Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Ophthalmology for March 2017. 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.
Vertical Integration Insurance Products of Higher Quality
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Insurance products offered by hospitals and health systems, known as vertical integration, are generally of higher quality than other contracts, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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90 Percent of U.S. Physicians Satisfied With Career Choice
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Nine out of 10 American doctors are happy with their choice of profession, even though they have some challenges, according to an American Medical Association (AMA) survey of 1,200 doctors, residents, and medical students, conducted in February.
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Effect of AMD on Vision-Specific Functioning Differs by Ethnicity
THURSDAY, March 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For Chinese, but not Indian or Malay adults, early and late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with worse vision-specific functioning (VSF), according to a study published online March 30 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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Teleretinal Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Ups Screening Rates
WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A primary-care-based teleretinal diabetic retinopathy screening (TDRS) program can reduce wait times for DR screening and increase overall screening rates, according to a study published online March 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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TV Ads for ACA Enrollment Linked to Decline in Uninsured Rates
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The volume of insurance advertisements during the first Affordable Care Act enrollment period correlated with change in uninsurance rates, with a higher volume of television advertisements linked to declines in uninsurance, according to a study published online March 15 in Health Affairs.
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ACP Issues Challenge to Cut Task Burden and Put Patients First
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a position paper published online March 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommendations are presented to address the impact of administrative tasks and reduce the administrative burden on clinicians.
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Paid Malpractice Claims Cut in Half From 1992 to 2014 in U.S.
MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- From 1992 to 2014 there was a decrease in the rate of malpractice claims paid on behalf of physicians in the United States, but mean compensation amounts increased, according to a study published online March 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Many Youths With Diabetes Not Receiving Eye Examinations
FRIDAY, March 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Many youths with diabetes do not receive eye examinations to screen for diabetic retinopathy by six years after initial diagnosis, according to a study published online March 23 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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30-Day Mortality Down During Joint Commission Survey Weeks
THURSDAY, March 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients admitted to the hospital during The Joint Commission on-site inspections (surveys) have reduced mortality compared to that seen during non-survey weeks, according to research published online March 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Black, Asian Medical Students Less Likely to Be AΩA Members
TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Asian medical students are less likely to be members of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) honor society than white students, according to a study published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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ω-3 Essential Fatty Acids May Protect Corneal Nerves in Dry Eye
TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Oral, long-chain omega-3 (ω-3) essential fatty acid (EFA) supplementation is neuroprotective to corneal nerves for patients with dry eye disease, according to a study published online March 12 in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
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Behavioral Activation Plus Low Vision Rehab Beneficial in AMD
MONDAY, March 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Behavioral activation (BA) plus low vision rehabilitation with an occupational therapist (OT-LVR) is more effective than conventional low vision optometry services for patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study published in the March issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
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Los Angeles eConsult Program Can Reduce Wait Times
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of an electronic system for provision of specialty care was rapidly adopted in Los Angeles, and it can reduce wait times to see specialists, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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Glaucoma Surgery Risk Up With 7+ Injections of Bevacizumab
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Seven or more injections of bevacizumab annually is associated with increased risk of glaucoma surgery, according to a study published online March 16 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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Tocilizumab Useful for Uveitis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy, tocilizumab (TCZ) is beneficial, yielding improvement in all ocular parameters, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Mixed Results for Stem Cell Treatments of AMD
THURSDAY, March 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Stem cells may offer new hope for patients with age-related macular degeneration, but that promise can come with some risks, according to research published in the March 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Women Underrepresented Among Grand Rounds Speakers
WEDNESDAY, March 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women seem to be underrepresented among academic grand rounds (GR) speakers, according to a research letter published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Support for Health Law Up to 48 Percent in February
TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Support for the health law is increasing, with most Americans feeling that Medicaid should continue as it is today, according to a report published by Kaiser Health News.
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Higher Spending by Physicians Not Tied to Better Outcomes
MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Medicare patients treated by higher-spending physicians are just as likely to be readmitted or die within 30 days of being admitted to the hospital as patients treated by doctors who order fewer or less-expensive tests and treatments, according to a study published online March 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Chorioretinal Lesions Secondary to Zika Virus Observed
MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Acute-onset, self-resolving, placoid or multifocal non-necrotizing chorioretinal lesions may be caused by Zika virus infection, according to a case report published online March 9 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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ACA's Medicaid Expansion May Pose Challenges to Timely Care
THURSDAY, March 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- People living in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are less likely to be uninsured or struggling with the strain of unpaid medical bills, but they also seem to have increased difficulty receiving timely care, according to research published in the March 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Republicans Introduce Affordable Care Act Replacement
TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An initial Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act was formally introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday.
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Most Health Care Providers Can Offer Cost Estimate
MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most provider organizations can offer a cost estimate, although few patients request one, according to a report published by Becker's Hospital CFO.
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Moderate Interobserver Agreement for Glaucoma Software
MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There is moderate interobserver agreement among glaucoma specialists using two glaucoma progression software packages, according to a study published online Feb. 23 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
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Judgement Bias in Medical Device Recall Decisions
FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The characteristics of the signal in user feedback of adverse events associated with medical devices and the situated context of decision makers correlate with judgement bias in reacting to these adverse events, according to research published online Jan. 29 in Production and Operations Management.
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CDC: Odds of Birth Defects Up 20-Fold in Mothers With Zika
FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women infected with the Zika virus are 20 times more likely to have an infant born with certain birth defects as mothers who gave birth before the Zika epidemic began, according to research published in the March 3 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Overall, 8.8 Percent of U.S. Population Uninsured in 2016
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Overall, 8.8 percent of individuals of all ages were uninsured in the first nine months of 2016, which marked a nonsignificant reduction from 2015, according to a Feb. 14 report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
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Complication Rates Often Higher in Youth With T2DM Versus T1DM
WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Young people with type 2 diabetes are much more likely to show signs of complications from the disease than those who have type 1 diabetes, according to a study published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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