A new Gastroenterology study led by Dr. Eric Shah (University of Michigan) shows most patients are still paying out-of-pocket for colonoscopy prep — despite ACA rules that should make it free. As Dr. Shah put it: “Bowel prep is a major reason patients defer screening.”
Author: Abhay Panchal
A breakthrough in endoscopy could change how we spot esophageal cancer. Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich, and the Medical University of Vienna have developed O2E, a dual-imaging capsule that combines optical coherence tomography with optoacoustic imaging. Prof. Vasilis Ntziachristos says the system can reveal microscopic structural and vascular changes that older techniques missed, while Dr. Qian Li points to the potential for future integration of confocal endo-microscopy for even greater precision. Could this innovation slash the need for biopsies, cut treatment costs, and transform outcomes for a cancer often diagnosed too late?
Without a public announcement, UnitedHealth subsidiary SCA Health has taken over one of the nation’s largest gastroenterology groups — U.S. Digestive Health. Formed in 2019 by Amulet Capital Partners with partner physicians, the Exton, Pa.–based group has grown to more than 149 physicians across 24 ASCs in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The deal, closed in January 2025, was first uncovered by The Philadelphia Inquirer through a retired physician — and only later confirmed by UnitedHealth. The price tag remains undisclosed, but the implications are clear:
Nearly every physician, even in “low-risk” specialties, faces the possibility of a malpractice claim at some point in their career. In gastroenterology, Dr. Koushik Das notes that more than 10% of practitioners may face such claims, and on average, GI physicians spend over a decade of their careers with unresolved malpractice cases. Yet the subject remains rarely discussed in training or among peers. The article examines: Das emphasizes that while paid claims have decreased overall in the past two decades, the average indemnity payout is rising, and corporatization may be shielding individual doctors from being named.
After more than a decade leading microbiome drug research, Vedanta Biosciences is cutting 20% of its workforce following a failed Phase 2 trial of its IBD therapy VE202. CEO Bernat Olle admitted the results were humbling — the drug showed no significant benefit over placebo for ulcerative colitis. While this setback mirrors earlier failures from peers like Seres Therapeutics, Olle insists every study provides data that can guide the field forward. Vedanta will now shift focus to areas where microbiome therapies are proving viable — most notably its Phase 3 drug VE303 for recurrent C. diff infections. With over $300M…
Freestanding GI centers are fighting tight margins, shrinking reimbursements, and rising costs. Yet, some are thriving. According to Dr. Nalini Guda, success comes down to a blend of operational discipline and smart growth strategies — from cutting room turnover times to just minutes, to exploring new revenue streams like endoscopic ultrasound outside hospitals. Technology, staffing efficiency, smarter scheduling, and cost negotiations all play a role, but profitability isn’t automatic. It requires relentless focus on workflows and innovation. The question: which centers will adapt fast enough to capture the next wave of GI volume growth?
As hospital consolidation accelerates, Paul Berggreen, MD — president of the American Independent Medical Practice Association and CSO of GI Alliance — warns that independent gastroenterology groups are at risk of collapse without systemic reforms. In an interview with Becker’s, Dr. Berggreen outlined five critical changes.
Annabel Kartal Allen reports that Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) has received accelerated FDA approval for treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) with moderate-to-advanced liver scarring. This milestone makes it the first GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for this indication. The approval stems from the Phase III ESSENCE trial, where Wegovy resolved steatohepatitis in 63% of patients compared with 34% on placebo and showed notable improvements in liver fibrosis. Full approval depends on ongoing trial data.
Once an academic curiosity, artificial intelligence (AI) has moved from computational labs into the endoscopy suite, most notably with computer-aided detection systems for polyp detection. Gastroenterology’s special issue examines how AI is transforming care delivery, the challenges it raises, and the importance of keeping patients at the center of innovation. Issue editors Dennis Shung, MD (Yale University), and Marietta Iacucci, MD (University College Cork), have selected articles that address patient perspectives, ethical considerations, and the latest advances in AI for detection, diagnosis, and disease management.
While gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is rarely performed during pregnancy—accounting for just 0.4% of procedures—there are times when it is urgently needed. A new review by physician-scientists from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, offers experience-informed and, where possible, evidence-based recommendations to guide gastroenterologists in providing safe, effective care to pregnant patients when endoscopy can’t wait.