In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, few voices resonate as profoundly as that of Praveen Suthrum, renowned healthcare futurist, author, and co-founder of NextServices and GI Mastermind. Suthrum will give the opening keynote address at the upcoming AGA Tech Summit, providing context for what is happening now in the field and the transformative potential of innovation and technology in the years to come. AGA staff met with Suthrum to discuss his keynote address and his thoughts about the role of innovation in healthcare, and specifically in gastroenterology.A visionary perspectiveSuthrum’s insights are rooted in a deep understanding of the exponential growth of…
Author: Abhay Panchal
Meta’s previous breakthroughs in miniaturized sensors, AI-integrated wearables, and haptics (e.g., Meta Digit 360) provide a strong foundation for building nimble and intelligent robotic assistants. These humanoids could revolutionize healthcare by assisting elderly patients at home, automating clinical tasks, and bridging labor gaps in hospitals.
Vijay Yajnik, VP, Head of Gastroenterology TA, US Medical Affairs, highlights the clinical progress in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), emphasizing the impact of updated ACG clinical guidelines and the role of collaborative research in transforming underdiagnosed conditions. The evolution of EoE from a case-reportable rarity to a widely recognized disease demonstrates how consensus recommendations and structured guidelines enhance diagnosis, treatment, and awareness.
Limaca Medical has introduced Precision-GI™, an automated motorized endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) biopsy device, to the U.S. market following FDA clearance, clinical trial success, and CMS Transitional Pass-Through (TPT) Payment approval. Designed to improve biopsy accuracy for GI tract and adjacent organ cancers, Precision-GI™ delivers higher-quality tissue samples with less blood content in a single pass, enhancing histopathologic and molecular analysis.
Biomerica’s inFoods® IBS blood test is transforming Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) management by identifying personalized dietary triggers, significantly reducing abdominal pain and bloating. A placebo-controlled trial of 238 IBS patients found that 59.6% of patients eliminating their specific trigger foods experienced pain relief, compared to 42.2% in the control group. Results were most pronounced in IBS-C (67.1%) and IBS-M (66%) patients.
A proposed rule could dramatically expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists like Wegovy and Zepbound, making these costly weight loss drugs more accessible. If finalized, the rule could grant 3.4 million Medicare and 4 million Medicaid recipients access to obesity medications, pressuring private insurers to follow suit—just as they did after Medicare covered bariatric surgery in 2006.
The definition and significance of tumor deposits (TDs) have evolved over the years. An estimated 20% of patients with colon cancer have TDs,1 and previous studies have established the presence of TDs as a poor prognostic factor, particularly among patients with stage III colon cancer.2,3 However, in the current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)/tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging system, the presence of TDs only impacts staging if no lymph nodes (LNs) are positive, and then, there is only 1 designation: N1c. When LN metastases are present, TDs are not acknowledged within the classification system at all.
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released an expert review highlighting immune-mediated and infectious causes of esophageal dysfunction, which extend far beyond GERD. Published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the clinical practice update provides 10 best practice advice statements to help clinicians identify and treat conditions like eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), Crohn’s disease, and esophageal infections (Candida, HSV, CMV).
New research from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) reveals that seven of the eight largest healthcare bankruptcies in 2024 were tied to private equity ownership. While private equity-backed firms made up 11% of all U.S. corporate bankruptcies, they accounted for 21% of healthcare bankruptcies, a figure unchanged from 2023 despite fewer overall healthcare failures.
Despite CMS’s goal for full Medicare and most Medicaid participation in accountable care by 2030, less than half of primary care physicians are joining value-based payment models. Financial constraints, workforce shortages, and excessive documentation remain significant barriers. Fee-for-service still dominates, and small practices lack resources to transition. Physicians support the concept but struggle with implementation, citing unpredictable reimbursement, limited institutional support, and overwhelming quality metrics.