studies and commercial operations. Key highlights from the year-end review include: Overall, Mainz Biomed’s year-end review highlights significant progress in clinical studies, international commercial expansion, and preparations for pivotal FDA trials, positioning the company for continued growth and innovation in cancer diagnostics.