Ro, the leading direct-to-patient healthcare company, announced today that it is working with Novo Nordisk on the nationwide launch of the new Wegovy® pill. Patients today can come to Ro.co for the easiest way to access the first and only oral GLP-1 weight loss medication at the lowest available cash pay price. Ro first integrated directly with Novo Nordisk in April 2025 and has been a key part of the manufacturer’s direct-to-patient expansion to date. “The Wegovy pill is the most recent example of Novo Nordisk’s decades-long commitment to obesity treatment. Now more than ever, it is critically important to…
Author: Abhay Panchal
A national shortage of gastroenterologists is beginning to show measurable downstream effects on physician workload and patient care, according to a Medscape report published Dec. 12. Most respondents reported at least a moderate negative impact from the shortage, with the greatest strain appearing in physicians’ day-to-day time demands. More than two-thirds of respondents rated the shortage’s impact on their time per patient at a 3 or 4 on a five-point scale, and 8% said it has had a “considerable negative impact.” When asked about patient care, respondents similarly clustered around moderate effects, both within their own practices and in their…
New preclinical research published in Cell Reports Medicine suggests that bowel preparation for colonoscopy may temporarily disrupt gut balance, potentially increasing susceptibility to infection and inflammation in individuals with compromised gastrointestinal health. In mouse models, researchers simulated bowel preparation using polyethylene glycol (PEG), a common laxative ingredient. The treatment caused diarrhea, temporarily depleted the gut’s protective mucus barrier, reduced beneficial gut bacteria, and lowered levels of short-chain fatty acids that help protect against infection and inflammation. Although the mice recovered within a few days, this period created a window of weakened gut defenses.
How is AI reshaping inflammatory bowel disease care? In this series, host Catherine Glass speaks with Michael Byrne, a gastroenterologist, researcher, and founder of Dova Health Intelligence, Vancouver, Canada, about the rise of AI in endoscopy, tackling bias, and redefining clinical trials. Across four episodes, they explore how intelligent systems like DovaVision™ (Dova Health Intelligence) are bringing consistency, speed, and precision to the management of inflammatory bowel disease.
Utah has launched a first-of-its-kind pilot program allowing an artificial intelligence system — without human involvement — to renew certain medical prescriptions for patients with chronic conditions. The program is being run in partnership with health-tech startup Doctronic and began quietly in late 2025. The initiative tests whether AI can safely manage routine prescription renewals and how willing patients, regulators, and policymakers are to trust AI in a role traditionally handled by physicians. Utah officials view the program as a way to reduce costs, prevent medication lapses, and ease pressure on clinicians, especially in underserved and rural areas. The AI…
The article examines whether surgical resection can be avoided in some patients after a malignant colorectal polyp has been removed endoscopically. Traditionally, surgery has been recommended because of concerns about residual cancer or lymph node involvement, but the article highlights growing discussion around selective non-surgical management. Key themes covered in the article:
While artificial intelligence has already proven its value in GI diagnostics—boosting polyp detection, improving histology scoring, and streamlining endoscopy—this review argues that its real transformative potential lies elsewhere: helping patients actually follow the diet and lifestyle changes that matter most. For conditions like IBS, IBD, GERD, celiac disease, and functional GI disorders, diet is often more effective than drugs. Yet adherence remains poor due to limited access to dietitians, lack of personalization, cultural mismatch, and zero real-time support. The result? Patients turn to trial-and-error or unreliable online advice. AI offers a way out of this gap. Using natural language processing,…
Connections between the digestive system and the brain have been postulated for over 2000 years. Despite this, only recently have specific mechanisms of gut-brain interaction been identified. Due in large part to increased interest in the microbiome, the wide use of incretin-based therapies (i.e., glucagon-like peptide 1 [GLP-1] receptor agonists), technological advancements, increased understanding of neuroimmunology, and the identification of a direct enteroendocrine cell–neural circuit, research in the past 10 years has made it abundantly clear that the gut-brain connection plays a role both in clinical disease as well as the actions of therapeutics. In this Review, we describe mechanisms…
Private equity’s relationship with physician groups is maturing. While deal volume has cooled since its 2021 peak—pressured by labor shortages, reimbursement cuts, and post-COVID realities—investor interest hasn’t disappeared. Instead, it has evolved. The old playbook of pure buy-and-build is giving way to a more sophisticated model: performance-driven, tech-enabled, clinician-aligned platforms built for long-term value and strategic exits. Today’s winning physician groups look less like loose networks of practices and more like integrated enterprises. Investors are prioritizing organic growth, repeatable ancillary strategies, and making physician groups “employers of choice”—not just acquisition vehicles. AI, analytics, and centralized infrastructure are now essential to…
Chronic constipation affects 8-12% of Americans, with 3 million patients per year seeking clinical evaluation. Although most patients with chronic constipation respond to medical therapy, a subset experiences refractory constipation, which poses unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. AGA’s new clinical practice update outlines 14 best-practice advice statements to support the diagnosis and management of refractory constipation. Watch as Drs. Kyle Staller and Leila Neshatian discuss key updates from the CPU.