QWay Healthcare brings you this week’s top healthcare news updates from the American medical
industry. Have a look to stay updated:
Health
CDC releases treatment recommendations for Avian Flu
The CDC released a health advisory earlier this week to cover the testing and treatment pathways for
Avian Flu or (A)H5N1 bird flu.
Just a day before that, the CDC had confirmed America’s first case of the H5 virus in a Colorado
man.
According to the health advisory, any patient showing signs of respiratory illness who has
potentially been in contact with infected birds must be tested for the H5N1 virus.
The CDC also said that clinicians and public health workers should use personal protective equipment
while in contact with these patients.
The health advisory listed oseltamivir, zanamivir, and baloxavir for immediate use in the case of
patients with potential exposure and visible symptoms.
Ban on flavored cigarettes proposed by FDA
The FDA, in its latest press release, has proposed a ban on menthol and other flavored cigarettes in
the USA.
The other flavors cover grape, cocoa, fruit punch, and strawberry. Research shows that these flavors
attract younger crowds more to tobacco products.
The FDA feels that the ban on flavored cigarettes will increase the number of tobacco quitters and
reduce the young generation’s addiction to tobacco products.
According to a report in the New York Times, 85% Black population and 29% white population use
menthol-flavored cigarettes currently.
The proposed rules are open to public comments from May 4, 2022, onwards. The FDA will also hold a
public listening session in June.
Technology
Mayo Clinic develops an AI algorithm to detect a heart condition
A group of researchers at Mayo Clinic has developed a 12-lead algorithm to detect heart conditions
in people.
The job is done with the help of electrocardiograms recorded on the Apple Watch. The algorithm is
capable of detecting a weak heart pump from this data.
The researchers developed this methodology after collecting data from 125,000 unique Apple Watch
EKGs for six months.
The information covers unique individual data taken from Apple watch users spanning 46 states in the
USA and 11 countries overall.
Lead AI scientist in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Itzhak Attia, Ph.D.,
said, “While our data are early, the test had an area under the curve of 0.88, meaning it is as good
as or slightly better than a medical treadmill test.”
Augmented Reality could be the next big disruptor, according to HCA
According to HCA Healthcare’s Chief Medical Officer Randy Fagin, MD, Augmented Reality could be the
next big disruptor in medical technology.
The records from HCA Healthcare’s orthopedic surgeries suggest rapid growth in robotics-assisted
surgery so far.
The organization also notes that the physicians using robotic assistance have seen a more
extraordinary rise in revenue generation in comparison to those who have not.
Comparing the two methods, Augmented Reality entails a much lesser cost than robotics assistance. It
also takes up less space.
“We’re going to hit a logarithmic rise in utilization of augmented reality in hip and knee
replacement, and it will disrupt the robotic marketplace,” said Dr. Fagin in his statement.
Business
UNC Health and Appalachian Regional affiliation initiated
An affiliation deal has been finalized between Appalachian Regional Healthcare System and the
University of North Carolina Health.
With the initiation of this deal, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System will now be able to invest
in UNC’s technology, services, facilities, and pieces of equipment.
Epic’s MyChart patient portal will enable patients with different capabilities like viewing test
results, online payment of bills, and appointment scheduling.
Access to Epic’s patient portal has been one of the vital focal points of this deal, says
Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s board chair, Thomas Dale.
This affiliation will also open doors for Appalachian to expand its services into specialties and
subspecialties.
Wisconsin gets a new community acute-care hospital
Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin has opened a new acute-care community hospital in Mequon,
Wisconsin.
The new hospital marks the fourth such hospital opened by Froedtert healthcare network in the area.
The new hospital is well-equipped with a seven-bed emergency department and eight in-patient bed
departments.
The new facility also comes with imaging services, a pharmacy, and a well-equipped laboratory.
Cathy Jacobson, president and CEO of Froedtert said that the expansion of these facilities in the
north shore area facilitates their goal of primary care access.
Medical Billing
Medicaid expansion bill underway in Connecticut
The Connecticut legislature finalized a bill expanding Medicaid to undocumented children of the age
of 12 years and younger.
The bill expands Medicaid benefits to children regardless of immigration status. Their parents must
fulfill the income criteria.
The bill has now been sent for Governor’s approval. The expansion has a budget of $400,000.
Last year, Connecticut brought the same law for children who are younger than eight years.
If and when approved, undocumented children who are 12 years or under in the state of Connecticut
will be eligible for the extended Medicaid service from January 1 of next year.
Colorado Bill to facilitate a boost in price transparency
The Colorado legislature passed a bill in the house last week to boost price transparency compliance
among hospitals.
The bill restricts hospitals from collecting debts from patients if they do not comply with the
price transparency rule of the CMS.
Under the Colorado Fair Debt Collections Act, collecting debts while maintaining non-compliance with
the CMS rule will become illegal.
The legislators highlighted that healthcare costs in Colorado were among the highest in all of the
USA. Bringing this bill will keep the hospitals in check.
Though the price transparency rule came into effect on January 1, 2021, only around 14% of hospitals
maintain compliance with the law, according to the data of PatientRightsAdvocate.org.
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