Healthcare Roundup: Top Headlines April 30-May 4
Doctors remove 132-pound tumor from woman’s ovary The headline really says it all, but what you may not know is this is operation took five hours and 25 hospital staff members to finally remove. Wow. Read the full details here. If your life is in danger, that expensive Apple Watch might be a good investment after all The smartwatch took the credit for saving lives last month after sending alerts to users to immediately seek medical attention after detecting signs of a kidney failure and an erupted ulcer. Read the full U.S. News report here. Mental health treatment is one of the biggest issues facing U.S. healthcare, but in these states it might be a bit easier to address U.S News released their list of the top 10 states with the best mental health, based on CDC data collected in 2016. See the rankings here. Planned Parenthood is fighting back against Trump administration changes to Title X The organization is suing against these changes, arguing that they will put the health of millions of low-income patients at risk. Read the full NPR report here.
Healthcare Roundup: Top Headlines April 23-27
As always, new technologies are introduced in the healthcare industry at what seems like a lightspeed pace, so experts and industry leaders are constantly evaluating and re-evaluating how it’s shaping the future of healthcare. This week’s top headlines reflect that trend and also point to some changes in healthcare practices among oncology patients and expectant mothers. Let’s take a look. Leaving a bad Yelp review doesn’t just affect restaurants–it impacts hospitals as well. Patients are using Yelp to gauge where they choose to receive care, and in some cases high scores match up with quality care, but some experts argue the review platform is doing more harm than good. Read the full story here. Children can run you ragged, but it’s not their fault. They have as much energy as adult high-endurance athletes. A recent study found that pre-pubescent children not only recover faster from high intensity exercise better than well-trained adults, but their muscles are actually more resistant to fatigue. Check out the full results of the study here. The FDA is going all in on pushing AI tech in medicine and drug development “AI holds enormous promise for the future of medicine,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in prepared remarks for the Health Datapalooza conference Thursday in Washington. “We’re actively developing a new regulatory framework to promote innovation in this space, and support the use of AI-based technologies.” Read the full report on CNBC here. Doctors should be seeing new mothers more frequently, and mothers should get better coverage, according to industry expert recommendations These recommendations come on the heels of growing concerns about the rising rate of pregnancy-related deaths and near-deaths in the U.S. in recent years. You can read the full NPR report here. When cancer puts a patient’s back against a wall, immunotherapy seems to be the Hail Mary–but is it effective? Desperation oncology. It sounds like a last-ditch effort to save a dying patient, and in many cases it is, but some doctors argue rolling the dice on untested immunotherapy is better than nothing. Read the full story here.
Healthcare Roundup: Top Headlines April 16-20
Drug, drugs and more drugs. Access to pharmaceuticals is always a hot-button topic for healthcare providers and businesses, especially because it is often greatly influenced by the decisions and policies put in place by state and federal legislators. This week’s top headlines focused on this issue. Let’s take a look. The Drug Enforcement Agency proposed new restrictions this week to help curb the opioid crisis These manufacturing restrictions could mean significantly fewer prescription painkillers every year. This is part of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ opioid task force plan to target not just drug traffickers, but the companies that make the drugs as well. Read the full story on Reuters here. Getting into the pharmaceutical business isn’t easy–even for Amazon Amazon Business had plans to sell and distribute pharmaceuticals to hospitals and clinics but is now shifting to plans for selling less sensitive medical supplies. As it turns out, it’s hard to get big hospitals to change their ways sometimes. Read the full story here. States lost a potent weapon in the war on grossly inflated drug prices The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated a Maryland law meant to limit “price-gouging” by generic drug manufacturers, striking down the law on constitutional grounds. Read the full report on NPR here. Healthcare for retired couples is pretty expensive, to the tune of $280,000 according to Fidelity Investments “Covering health care costs remains one of the most significant, yet unpredictable, aspects of retirement planning,” said Shams Talib, executive vice president and head of Fidelity Benefits Consulting. Read the full story on USA Today.
Healthcare Roundup: Top Headlines April 9-12
Medical studies with new or exciting information always make the top headlines, and this week was no exception. The decline in soda sales after the Philadelphia soda tax, the link to traumatic brain injuries and dementia and an unauthorized herpes vaccine investigation were at the top of reader’s minds this week. Let’s take a look. FDA launches an investigation into a professor who gave an unauthorized herpes vaccine. The FDA is investigating William Halford, a Southern Illinois University for administering his experimental vaccine to patients without safety oversight from the organization or an institutional review board. Read the full story on U.S. News here. A new Senate bill is trying to make it easier for hearing aid patients to get the assistance they need. Many patients who can afford hearing aids still have trouble affording assistance to learn, adjust and use their new hearing aids properly. This new bill would allow payment for audiologists to teach beneficiaries how to use their new tech. Read the full report on NPR. A study of 2.8 million patient records found a link between traumatic brain injury and a significantly higher risk of dementia “What surprised us was that even a single mild TBI was associated with a significantly higher risk of dementia,” lead author Jesse Fann said in the press release. Read the story here. As it turns out, taxing soda will cause more people to not buy soda, which could lead to potential health benefits Drexel University found that Philadelphia’s new soda tax caused a 40 percent drop in daily soda consumption among residents in the two months after it took effect. Read the full report here. On this week’s episode of “U.S. Healthcare Is Expensive”, a significant portion of Americans use their tax refunds to pay for healthcare expenses The JPMorgan Chase Institute found a “dramatic link between health care spending and tax refunds.” Women, young people and those without savings are “more likely to defer care” until receiving a refund, according to the report. Read the full story on CNBC here.
Healthcare Roundup: Top Headlines April 2-6, 2018
Experts across the U.S. are constantly working to combat the opioid crisis, which is what dominated the top healthcare headlines of the week. Other big topics include a global look at how doctors treat chronic back pain and another major announcement from drugstore giant CVS. Let’s take a look at this week’s top stories in healthcare. CVS Health expands into kidney health services. The company said Wednesday it will offer home dialysis for patients through its Coram business, and it is working with another unspecified company to develop a new device for that. Read the full story here. Surgeon General asks for Americans to carry opioid overdose drugs and learn when to use them. United States Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome M. Adams, said Americans should carry and learn how to use naloxone in emergencies. This is the first national advisory issued since 2005. Read the full New York Times report here. Healthcare experts say coaching patients on lifestyle changes can help keep them off opioids for chronic pain issues–but can patients stick with the treatments? While it’s less convenient and more time consuming, pain specialists are saying to focus on opioid alternatives like physical and occupational therapy, massage, and nutrition counseling. Read the full story. Suffer from lower back pain? You’re definitely not alone–about 540 million people have the same problem. “We don’t think about [back pain] the same way as cancer or heart attacks. But if you look at disability it causes, especially in middle- and low-income where there isn’t a safety net, it impacts half a billion people,” says Roger Chou, a physician who is a pain specialist at the Oregon Health and Science University. Read the full NPR news report here.
Healthcare Roundup: Stories You May Have Missed
So far 2018 seems to be the year that giants of industry decide that they want to get into the healthcare space. Happened again this week when Uber and Apple both made headlines. Here are those stories and a few others you might have missed. Uber wants to help make sure patients show up for appointments Every year, 3.6 million Americans miss doctor appointments due to a lack of reliable transportation. Uber and the patient’s doctor are going to do something about it. Apple’s first major foray into healthcare? Standalone medical clinics for its employees. Calling it’s effort, AC Wellness, the iPhone maker is initially opening two facilities near its headquarters in Santa Clara. The clinics will be dedicated to caring for Apple employees and their families, at least initially. Almost 7 million will be without insurance in 2019 A study by the Urban Institute indicates that 6.4 million people will go without insurance next year thanks to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. Another 2.5 million will opt for shorter term policies. As small town hospitals die out, industry leaders try to address the growing need for rural healthcare Rural hospitals are often pillars of their communities, but are often too expensive to operate. Analysts say specialized community care may be the answer. Florida nurse adopts abused twins she treated She says she knew from the moment she saw one of the sisters in the pediatric intensive care unit she was going to take them home.
Healthcare Roundup: Stories You May Have Missed
It’s easy to get stuck in the routine, but this week’s top healthcare headlines are focused on exploring the new—like new ways to fight against cancer, eliminate diabetes, and improve memory retention. Here are some healthcare stories you might have missed. Can an automated system help nurses recognize sepsis before it’s too late? Sepsis can strike a patient out of nowhere, but a new automated system could help notify nurses of critical warning signs. Fighting cancer with tiny robots inside your body. It may not be sci-fi much longer. Researchers have been able to choke off the blood supply to cancer cells with nanobots filled with thrombin without hurting any healthy cells. Can a meal-planning service also help with disease prevention? PlateJoy is trying. You’ve heard of HelloFresh and BlueApron, but what about PlateJoy? A new startup company is trying to combine recipe delivery service with data tracking tech to combat diabetes. A New Jersey facility is taking a unique approach to tackling opioids. One hospital is exploring ways to reduce opioid prescriptions for patients by using alternative treatment methods like dry needling trigger points or administering laughing gas–and it’s working. Looking to counter the effects of a stressful shift? Go for a run. New research is showing that chronic stress can affect memory. It’s also showing that exercise–particularly running–can counter those effects.
Healthcare Roundup: Stories You May Have Missed
Healthcare headlines this week have been split between talking about what in the world uber-investor Warren Buffett sees in troubled drug manufacturer Teva Pharmaceutical and more big consumer players seeing opportunity in the healthcare market. Here are some healthcare stories you might have missed. Healthcare spending is expected to continue rising for the next decade. You can thank increasing costs of medical goods and services and higher Medicaid costs. Apple says it wants to be in the healthcare game too. Although light on details, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook says the company can make significant contributions when it comes to healthcare. Fitbit acquisition could indicate wearable ready to be taken more seriously By acquiring Twine Health, Fitbit is looking to be seen as a more serious healthcare tool, helping customers manage diseases like hypertension and diabetes. First drones. Now your net co-worker could be a chatbot. The rise of mobile technologies and the popularity of telehealth are making artificial intelligence solutions more viable in healthcare, and hospitals are taking advantage. Rubber-tubed stethoscopes? That’s so 2017. Is it time to take the stethoscope wireless? Apparently.
Healthcare Roundup: Stories You May Have Missed
The headlines this week have been dominated by politics and a stock market that’s hopefully just in the middle of a correction and not a free fall. Given that and a flu season that’s still in full swing, you’re excused if you missed some of the healthcare news over the last seven days. But that’s no reason to stay uninformed. Here’s a collection of stories to read this weekend that we found interesting. eNLC requirements holding up licenses for everyone in Colorado December nursing graduates are now being told it will be months before license are issued because the FBI has yet to begin the required background checks now required as part of the eNLC. ACA signups remain high Despite all the uncertainty around the future of Obamacare, signups seem to be unaffected. Upset as a nurse about how Jack died? You aren’t alone. Apparently lots of medical professionals don’t understand how the This Is Us patriarch was treated in the ER. Male nurses speak out While the number of male nurses are increasing, still only 13 percent of the workforce are men. Nursing student Adam White: “We need to talk with young people about caring as a gender-neutral idea, but also as something that’s rooted in skills, in expertise.” Loss of Net Neutrality could affect telehealth expansion The impact will be most widely felt in rural areas, where broadband access is more limited. Think there aren’t enough nurses now? Just wait. Recent research indicates that Baby Boomer nurses will soon be exiting the workforce, exacerbating shortages.
Healthcare Roundup: Stories You May Have Missed
Healthcare news the last few weeks seems to have been dominated by one thing: the flu. While the stronger-than-normal flu season has been making headlines, it’s also been creating opportunities for travelers who are available and flexible about where their next assignment is. The flu isn’t the only healthcare story you should be reading, although you’re excused if you’ve been so busy with patients you haven’t had time to keep up with industry happenings. Below are a few stories you may have missed. Amazon is officially getting into the healthcare game. The online retail giant announced plans this week to join with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan to develop a cheaper and more transparent way to deliver healthcare to their U.S. employees. Nairobi midwife gives new meaning to the idea of being a traveler. With just a backpack full of medical equipment, Margaret Wairimu Maina helps make sure African newborns stay healthy. Could your next co-worker be a drone? For some nurses in Mississippi, the answer is maybe. Your Apple Watch resetting inside the ICU? You aren’t alone. The tech giant is aware of the problem, but it doesn’t know what’s causing it yet. Those night shifts are increasing your cancer risk. A new study shows that females who are regularly work night shifts are at higher risk for a number of cancers.