The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has expressed concerns over UnitedHealthcare’s (UHC) lack of response to their call for clarity on the insurer’s advanced notification program for gastrointestinal care. On August 1, the AGA sent a letter to UHC urging them to withdraw this program. However, as of October 11, UHC has not provided any details or responses to the AGA’s concerns. Key points: In summary, the AGA’s concerns revolve around UHC’s advanced notification program for gastrointestinal care, and the insurer’s lack of communication has raised alarms in the medical community and among policymakers.
Author: Abhay Panchal
The American College of Physicians (ACP) recently updated its colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidance, which has sparked concerns among some specialists. The ACP’s new guidance, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommends starting CRC screenings at age 50 for average-risk, asymptomatic individuals. This is in contrast to the 2021 guidelines from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which lowered the recommended initial screening age to 45. Several professional organizations, including the American College of Radiology, have criticized the ACP’s new guidelines, labeling them as “a step backward.” They warn that these guidelines…
During HLTH 2023, Google introduced new generative AI-powered features to its Vertex AI platform. These features are designed for health and life sciences companies to search patient data, including clinical sources such as FHIR data and clinical notes. This can be integrated with Google’s medical large language model, Med-PaLM 2. Key points:
Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening may not be a thing of the past yet, but two noninvasive screening tests are touting new data showing rates of sensitivity and specificity that are gaining on the gold-standard screening modality. New data on the cell-free DNA blood-based screening test Shield (Guardant Health) put it in the level of other noninvasive screening tests, researchers said, and improved metrics—including fewer false positive scores—of the next-generation of the multitarget stool DNA test Cologuard (Exact Sciences) show the test’s benefit for screening average-risk adults. Cell-Free DNA Assay: 83% Sensitivity for CRC The cfDNA test Shield demonstrated an…
SonarMD, a leader in value-based care for digestive health, and Telebelly Health, a virtual care platform specialized for gastroenterology practices, have announced a partnership. This collaboration aims to provide gastroenterology practices with enhanced support, including: The partnership addresses the current challenges faced by GI practices, such as increased demand due to colonoscopy screening guidelines, pandemic-induced backlogs, and a shortage of gastroenterologists. These challenges can result in dangerous care delays and increased costs. SonarMD’s approach involves remote patient monitoring, algorithms, and expert support to proactively identify and address emerging health issues in patients with chronic gut conditions. This not only improves…
The gastroenterology industry is poised for significant changes in the next decade. Dr. Sheldon Taub, a gastroenterologist at Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center, shared his insights on the future of the industry: In summary, the gastroenterology industry is on the brink of a transformative phase, with technology, patient care approaches, and the structure of medical practices all set to undergo significant shifts.
BullFrog AI Holdings, Inc., a technology-driven drug development company, has announced the identification of multiple potential therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer, including three novel targets, using its proprietary AI-driven platform, bfLEAP™. These discoveries were made by analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas with the bfLEAP™ platform. The validation of these targets will be carried out in collaboration with the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a renowned institution in genomics research. Using the bfLEAP™ platform, BullFrog AI was able to identify 14 candidates that were significantly over-expressed in tumors compared to healthy tissues. Out of these, three were categorized as novel, having…
TOPLINE:Research from Korea provides additional evidence for the connection between COVID-19 and an increased risk for autoimmune conditions post-infection. METHODOLOGY:
CHICAGO— Up to 45% of species in the gut microbiome show substantial diurnal, seasonal and regional variations at the population level, according to a global analysis presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023. Based on the substantial oscillations in species during these time frames, this analysis appears to reveal a meaningful new variable with which to understand the microbiome composition. The population-based fluctuations “have large implications” for attempts to understand microbiome composition in the context of disease, according to senior author Amir Zarrinpar, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University…
In a study presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting, researchers showcased the efficacy of two liquid biopsy tests in identifying high-risk cervical cancer recurrence post-chemoradiation. These tests, a digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) and a sequencing test for human papillomavirus (HPV) genetic material, were found to be equally effective in detecting residual disease in blood. Kathy Han, MD, from the Princess Margaret Cancer Center, highlighted that these non-invasive tests can detect residual disease post-treatment earlier than imaging or clinical exams. Liquid biopsies offer advantages over tissue biopsies, such as detecting minute components of ctDNA, circulating…