Surgery did not significantly increase the number of “good days” among patients with advanced cancer and malignant small bowel obstruction, according to study results. However, patients who underwent surgery reported improvement in malignant bowel obstruction-related symptoms by 3 months after trial registration, findings published in The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology showed. read more
Author: Rutali Thakur
The American College of Physicians (ACP) issued updated guidance for colorectal cancer screening for asymptomatic, average-risk adults that suggests starting screening at age 50. The guidance is based on a critical review of existing clinical guidelines and evidence reviews and modeling studies used to develop those guidelines. The guideline is published in Annals of Internal Medicine. read more
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Biomerica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRA) (the “Company”) today announced that CVS Pharmacy has begun in-store sales rollout of the Company’s EZ Detect™ colorectal disease screening test in over 7,000 stores nationwide throughout the CVS Pharmacy retail system. Biomerica has shipped the EZ Detect product to CVS Health distribution centers in the US, and the product is projected to be on store shelves in September. The Company is also working with CVS Health to introduce an additional Biomerica product to be sold in CVS pharmacies. read more
The Senate and House have reintroduced the bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) (H.R. 4818/S. 2407). This legislation is a vital first step in expanding access to obesity treatment as it would expand Medicare coverage to include screening and treatment of obesity by a diverse range of health care providers who provide obesity care. The bill also includes coverage of behavioral counseling, prescription drugs for long-term weight management, and other prevention and treatment options. read more
Outsourcing certain staff functions in a practice to outside contractors working in remote locations has become commonplace in many medical practices. Healthcare outsourcing services, also known as virtual assistants (VAs), were already booming in 2017, when volume grew by 36%. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 normalized offsite work, which was a boon to outsourcing providers. The most popular services being outsourced today by medical practices include billing, scribes, telephone calls to patients, and processing prior authorizations. read more
The phenomenon of private equity (PE) companies purchasing medical practices is receiving greater scrutiny from academicians, journalists, and government regulators. Many recent stories do not portray the private equity model in a favorable light. As I discussed in an earlier Forbes piece, under the private equity model an investment fund purchases a medical practice. The current physician owners receive some combination of cash and/or stock in the larger entity (often with a vesting period and other restrictions such as a non-disparagement clause if they leave the practice). In exchange, they work as employees for the new owners, who set business policy. The new…
Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic was named the best hospital for gastroenterology and GI surgery in 2023 by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report ranked 164 hospitals across 15 specialties, including gastroenterology and GI surgery. Read more about the methodology here. Here are the top 50 hospitals for gastroenterology and GI surgery: Note: Some hospital rankings were tied based on their scores. 1. Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.) 2. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles) read more
The device, one of the only artificial intelligence solutions cleared for colonoscopy, will be updated in the future to expand its functionality. HAIFA, Israel, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — MAGENTIQ-EYE LTD., an Israeli-based technology company founded in 2014, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the MAGENTIQ-COLO™ via the 510(k) process. The device, which offers the gastroenterology community and its patients a significant increase in Adenoma Detection Rate (ADR), will be available in the United States in the coming weeks. The FDA clearance comes on the heels of the European CE Mark and Israel AMAR approval, which were received…
The availability of generic antiviral drugs to manage chronic hepatitis B resulted in significant savings to Medicare, despite an increase in prescriptions, according to an analysis by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. The findings were published July 8 in Gastroenterology. About 1.6 million people in the United States live with chronic hepatitis B. There is no cure currently, but some medications can suppress the virus and limit liver damage. However, the high cost of brand-name drugs is often a barrier for many people who must take the drugs for life, leading to treatment non-compliance and subsequent health complications. read more
Artificial intelligence (AI) for diagnostic purposes represents a potential technology breakthrough in medicine. Its diagnostic application within gastroenterology and hepatology conditions has grown quickly and robustly, with its first United States Food and Drug Administration authorization for use in 2021. As research funding and commercial development continue at a fast pace, the question of where AI-based diagnosis can have the biggest impact has not been sufficiently addressed. Although improvement in the diagnosis of any condition has benefits, there are also real costs associated with implementing AI-based solutions and opportunity costs associated with prioritizing funding and development decisions. read more