Abstract To meet the needs of the colorectal cancer (CRC) patient population, colorectal cancer screening is continuously updated. The most significant advice is to start CRC screening exams at age 45 for people at average risk for CRC. CRC testing is divided into two categories: stool-based tests and visual inspections. High-sensitivity guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing, fecal immunochemical testing, and multitarget stool DNA testing are stool-based assays. Colon capsule endoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy are visualization examinations. There have been arguments about the importance of these tests in detecting and managing precursor lesions because of the lack of validation of screening…
Author: Rutali Thakur
The American College of Gastroenterology recently released a new clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of subepithelial lesions of the gastrointestinal tract (Am J Gastroenterol 2023;118[1]:46-58). GEN’s Sarah Tilyou spoke with lead author Brian C. Jacobson, MD, MPH, FACG, AGAF, FASGE, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, about the impetus for the guideline and what it means to GI practice. GEN: What prompted the guideline? Dr. Jacobson: This was a guideline about a topic that had been addressed by other organizations, such as the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy…
PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, announced today that Palmetto GBA, a Medicare administrative contractor for the Molecular Diagnostics Services program (MolDX), has conveyed coverage for the Guardant360 Response test. Guardant360 Response is the first blood-only test that enables doctors to track molecular response through changes in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels, to get an early indication of metastatic or advanced cancer patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Following this decision, the Guardant360 Response test is now covered for fee-for-service Medicare patients in the U.S. with metastatic or inoperable solid tumors who…
The double whammy of pandemic burnout and the aging of baby boomer physicians has, indeed, the makings of some scary headlines. A recent survey by Elsevier Health predicts that up to 75% of healthcare workers will leave the profession by 2025. And a 2020 study conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projected a shortfall of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033. “We’ve paid a lot of attention to physician retirement,” says Michael Dill, AAMC’s director of workforce studies. “It’s a significant concern in terms of whether we have an adequate supply of physicians in the US to meet our nation’s medical…
Gaslighting occurs in a relationship when one person is made to feel manipulated and questions their reality. Medical gaslighting takes place when a patient’s concerns about their health are dismissed, minimized or they do not feel heard. The invitation to write an editorial about gaslighting in gastroenterology comes at an interesting time when resources in medical settings are extremely limited, affecting both patients and providers.
AGA released a new Clinical Practice Update providing commentary to help navigate and incorporate telemedicine into your gastroenterology practice. Telemedicine has been a valued component of some gastroenterology practices for years. However, the use of telemedicine increased abruptly in mid-2020, as individual and population-wide safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated demand from both patient and provider communities, and third-party payers removed barriers to reimbursement. Although telemedicine visits have fallen and in-person visits have increased gradually since the initial wave of COVID-19 in 2020, telemedicine remains an important format for ambulatory care, and is likely to persist long after the current pandemic…
Gastroenterologist income is up 11 percent in the last year, reaching $501,000 annually, according to Medscape’s 2023 “Physician Compensation Report” published April 14, which surveyed more than 10,000 physicians across 29 specialties. Gastroenterologists saw the second largest jump in pay, behind oncologists. Here are six additional things to know about gastroenterologists in 2023: 1. The average physician specialist pay was $382,000, $119,000 lower than GI pay.
Biosimilar use might be lagging in gastroenterology compared to other specialties. Some potential reasons is that patients with gastrointestinal diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) might not be as comfortable switching to a medication when the originator is working, even if it results in a cost savings. In an interview with HCPLive®, Jordan E. Axelrad, MD, MPH, NYU Langone, and David P. Hudesman, MD, Medical Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at NYU Langone Health, discussed the history of using biosimilars in IBD. “I think gastroenterologists probably came to the biosimilar conversation a bit later than our rheumatology colleagues where they have more therapeutics,”…
New York, NY — April 11, 2023 — Oshi Health, the virtual specialty care company transforming gastrointestinal (GI) health outcomes and economics, today announced that it has raised $30 million in Series B funding led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT) and joined by existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Flare Capital Partners, Frist Cressey Ventures, CVS Health Ventures and Takeda Digital Ventures. This funding will bolster the company’s market leadership and momentum, as its recent clinical study results are driving accelerated contracting with payers and employers to reimburse access to Oshi Health as a covered benefit. The rigorous clinical trial of Oshi Health’s differentiated clinical model, conducted by a national health plan in…
Key takeaways: Multimodal prehabilitation reduced the incidence of severe postoperative complications and enhanced functional recovery among patients who underwent elective resection of non-metastasized colorectal cancer, according to data.