Appropriate post–upper EGD care in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) can improve patient outcomes and reduce cost, but not all recommendations are consistently followed. Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus, in Aurora, attempted to improve guideline adherence by adding a notes template to EHRs to prompt appropriate documentation and follow-up care. The notes templates were tailored to the etiology and severity of the UGIB based on the 2007 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidelines on variceal UGIB, the 2019 International Consensus Group guidelines on nonvariceal UGIB and established 2015 quality…
Author: Abhay Panchal
According to a study by WalletHub, there’s a significant difference in the average salaries of gastroenterologists based on the quality of healthcare in various states. In Minnesota, which is ranked as the best state for healthcare, gastroenterologists earn an average of $379,556, which is $55,526 more than their counterparts in West Virginia, the worst state for healthcare, where the average salary is $324,030. WalletHub’s rankings were based on three dimensions: cost, access, and outcomes, evaluated using 44 metrics such as the cost of a medical visit, physicians per capita, and life expectancy. The top five states for gastroenterologist salaries are…
The FDA has given 510(k) clearance to a new endoscopy system that will offer providers the benefits of 4K resolution and ergonomic improvements. The system developed by Pentax consists of the new 4K video processor, Inspira, and an upgraded i20c scope series. Although the upgraded i20c scopes and video processor are designed to work together, the processor has two connection types, allowing providers to use existing equipment. The older scopes also benefit from the new technology, improving the output video quality even without the new scopes attached, the company told Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News. The video processor also touts a…
Amazon is beginning to open new locations of the primary care provider One Medical — a potential game-changer for medical care — which it acquired earlier this year, as the tech giant moves into the health care space. One Medical told ABC News it has just opened two locations in Connecticut, is planning to open a third office in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco, and will open its first office in Milwaukee this fall.
Medicare Advantage enrollment has been on a steady climb for the past two decades following changes in policy designed to encourage a robust role for private plan options in Medicare. After a period of some instability in terms of plan participation and enrollment, The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 created stronger financial incentives for plans to participate in the program throughout the country and renamed private Medicare plans Medicare Advantage. In 2023, 30.8 million people are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, accounting for more than half, or 51 percent, of the eligible Medicare population, and $454 billion (or 54%)…
Patients with irritable bowel disease (IBD) who experience symptoms of anxiety or depression are at an increased risk of poorer disease outcomes including resistance to steroid therapy.1 According to new research from a team of China-based investigators, anxiety and/or depression symptoms were significantly associated with worsened outcomes in IBD management. The findings call for expanded research into the correlation between psychiatric wellness and systemic improvement in IBD care.
Private equity investment in the healthcare sector is booming, and Democratic lawmakers are concerned, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Private equity firms have been responsible for 56 percent of physician practice acquisitions since 2019, according to an American Hospital Association report, and PE firms are among the fastest-growing acquirers of healthcare groups. Bain & Co. reported private equity firms own at least 130 rural-serving hospitals. When private equity firms invest in hospitals and physician practices, there are higher costs, according to research done by the University of Chicago and published in BMJ. The researchers examined 55…
Despite advances in treatment, a large proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) do not achieve or stay in remission even after further lines of treatment have been given. Up until now, one major obstacle has impeded our interpretation of studies focusing on patients suffering from this chronic condition: the lack of standard criteria and terminology among authors. Under the guidance of the endpoints cluster of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD), a group of experts held a consensus meeting to propose a common operative definition for “difficult-to-treat IBD.” It’s the first step to…
Abstract: Clinical trials have led to major advances in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care over the last few decades, yet in that time most clinical trial protocols in IBD have remained markedly the same. Many IBD protocols often still require face-to-face visits and monitoring, hospital-based medication administration, paper-based forms and questionnaires, and short follow-up periods resulting in limited long-term data. These factors have recently been recognized as likely contributors to the low recruitment and lack of diversity of participants across clinical trials in IBD. However, with increasing technological advances, there is now an opportunity for improvement. This article assesses a…
The AGA applauded the reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act into the 118th Congress as this bill would expand Medicare coverage for screening and treatment of obesity by health care providers specializing in obesity care. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2023 (TROA; H.R. 4818/S. 2407), a bipartisan and bicameral bill seeks coverage under Medicare Part D for FDA-approved medications to treat obesity.