Life and business will never be the same after the pandemic, especially in healthcare. Everything from how patients see their doctors and get treated to how hospitals use tools and share information will forever be altered. The healthcare industry has long been ripe for innovation, and the pandemic has served as a powerful catalyst. Research from McKinsey found that 90% of healthcare executives believe COVID-19 will fundamentally change their businesses, and 85% predict lasting changes to customers’ preferences.
Author: Praveen Suthrum
The American Gastroenterological Association recognized 19 gastroenterologists through its annual AGA Recognition Prizes. The honorees will receive their awards virtually in May. Here are the award winners: 1. Michael Camilleri, MD, received the Julius Friedenwald Medal, AGA’s highest honor. Dr. Camilleri received the honor for his lifelong commitment to gastroenterology. Throughout his career, Dr. Camilleri has made several contributions to understanding the gut and served in several leadership roles for AGA. 2. Byron Cryer, MD, and Sandra Quezada, MD, received the organization’s Distinguished Service Award in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and development of severe COVID-19 in patients with pre-existing digestive diseases has raised great concern since infection of the gastrointestinal tract was first reported in March, 2020. In addition, patients with pre-existing digestive diseases are thought to be at increased risk of infection due to immune dysfunction. In response, we published a Comment in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology on the implications of COVID-19 for such patients during the early stages of the pandemic. Our knowledge about COVID-19 has continued to expand, and we provide an updated overview of the implications…
A short-term strict low FODMAP diet and long-term ‘modified’ low FODMAP diet was linked to improvements in symptoms and quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome-diarrhea predominant patients, according to study results.
Thirteen gastroenterologists joined new practices, were appointed to positions with companies or were on the move in January 2021. Note: This list is not exhaustive. Stormont Vail Health added Fadi Bdair, MD, to its team at Cotton O’Neil Digestive Health in Topeka, Kan., local news affiliate WIBW reported. MOMA Therapeutics appointed gastroenterologist Asit Parikh, MD, PhD, its CEO and president. Montclair, N.J.-based Mountainside Medical Group added Rosemarie Arena, MD, to its practice, Tapinto Montclair reported. Azade Yedidag, MD, joined Mercyhealth Physicians Clinic-Rockton in Rockford, Ill., the Rockford Register Star reported.
Delayed colonoscopy after an abnormal stool-based screening test was associated with increased risk for colorectal cancer, according to study results. Samir Gupta, MD, from the Veterans’ Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, one of the co-authors of the study, said in a press release that patients and even some primary care providers do not understand how important that follow-up colonoscopy can be.
As we make the turn into the new decade, we at Manatt Health look forward with cautious optimism to what the coming years will bring. The level of citizen engagement in supporting our democratic institutions and the collective outpouring of effort to protect the right to vote, to beat back the pandemic, to join the fight against racial injustice and to improve access to health care are building blocks for the society we want to live in.
More people with fever and body aches are turning to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to ease symptoms, but the drugs have come under new scrutiny as investigators work to determine whether they are a safe way to relieve the pain of COVID-19 vaccination or symptoms of the disease. Early on in the pandemic, French health officials warned that NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, could worsen coronavirus disease, and they recommended switching to acetaminophen instead.
“There is not a clear increased risk of getting COVID-19 among IBD patients compared to the general population, and that seems to hold even if you look at certain medication types, [even] if patients are on immunosuppressives like thiopurines or anti-TNF [anti–tumor necrosis factor] drugs,” Ryan C. Ungaro, MD, said in an interview. Ungaro, who is with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, discussed IBD and COVID-19 risks at the annual congress of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association.
These three abstracts from the 2020 virtual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology are highly relevant to the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The first study pertains to the one-third of patients with ulcerative colitis who still require colectomy, primarily due to refractory disease. As the study shows, biologic agents can significantly reduce the need for colectomy. Although use of biologics in people with ulcerative colitis has increased in recent years, it is my opinion that many patients with severe disease could benefit from earlier treatment with the drugs instead of repeated courses of corticosteroids and aminosalicylates. The findings…