Congrats to Dr. Kosinski on his new role in advising the secretary of Health and Human Services on physician payment models. In the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) announcement, Comptroller General of the United States and Head of the GAO Gene L. Dodaro said, “Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services to shift Medicare from a program that pays based on volume to one that pays based on value. As part of this effort, PTAC can play an important role … After reviewing this latest round of extremely well-qualified candidates, I am pleased to share our 2021 selections…
Author: Praveen Suthrum
Rock Rockett is the Founder and Principal of Rockett Healthcare Strategies. Rock has been in the GI space for almost two decades now. As a business person, he saw GI physicians evolve. In this interview, we explore the big question on many people’s minds: is it still possible to stay small and independent if you choose to? Do not miss this one.
Healio Gastroenterology presents the following report on the top stories from UEG Week 2021. Research explores gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy, colorectal cancer diagnoses, abdominal pain and more.
Approximately one-third of colonoscopies with inadequate bowel preparation were repeated within 1 year despite current guidelines, according to data from a new study of more than 260,000 procedures. Previous studies have shown that poor bowel prep, which occurs in approximately 25% of colonoscopies, can lead to lesion miss rates of as much as 42%-48%, Audrey H. Calderwood, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, N.H., and colleagues wrote. However, factors affecting recommendations for repeat colonoscopies following poor bowel prep have not been examined.
In Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, Mongelli et al published their systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effect of pudendal nerve blocks (PNB) on postoperative pain in patients undergoing traditional hemorrhoidectomy (Dis Colon Rectum 2021;64[5]:617-631). The researchers scoured major research databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and Web of Science) through December 2020, and identified randomized trials comparing PNB and any other treatment without PNB in patients undergoing surgical management for hemorrhoidal disease. Studies evaluating nonhemorrhoidal disease or with a sample size of fewer than 10 patients were excluded. The authors then used a random effects model to evaluate…
FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation, a leading provider of endoscopic imaging and endosurgical solutions, today announced the launch of its El-740D/S dual-channel endoscope. Fujifilm’s EI-740D/S is the first dual-channel endoscope cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in both upper and lower gastrointestinal applications. The EI-740D/S provides exceptional imaging quality and features dual channel diameters of 3.7mm and 3.2mm, enabling use of a range of endotherapy devices. The control handle is modeled after Fujifilm’s 700 series endoscopes which are designed to help enhance comfort without sacrificing control and to help reduce physician fatigue.
Gastroenterology of the Rockies, the leading digestive healthcare provider in the Denver and Boulder communities, today announced that it is the first provider in Colorado to offer patients receiving a colonoscopy an enhanced screening with the GI Genius™, the first and only Artificial Intelligence (AI) system approved in the U.S. to help identify colorectal polyps. The GI Genius™ endoscopy module enhances colonoscopies by processing images in real time and with 99.7% sensitivity, allowing physicians to detect lesions early and improve patient outcomes for the third deadliest cancer in the world.
In recognition of Liver Awareness Month this October, Sonic Incytes Medical Corp. is pleased to showcase VelacurTM, the first handheld 3D liver health assessment solution, at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting, Oct 22-27. Attending physicians are invited to visit the VelacurTM booth, or register for an in-person private demo and KOL presentation to learn more about this important topic:
As of early May 2020, the CDC listed aerosol inhalation as one of the coronavirus’s most significant ways to spread.[1] Aerosol scientists have acknowledged that “COVID-19 has redefined airborne transmission”.[2] We now know that airborne transmission does not only concern large droplets, such as those from a cough or sneeze. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients produce many small respiratory particles (bioaerosols) with each exhale, and these particles are now also known to be full of the coronavirus or other communicable diseases.
As a generally held principle, mere investment or ownership interest in a company does not expose the investor to liability for acts undertaken by the company. However, that principle is being called into question in the context of private equity firms investing in healthcare companies. In two recent cases, healthcare companies along with their sole or majority private equity firm owners settled False Claims Act (“FCA”) cases. These cases illustrate the risk that private equity investors in the healthcare space may face under the FCA, particularly to the extent that they actively manage their portfolio companies.