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Betting on ‘golden age’ of colonoscopies, private equity invests in gastro docs

Mariel needed a new gastroenterologist. Having just moved back to San Antonio, the 30-something searched for a doctor to manage her Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel condition that is successfully managed with medications and lifelong monitoring — including regular colonoscopies.

27 May 2022

Burned out by covid and 80-hour workweeks, resident physicians unionize

In the early weeks of the pandemic, Dr. Lorenzo González, then a second-year resident of family medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, ran on fumes, working as many as 80 hours a week in the ICU.

27 May 2022

Novavax missed its global moonshot but is angling to win over mRNA defectors

Novavax hitched its wagon to the global coronavirus pandemic. Before most Americans truly grasped the scope of the danger, the small Maryland biotech startup had secured $1.6 billion in U.S. funding for its covid vaccine. Its moonshot goal: delivering 2 billion shots to the world by mid-2021.

26 May 2022

Common prostate cancer medications may increase risk of serious metabolic or cardiovascular issues

Men taking either of the two most common oral medications for advanced prostate cancer who had also undergone hormone therapy to treat their disease were at higher risk of serious metabolic or cardiovascular issues than patients who were only receiving hormone therapy, Michigan Medicine researchers found.

25 May 2022

Study estimates $1.8 billion in Medicare spending on drugs with accelerated approval

The U.S. federal government spent an estimated $1.8 billion in Medicare funds in 2019 on drugs whose clinical benefits have yet to be confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration, a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

24 May 2022

Gallstone disease may be a way to better diagnose deadly pancreatic cancer

Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) were six times more likely to have had gallstone disease within the year prior to diagnosis than non-cancer patients, suggesting gallstones could be a warning sign for this aggressive and deadly cancer, according to research to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2022.

24 May 2022

Tribal pharmacy dispenses free meds and fills gaps for Native Americans in the city

Tucked away on a side street near downtown, the Mashkiki Waakaa'igan Pharmacy offers its Native American clientele the services of any ordinary drugstore — it dispenses critical medication and provides consultation on treatments.

24 May 2022

Real-world vaccine effectiveness of mRNA-1273 and BNT1262b2 in immunocompromised adults

Researchers assessed the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in immunocompromised adults.

23 May 2022

Higher excess mortality found in Massachusetts during Omicron period than the Delta period

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to excess deaths - a higher number of fatalities than would be expected over a given period.

22 May 2022

Study finds no difference in survival between patients treated with paclitaxel drug-coated devices and non-DCDs

New long-term data from the Safety Assessment of Femoropopliteal Endovascular Treatment With PAclitaxel-coated Devices (SAFE-PAD) study were presented today as late-breaking clinical research at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2022 Scientific Sessions.

20 May 2022

Medicaid expansion associated with increase in survival rates among patients newly diagnosed with cancer

A new large study led by researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was associated with an increase in two-year overall survival rates among patients newly diagnosed with cancer, especially among non-Hispanic Black people and people living in rural areas.

18 May 2022

‘That’s just part of aging’: Long covid symptoms are often overlooked in seniors

Nearly 18 months after getting covid-19 and spending weeks in the hospital, Terry Bell struggles with hanging up his shirts and pants after doing the laundry.

18 May 2022

Patients, doctors, insurers agree: Prior approvals for treatment should come faster

Andrew Bade, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes nearly two decades ago, is accustomed to all the medical gear he needs to keep his blood sugar under control.

17 May 2022

After the pandemic hit nursing homes hard, California lawmakers push to tighten licensing rules

When Johanna Trenerry found a nursing home for her husband after his stroke, she expected his stay would be temporary.

16 May 2022

Study shows massive variations in prescribing of “comfort kit” medications by hospice agencies

When a person nearing the end of their life enters hospice care, their hospice agency's doctors may prescribe a "comfort kit" of small amounts of medications that their caregivers can give them in case of urgent, distressing symptoms such as severe anxiety, agitation, delirium, nausea and more.

13 May 2022

Gallstones could be a warning sign for aggressive pancreatic cancer

13 May 2022

Study shows the impact of delayed surgery on patients with different stages of esophageal cancer

Delays in surgery for esophageal cancer did not appear to have much impact on patients' relative survival for early-stage cancer compared with patients who had surgery early, but they did reduce the relative survival rate by almost half for patients with more advanced disease, according to an analysis of the National Cancer Database.

12 May 2022

Medicare News and Research

Betting on ‘golden age’ of colonoscopies, private equity invests in gastro docs

Burned out by covid and 80-hour workweeks, resident physicians unionize

Novavax missed its global moonshot but is angling to win over mRNA defectors

Common prostate cancer medications may increase risk of serious metabolic or cardiovascular issues

Study estimates $1.8 billion in Medicare spending on drugs with accelerated approval

Gallstone disease may be a way to better diagnose deadly pancreatic cancer

Tribal pharmacy dispenses free meds and fills gaps for Native Americans in the city

Real-world vaccine effectiveness of mRNA-1273 and BNT1262b2 in immunocompromised adults

Higher excess mortality found in Massachusetts during Omicron period than the Delta period

Study finds no difference in survival between patients treated with paclitaxel drug-coated devices and non-DCDs

Medicaid expansion associated with increase in survival rates among patients newly diagnosed with cancer

‘That’s just part of aging’: Long covid symptoms are often overlooked in seniors

Patients, doctors, insurers agree: Prior approvals for treatment should come faster

After the pandemic hit nursing homes hard, California lawmakers push to tighten licensing rules

Study shows massive variations in prescribing of “comfort kit” medications by hospice agencies

Gallstones could be a warning sign for aggressive pancreatic cancer

Study shows the impact of delayed surgery on patients with different stages of esophageal cancer

Hospitals in low-income communities less likely to participate in bundled payment programs

Researchers warn against national strategies for a "new normal" of life with COVID-19

COVID-19 booster or additional primary vaccination dose against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in nursing home occupants

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