Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for August 2014. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Report Highlights Progress, Challenges in Health IT
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Progress has been made toward widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), although there are still barriers to adoption of advanced use of EHRs, according to a report published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Doctors Frequently Experience Ethical Dilemmas
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For physicians trying to balance various financial and time pressures, ethical dilemmas are common, according to an article published Aug. 7 in Medical Economics.
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Lupin in Gluten-Free Food May Trigger Allergies
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new ingredient in gluten-free products, lupin, which belongs to the same plant family as peanuts, could cause allergic reactions, according to a news release from Kansas State University.
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AMGA: Physician Turnover Still High in 2013
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For the second year running, physician turnover remains at the highest rate since 2005, according to a report published by the American Medical Group Association (AMGA).
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Cancer Patients With Depression Often Untreated
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with cancer and depression frequently do not receive effective treatment; however, an integrated program is effective in patients with cancer, and specifically lung cancer, according to three studies published online Aug. 28 in The Lancet Psychiatry, The Lancet, and The Lancet Oncology.
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Preventive Bundle Cuts Colorectal Surgical Site Infections
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of a preventive surgical site infection (SSI) bundle is associated with a reduction in SSI rates after colorectal surgery, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in JAMA Surgery.
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Guidelines Presented for Diagnosing Focal Liver Lesions
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Focal liver lesions (FLLs) are mostly benign, and can be diagnosed based on knowledge of their presentation, associated clinical and laboratory features, and natural history, according to clinical guidelines published online Aug. 19 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
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CRC Mortality Down With Removal of Low-Risk Adenomas
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients who undergo removal of adenomas, colorectal cancer mortality risk is increased for those who had high-risk adenomas removed and reduced for those who had low-risk adenomas removed, according to a study published in the Aug. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Team Approach Improves Practice Efficiency
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The increasing administrative requirements of a medical practice are requiring a team-based approach to care, and physicians must learn to manage the team, according to an article published Aug. 7 in Medical Economics.
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Restrictive, Non-Solicitation Covenants Are Valid
MONDAY, Aug. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Restrictive and non-solicitation covenants are valid and can be enforced, according to an article published Aug. 5 in Medical Economics.
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No Link Found Between Diverticular Disease, Cancer
MONDAY, Aug. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Colonic diverticular disease does not appear to be linked to an increased risk of subsequent colorectal cancer (CRC), according to research published in the August issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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U.S. to Tighten Access to Certain Narcotic Painkillers
FRIDAY, Aug. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is going ahead with tough new controls on painkillers containing hydrocodone, which has been tied to a surge in dangerous addictions across the United States.
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Organizations Can Help Docs Retain Their Independence
FRIDAY, Aug. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Ways for physicians to remain in independent practice are highlighted in an article published Aug. 7 in Medical Economics.
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Abdominal Acoustic Monitoring Can Identify Post-Op Ileus
FRIDAY, Aug. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A noninvasive, abdominal acoustic monitoring device can distinguish postoperative ileus (POI) from patients and controls without POI, according to a proof-of-concept study published online Aug. 5 in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.
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Role of Innervation Explored in Gastric Tumorigenesis
THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Vagal innervation is involved in gastric tumorigenesis, according to an experimental study published in the Aug. 20 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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FDA Approves Cerdelga for Type 1 Gaucher Disease
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cerdelga (eliglustat) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat type 1 Gaucher disease, a rare inherited disorder caused by the body's insufficient production of a key enzyme.
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Organized Processes Help Practices Hire Well
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A defined process is necessary to help physicians hire the right staff for their practice, according to an article published July 24 in Medical Economics.
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Docs Must Consider Liability When Ordering Screening Tests
TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians and health care providers must be aware of their potential liability when ordering screening tests, according to an article published July 24 in Medical Economics.
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Boxed Warnings Are Common in Novel Therapeutics
TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Boxed warnings are common on recent drug approvals, and many occur years after approval, according to a research letter published online Aug. 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Low Complication Rate for Peds Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
FRIDAY, Aug. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For pediatric patients, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with low complication rates and short postoperative hospital stays, according to research published in the June issue of Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques.
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Extra Time Spent Counseling, Coordinating Care Billable
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 13, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Extra time spent counseling patients and coordinating care can be billed using evaluation and management (E/M) and prolonged service codes, according to an article published July 24 in Medical Economics.
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Once-Only Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Screening Cuts Colorectal Cancer
TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Once-only flexible sigmoidoscopy screening, with or without fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), is associated with reduced colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, according to a study published in the Aug. 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Meta-Analysis Strategy Impacts Estimation of Tx Outcome
TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Estimation of treatment outcome varies with the meta-analysis strategy, according to a study published in the Aug. 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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FDA: New Colorectal Cancer Screening Test Approved
TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A screening test for colorectal cancer that can detect red blood cells and abnormal DNA in a person's stool has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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EHR Adoption Increasing, But Stage 2 Criteria Often Not Met
MONDAY, Aug. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Most U.S. hospitals and office-based physicians have adopted electronic health records (EHR), according to two studies published in the August issue of Health Affairs.
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Issues to Consider With Integration of Telemedicine
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Integrating telemedicine raises various considerations, including operational and legal issues, according to an article published July 24 in Medical Economics.
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ACG: New Guidelines Issued for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New guidelines have been issued in relation to the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and chronic idiopathic constipation. The updated guidelines were published as a supplement to the August issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
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No Difference in Laparoscopic, Open Partial Hepatectomy
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who undergo laparoscopic partial hepatic resection (LH) have similar short-term outcomes compared to those who undergo open partial hepatic resection (OH), according to a study published online July 30 in JAMA Surgery.
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Diagnostic Algorithm for Appendicitis Cuts Pediatric CT Use
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For pediatric patients, implementation of a diagnostic algorithm for appendicitis correlates with a significant reduction in computed tomography (CT) use without impacting diagnostic accuracy, according to a study published in the August issue of Surgery.
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VA Health Care Reform Bill Signed Into Law
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A bill signed into law Thursday by President Barack Obama is meant to provide veterans with easier access to government-paid health care.
Health Highlights: Aug. 7, 2014
Gut Microbiome Analysis Aids Colorectal Cancer Screening
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Analysis of the gut microbiome can better distinguish healthy individuals from those with precancerous adenomatous polyps and those with invasive colorectal cancer, compared to use of traditional clinical risk factors and fecal occult blood testing, according to a study published online Aug. 7 in Cancer Prevention Research.
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Hospital Risk-Adjusted Margin Positivity Rate Is Quality Metric
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Hospital risk-adjusted margin positivity rate (RAMP) can identify performance-based outliers and represents a rectal cancer surgery quality metric, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Statin Use After CRC Diagnosis Reduces Mortality Risk
TUESDAY, Aug. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer, statin use is associated with reduced cancer-specific mortality risk, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Hepatitis C Could Become Rare Disease in 20 Years
MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. health officials estimate that over three million Americans currently have chronic hepatitis C -- most of whom don't know it because the infection usually causes no symptoms. But with recent treatment advances, hepatitis C could become rare by 2036, researchers report in the Aug. 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Many Physicians Have Secondary Income
MONDAY, Aug. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many physicians report earning income from sources other than their primary practice/employer, according to an article published July 24 in Medical Economics.
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CMS Recognizes Telehealth in New Physician Fee Schedule
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued proposed rules for updates to the Physician Fee Schedule and will accept comments until Sept. 2, according to an article published July 7 in Medical Economics.
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Two New Radiographic Signs of Gastric Band Slippage ID'd
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Two radiographic signs have been identified that have high sensitivity and specificity for gastric band slippage, according to a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
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