In an exclusive video for Healio, Dr. David M. Poppers, MD, PhD, emphasizes the paramount importance of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in the present times. He highlights the reluctance of both patients and some physicians to discuss topics related to the lower abdomen. Overcoming this stigma is vital, according to Poppers, who is a professor of medicine and director of GI quality and strategic initiatives at NYU Langone Health. He underscores the significance of screening, especially since CRC, when detected early, generally has a favorable prognosis. Poppers also mentions the variety of comfortable and effective options available for pre-colonoscopy bowel…
Author: Abhay Panchal
A novel machine-learning tool has been developed that can accurately forecast the onset of esophageal and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma using electronic health record data. This development was reported in the journal Gastroenterology. The tool, named Kettles Esophageal and Cardia Adenocarcinoma prediction tool (K-ECAN), was created in response to the lack of familiarity among most providers with guidelines for esophageal adenocarcinoma screening. Using data from over 10 million U.S. veterans, K-ECAN demonstrated superior accuracy compared to earlier models. Joel H. Rubenstein, MD, MSc, emphasized the potential of K-ECAN to be integrated into electronic health records, providing real-time cancer risk estimates to…
Gastrointestinal stents originally were developed to treat obstructing cancer in the GI tract, specifically esophageal cancer. The first developed stent was a gum-like, rubber tube used for esophageal dilation or passage via the mouth or nose across a tumor, thus acting as a feeding tube.1,2 Today, self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) and self-expanding plastic stents (SEPS) are the most widely used endoluminal stents.3 SEPs are composed of plastic polymers and are placed using a guide wire and fluoroscopy. Due to SEPs high migration rate and the development of more efficacious SEMs, SEPs are no longer preferred for management of malignant esophageal…
United Digestive (UD), a prominent provider of gastroenterology (GI) services in the U.S., has partnered with Provation, a top software and SaaS provider for clinical productivity and workflow automation, to standardize documentation across UD facilities using the Provation Apex platform. Mark Gilreath, CEO of UD, highlighted the platform’s ability to unify procedure documentation across their organization, aligning with their cloud-first strategy. Provation Apex offers a comprehensive solution for recording patient and GI procedure details, images, and coding. Ankush Kaul, President of Provation, expressed excitement about the partnership, emphasizing UD’s commitment to advanced diagnostic and treatment services.
Artificial intelligence (AI) driven computer-assisted colonoscopy can enhance the detection of small polyps, but it doesn’t significantly improve the detection of colorectal neoplasias or advanced adenomas, according to two new reports. A randomized controlled trial in Spain found that AI use didn’t lead to better detection of advanced neoplasias in patients with a positive fecal immunochemical test (FIT). This was surprising given prior studies that showed AI’s benefits in detecting small polyps. Another systematic review and meta-analysis found that while AI increased the detection of adenomas, it didn’t detect advanced adenomas and led to higher rates of unnecessary removal of…
Fatty liver disease is getting a name change. After years of discussion and review, an international working group including members of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and other hepatology societies has come to a consensus, announcing recently that they will refer to fatty liver disease as steatotic liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease will now be called metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis will now be called metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis. The group also has created a new subcategory, MetALD (pronounced met A-L-D), which is MASLD in the setting of moderate alcohol consumption…
ProPublica’s investigation reveals that Cigna, one of the largest insurers in the U.S., has implemented a system allowing its doctors to instantly reject insurance claims on medical grounds without reviewing the patient’s file. This has resulted in unexpected bills for many patients. Over two months in the previous year, Cigna doctors denied over 300,000 payment requests using this method, averaging 1.2 seconds per case. The company’s system, known as PXDX, uses an algorithm to flag mismatches between diagnoses and what the company deems acceptable tests and procedures. Medical directors then sign off on these denials in batches, without seeing any…
A recent cross-sectional study involving over 200 adults has found a correlation between the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and an increased prevalence of hypertension. The study aimed to provide insights into the association between hypertension and the severity of biopsy-proven NAFLD in adults with obesity, especially since previous research on this topic was limited and mainly focused on Asian and European populations. Key findings from the study include:
Genpact, a global professional services firm, has announced a new multi-year agreement with GE HealthCare to transform and manage its US leasing and lending operations. The collaboration will utilize Genpact’s digital technology solutions, particularly its business-process-as-a-service (BPaaS) operating model. This model is integrated with Genpact’s AI-powered platform, Genpact Cora, providing a scalable and agile solution tailored to GE HealthCare’s requirements. The platform features an open architecture, integrating generative AI and other emerging digital technologies. By adopting this platform, GE HealthCare will gain access to essential business benchmarks, insights, key performance indicators, and the flexibility to adapt to changing market and…
Cigna Healthcare, a subsidiary of The Cigna Group, has announced the removal of nearly 25% of medical services from its prior authorization (or precertification) requirements. This move, which involves the elimination of over 600 additional codes, means that since 2020, Cigna has removed prior authorization for more than 1,100 medical services. The aim is to simplify the healthcare experience for both patients and healthcare providers. David Brailer, MD, executive vice president and Chief Health Officer of The Cigna Group, stated that the company’s objective is to ensure patient safety, enhance health outcomes, and make care more affordable. By reducing administrative…