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Tag: Healthcare

  • GW Expert Available: Survey Finds 100K Nurses Left Workforce Due to Pandemic-related Stresses

    GW Expert Available: Survey Finds 100K Nurses Left Workforce Due to Pandemic-related Stresses

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    A new survey published Thursday by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing found that about 100,000 registered nurses in the U.S. left the workplace due to the stresses of the Covid-19 pandemic. Another 610,388 RNs reported an “intent to leave” the workforce by 2027 due to stress, burnout and retirement. According to the agency, this is the first-time research has revealed how the pandemic has impacted the nursing workforce and has forecasted what this workforce could look like in the near future.

    If you would like more context on this matter, please consider Richard Ricciardi, a professor in the George Washington University School of Nursing and the Executive Director for the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at George Washington University. Prior to joining GW, Ricciardi served as the Director, Division of Practice Improvement and Senior Advisor for Nursing at AHRQ. Ricciardi can speak to the workforce challenges nurses currently face, including burnout and staffing shortages.

    “The root cause of the exodus is multifactorial. Of course, salary is always mentioned – but not the biggest factor. The main factors include having a healthy work environment that truly values nursing and all healthcare workers,” Ricciardi says. “Other factors include opportunities for continuing education and career development, being heard and seen as an equal and valued partner in the workplace, and commitment to a balanced lifestyle (rotating shifts are incredibly stressful and disruptive to a balanced life). Employee Unions also play a big part too and we’re seeing that now with medical residents across the U.S.” 

    Ricciardi adds, “This is the most important workforce issue facing health systems and our nation’s health care delivery.”

    If you would like to speak with Prof. Ricciardi, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist . 

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    George Washington University

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  • How Medical Providers Can Increase Patients’ Trust in AI | Entrepreneur

    How Medical Providers Can Increase Patients’ Trust in AI | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    In 2022, North America’s artificial intelligence (AI) market was projected to be worth 24.9 billion U.S. dollars, making it a primary AI regional market.

    A swarm of AI-based startups and products overtakes healthcare, finance, retail, security, logistics and many other fields. And though AI proves to be highly beneficial in many application areas, this progress comes with a price. According to a survey of business leaders in the healthcare industry in the U.S. in 2021, 52% of respondents reported having concerns that AI in healthcare could lead to threats to security and privacy. A further 45% were worried that AI could have safety issues, while 35% had concerns surrounding machine bias.

    Related: Artificial Intelligence And Its Role In Healthcare

    Pros and cons of AI as seen from the patient’s side

    End users of AI healthcare products on the receiving side — patients and their families — share these concerns. And since providers ultimately cater to users, the question that will define the success of the patient-facing AI healthcare startups today is: Do people trust AI enough to let it take care of them and their families?

    There are several reasons why patients may not trust AI, including:

    • Concerns about privacy and security

    • Worries that AI will make mistakes

    • Fears that robots will replace human doctors

    However, there are also many reasons patients may choose to trust AI, such as:

    • Offers more personalized care

    • Provides 24/7 access to care

    • Helps reduce wait times

    Ultimately, whether or not a patient trusts AI is a personal decision. Some patients may feel comfortable trusting AI with their health information and allowing robots to provide some care, while others may feel more comfortable sticking with human doctors.

    What do people trust AI with, and what do they not trust?

    When it comes to trusting AI in healthcare, patients and clinicians are generally more comfortable with the technology used for administrative duties, such as billing and scheduling, than entrusting AI with more personal tasks, such as diagnosis and treatment.

    Some people hail AI taking on a more central role in healthcare. In particular, younger adults and people with higher levels of education tend to be more open to the idea. Many respondents expect AI to reduce the number of mistakes in healthcare and improve diagnostic accuracy. However, most are confident that AI implementation will hurt patient-provider relationships. Proof people don’t rely on AI’s empathy level is that two-thirds of U.S. adults wouldn’t let AI define the amount of pain medication they get.

    Meanwhile, empathy is a cornerstone of our medicine and is irreplaceable in the areas such as ObGyn treatments and pediatrics. And in some areas, like psychiatric hospitals, robot doctors may even harm the patients’ well-being.

    Hospitals and clinicians looking to employ intellectual computers will consider these factors and the pros and cons when choosing their providers. So, how can you help your product win more trust from the end users?

    Related: AI Is Transforming Healthcare as We Know It. Here’s a Look at the Future — and the Opportunities for Entrepreneurs.

    How can a clinician increase levels of trust in AI from patients?

    Disclose limitations and benefits:

    It is essential to ensure that patients are well-informed about the realistic capabilities of AI. Be transparent about the possible limitations and potential benefits, and let patients opt out of AI if they have concerns or reservations.

    Follow the ethical guidelines:

    Providers must build a track record of using AI responsibly and effectively. It means using AI by ethical guidelines and only employing it when there is a solid evidence base to support its use.

    Guarantee data privacy:

    Data privacy and security measures must be robust and fit for purpose. It includes ensuring that patient data is encrypted and stored securely and that only authorized personnel can access it.

    Educate your patients:

    Providers need to prepare to answer questions from patients about AI usage. These include explaining why doctors use AI in a particular instance, how it works and the expected outcomes.

    By taking these steps, healthcare providers can help increase patient trust in AI, which is essential for successfully adopting this technology in healthcare.

    How to increase the general public’s levels of trust in AI products

    Trust is the primary factor affecting AI adoption in the evolving relationship between humans and AI. How do you build it up, then? For the initial trust building, several factors are in play:

    Representation: Because first impressions are so crucial for building trust, androids are so popular. The more a robot looks like a person, the easier it is for people to feel an emotional connection.

    User reviews: Testimonials are very popular these days. And a good user review builds initial trust more than a negative review tarnishes it.

    Ease to explain and understand: Before we can trust AI applications, we must know how they are developed and what functions they perform in specific contexts. Trust suffers when an AI application is hard to explain or can’t be explained at all.

    Trialability: Trialability means that people can get access to the AI application and try it out before they accept or adopt it. If you let potential customers try out new technologies, they will be more likely to trust you.

    Communication: While AI programs may perform activities independently, it is more probable that intelligent robots will operate with humans for the time being. And trust is built with communication.

    Socialization and bonding: Humans are social creatures. Social acts such as showing affection may foster long-term trust.

    The relationship between people and intelligent computers is still in its early stage. To be successful in the healthcare market, AI startups must prioritize data privacy, security and the social impact of AI. You need to be transparent about the capabilities and limitations of your technology and ensure it gets used effectively to build up customers’ trust in your product.

    Related: AI And Robotics Are Transforming Healthcare, According To This Health Tech CEO

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    Andrei Kasyanau

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  • Cancer Cases Drop 14% in Pandemic’s First Year, 200,000 Cases Unreported

    Cancer Cases Drop 14% in Pandemic’s First Year, 200,000 Cases Unreported

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    Newswise — Researchers say newly reported cases of cancer diagnoses declined 14.4% in 2020 compared with prior years, correlating with the timing of stay-at-home orders in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    A study, based on reported cases of new cancer diagnosis to the National Cancer Database (NCDB), estimates roughly 200,000 people with cancer cases weren’t diagnosed or treated at Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities at the onset of the pandemic in 2020, around the same time that triage guidelines recommended delays in cancer-related care.

    The study’s lead author said analysis showed an overall trend of cancer cases dropping off in March 2020 and reaching an ultimate low in April before a partial recovery mid-year. However, there was no rebound of backlogged cases or return to case levels seen in prior years.

    “Our findings revealed what we all feared, that many cancer cases didn’t come in during the early pandemic and didn’t catch up during that first year, meaning those ‘missing cases’ are out there somewhere,” said Sharon Lum, MD, MBA, chair of the Loma Linda University Health Department of Surgery and the study’s principal investigator. “Our concern is that these patients may show up later, potentially at more advanced disease stages.”

    The study was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association Surgery. Its authors hope their findings will serve as a reference for those utilizing NCBD data to conduct research, quality reports, and process improvement projects.

    Lum said researchers wanted to alert those using NCBD data from 2020 that all of their reports are going to be altered in some fashion from the disruption in reported cases.

    The NCDB, a joint project by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and the American Cancer Society, is one of the largest cancer registries in the world,  representing more than 70% of all cancer cases in the United States. Nearly 1,500 programs accredited by the Commission on Cancer, including Loma Linda University Health, leverage NCBD data to improve the quality of cancer care in the United States, Lum said. She previously served as vice-chair of the Commission on Cancer’s quality integration committee.

    Year-over-year since 1989, NCDB data have proven historically reliably stable, Lum says. Yet “the COVID-19 pandemic destabilized usual patterns of cancer care,” study authors wrote.

    Lum and researchers from academic and medical institutions across the nation examined all cancer cases added to the NCDB in the years leading up to the pandemic and analyzed the variances in reported cases during 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019. Their research revealed that the monthly decline in cancer cases logged in the NCDB during 2020 correlated with the timing of stay-at-home orders and triage guidelines recommending intentional delays in cancer-related care.

    Additionally, Lum says researchers observed less than expected numbers of early-stage diseases in the pandemic’s early months and simultaneously observed more than expected cases of late-stage diseases.

    Researchers did not identify any overall patterns in patient demographics to account for the varied differences of observed-to-expected proportions of reported cancer cases, Lum says.

    “The differences in expected versus observed cases didn’t happen in the same way across the board for every single cancer site,” Lum says. “There were high levels of variation between different diseases and individual cancer sites.”

    The study’s findings provide month-by-month breakdowns of NCDB’s 2020 trends in reported cases, Lum says; the monthly analysis isn’t standardly available to NCDB users and offers valuable insights into details of the year’s progression. The findings call for NCDB users engaged in cancer care quality reporting, process improvement, or research to carefully interpret disease- and program-specific results for 2020 and years to come to account for the disrupted pandemic year data. Study authors recommend users perform their own validation studies before incorporating 2020 data and use disclaimer language in publications using 2020 NCDB data.

    “We are alerting the cancer community to look carefully at their institutional data to see how what happened in 2020 could have affected what their reports looked like,” Lum said. “Database users should consider what activities took place in their local and institutional environment that first year of the pandemic.”

    Lum said the downstream effects of the 2020 data set, such as impacts on longitudinal survival reports, have yet to be understood. The Commission on Cancer will follow the 2020 NCDB cohort and conduct similar validity studies with the subsequent data cohorts in 2021 and 2022. Future research can also evaluate COVID-19 infection-related associations, treatment adherence and outcomes, and long-term follow-up of the 14.4% of cancer diagnoses that were not treated as expected in Commission on Cancer-accredited cancer programs.

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    Loma Linda University Health

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  • Moderna is developing a Lyme disease vaccine in a first for the company

    Moderna is developing a Lyme disease vaccine in a first for the company

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    Moderna Inc. said Tuesday it’s working to develop its first bacterial vaccine to protect against Lyme disease, the tick-borne illness that causes a range of painful symptoms, including fever, headaches, fatigue, joint pain and rash.

    The biotech
    MRNA,
    -2.75%    ,
    whose first product to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was its mRNA-based COVID vaccine, said it has two candidates in development to address Lyme disease, named mRNA-1982 and mRNA-1975.

    It announced the news at its fourth Vaccine Day, where it offered a full update on its clinical pipeline, which includes vaccines to protect against flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, as well as HIV, Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex virus, among others.

    There are about 120,000 cases of Lyme disease in the U.S. and Europe every year, creating a “significant quality of life burden,” the company said in a statement. Rising temperatures are helping the disease spread more easily, and it is difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms are similar to those of many other diseases. It most seriously affects children below the age of 15 and older adults.

    “Older adults appear to have higher odds of unfavorable treatment response as compared with younger patients, and neurologic manifestations are more common at presentation for this older adult population,” said the statement.

    Tick and Lyme disease season is here, and scientists warn this year could be worse than ever. Dr. Goudarz Molaei joins Lunch Break’s Tanya Rivero to explain what triggered the rapid spread of the disease and how people can avoid being affected. Photo: Kent Wood/Science Source

    The mRNA-1982 candidate is designed to create antibodies for Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen that causes almost all Lyme disease in the U.S., while mRNA-1975 is designed to elicit antibodies specific to the four major Borrelia species that cause the disease in the U.S. and Europe.

    Other new candidates in Moderna’s pipeline include mRNA-1405 and mRNA-1403, which aim to address the enteric virus norovirus. Norovirus is highly contagious and is the leading cause of diarrheal disease globally, Moderna said. It’s associated with about 18% of all such illnesses worldwide and causes about 200,000 deaths every year.

    Overall, Moderna is expecting to launch six major vaccine products in the next few years, all of them with large addressable markets.

    The company expects the annual global endemic market for COVID boosters alone to be worth about $15 billion.

    It has dosed the first participant in a late-stage trial of its next-generation, refrigerator-stable COVID-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1283. The vaccine “has demonstrated encouraging results in multiple clinical studies,” the company said.

    See now: Moderna CEO defends price increase for COVID vaccine to Congress

    A separate trial of a flu vaccine called mRNA-1010 fared less well, however.

    That trial “did not accrue sufficient cases at the interim efficacy analysis to declare early success in the Phase 3 Northern Hemisphere efficacy trial and the independent DSMB recommended continuation of efficacy follow-up,” the company said.

    The company expects the market for respiratory-product sales to range from $8 billion to $15 billion by 2027 and for operating profit that year to range from $4 billion to $9 billion.

    The stock was down 4% Tuesday and has fallen 15% in the year to date, while the S&P 500
    SPX,
    +0.17%
    has gained 7%.

    See also: Moderna’s stock slides as earnings fall short of estimates amid steep decline in COVID-vaccine sales

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  • TTUHSC El Paso Receives $50,000 Gift from El Paso Attorney Steve Ortega for Foster School of Medicine and Hunt School of Dental Medicine Scholarships

    TTUHSC El Paso Receives $50,000 Gift from El Paso Attorney Steve Ortega for Foster School of Medicine and Hunt School of Dental Medicine Scholarships

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    Photos: https://ttuhscep.box.com/s/1fl3586lj88jneyjyimmawmzbdodrqrg

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    April 11, 2023

     

    Newswise — EL PASO, Texas — Steve Ortega’s maternal and paternal grandmothers didn’t graduate from college. Both grew up in an era with limited career opportunities for women. However, they made sure their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren knew they could achieve anything with hard work and an education.

    TTUHSC El Paso announces a gift of $50,000 from Ortega, an El Paso attorney and former El Paso City Council member. The university matched the donation, bringing the total fund to $100,000. Funds will go toward scholarships for women pursuing their degrees at the Foster School of Medicine and Hunt School of Dental Medicine.

    The Aurora Red Medical Scholarship and Maria Olivina Ortega Dental Scholarship – named in honor of Ortega’s grandmothers – aim to support residents of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.

    “Finances shouldn’t be a barrier to education,” Ortega said. “My grandmothers were constrained by finances and gender, which limited their career choices. Today, women represent the next generation of health care professionals for our community. TTUHSC El Paso represents the resurgence of our city as well as the new face of health care. Even though I’m not a graduate of Texas Tech, I’m proud of this institution.”

    TTUHSC El Paso is addressing the region’s provider shortage by recognizing the importance of educating local students committed to serving their communities and improving access to health care in their hometown. Currently, 52% of TTUHSC El Paso students are from our Borderplex region.

    “We’re grateful to Steve Ortega for his gift, which will have a transformative impact on the lives of our students,” said Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A, president of TTUHSC El Paso and dean of the Foster School of Medicine. “His generosity will help us as we ‘grow our own’ and the legacies of his grandmothers will live on in scholarship recipients, setting an example and empowering other young women in our community who will follow in their footsteps.”

    Fostering growth through community support

    Contributions from community leaders like Ortega have played a crucial role in TTUHSC El Paso’s ability to meet health care challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border by training future practitioners who will remain in the region. With financial assistance, students can focus on their studies without taking on additional jobs, important as Foster School of Medicine and Hunt School of Dental Medicine students experience clinical training within the first semester of their education. The early interaction with patients prepares them to become skilled, compassionate providers ready to enter the workforce.

    First-year dental student and native El Pasoan, Angelica Quinones, is a scholarship recipient who takes inspiration from her own late grandmother who battled breast cancer. Quinones follows the advice she was given when it comes to education: “echale ganas,” Spanish for “give it your all.”

    “As a first-generation college student, I always thought dental school was only for those who came from generations of dentists,” Quinones said. “I’m thankful for my scholarship, which allows me to pursue my dream of becoming a dentist, enjoy the experience and not worry about the financial aspect.”

    Nationally, women have made significant progress in diversifying the fields of medicine and dental medicine. According to data from the AAMC and ADEA, in 2020, women made up just over 50% of all medical students in the U.S. At TTUHSC El Paso, women made up 53% of the incoming enrollment in the Foster School of Medicine in 2021. As for the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, female enrollment is 65%. Although these are great strides, there is still work to be done.

    A legacy of service and dedication to El Paso

    A fifth-generation El Pasoan, Ortega graduated from Cathedral High School and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he received bachelor’s degrees in government and sociology. After obtaining his law degree from the George Washington University Law Center, he returned to the Sun City where he served the community on the El Paso City Council from 2005 to 2013.

    Collaborating with neighborhood groups, business leaders and fellow elected officials, Ortega helped restore San Jacinto Plaza and successfully advocated for a $500 million quality of life bond. He also worked to expand the Medical Center of the Americas with a vision of making the area an appealing destination for investment and high-income careers. Throughout his tenure, Ortega championed various initiatives, including vital neighborhood infrastructure improvements, such as the Crime Victims’ Reading Memorial Garden, the Knight’s Street Project and the Carolina Street Art initiative. He also sponsored more efficient cross-border trade systems.

    In addition to his legal practice, Ortega serves on the board of several public service organizations. His belief in the transformative power of TTUHSC El Paso symbolizes the community’s resurgence and immense potential for future growth.

    About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

    TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.

    TTUHSC El Paso was established to focus on the unique health care and educational needs of our Borderplex community. In 2023, TTUHSC El Paso celebrates its 10th anniversary as an independent university within the Texas Tech University System. In a decade, the university has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers, and will soon add dentists to its alumni.

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    Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

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  • Federal judge in Texas suspends FDA approval of abortion pill mifepristone

    Federal judge in Texas suspends FDA approval of abortion pill mifepristone

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    AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas on Friday ordered a hold on the U.S. approval of the abortion medication mifepristone, throwing into question access to the nation’s most common method of abortion in a ruling that waved aside decades of scientific approval.

    The abortion drug has been widely used in the U.S. since 2000 and there is essentially no precedent for a lone judge overruling the medical decisions of the Food and Drug Administration. Mifepristone is one of two drugs used for medication abortion in the United…

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  • With the unemployment rate now at 3.5%, is this your last chance to jump ship?

    With the unemployment rate now at 3.5%, is this your last chance to jump ship?

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    Have you got itchy feet?

    The U.S. economy added 236,000 jobs in March, just shy of the 238,000 forecast by economists polled by the Wall Street Journal. The unemployment rate declined to 3.5% in March from 3.6% in February.

    The latest data was calculated before the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank last month, an event that…

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  • Bringing Cancer Education to American Indian Communities

    Bringing Cancer Education to American Indian Communities

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    Newswise — Phyllis Nassi, MSW, associate director of research and science, special populations, directs the American Indian program at Huntsman Cancer Institute and recently received the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Distinguished Public Service Award for Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Advocacy. ­

    “My favorite part of what I do is being boots on the ground in the community,” says Nassi. “I’ve spent a lot of time helping to change the course of what research means in the area we serve and beyond at Huntsman Cancer Institute. We’ve been able to build a reputation of trust and I have permission from Tribal Leaders to bring education about clinical trials to the reservation.”

    Nassi, an enrolled member of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and member of the Cherokee Nation, focuses on bringing cancer education to the frontier and rural locations across the Mountain West. She started at Huntsman Cancer Institute in 2001 as a manager of special populations and has served on many committees and advisory boards.

    “Nassi has shown relentless commitment and cultural humility to serve as an advocate for American Indian communities across Utah and 17 other states, including Idaho, New Mexico, Montana, Arizona, and Alaska,” says Neli Ulrich, PhD, MS, executive director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute. “She improves cancer awareness and survival through promotion of early detection practices, communication about the benefits of cancer research, and clinical trial enrollment. Her passion and efforts to reduce disparities and bring health equity to underserved populations makes her highly deserving of the prestigious AACR Public Service award.”

    Huntsman Cancer Institute founder Jon M. Huntsman, Sr., former National Cancer Institute Director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, and former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, are just some of the previous honorees.

    “It’s amazing and humbling to be part of this group, I could not have done what I do and what I love without the support of my son, Enrico, his partner, and my late husband Walter.”

     

    ###

    About Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

    Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah is the official cancer center of Utah and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West. The campus includes a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital and two buildings dedicated to cancer research. Huntsman Cancer Institute provides patient care, cancer screening, and education at community clinics and affiliate hospitals throughout the Mountain West. It is consistently recognized among the best cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. The region’s first proton therapy center opened in 2021 and a major hospital expansion is underway. Huntsman Cancer Institute is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for staff, students, patients, and communities. Advancing cancer research discoveries and treatments to meet the needs of patients who live far away from a major medical center is a unique focus. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at Huntsman Cancer Institute than at any other cancer center, including genes responsible for breast, ovarian, colon, head and neck cancers, and melanoma. Huntsman Cancer Institute was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.

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    Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah

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  • J&J, C3.ai, Albemarle, Walmart, and More Stock Market Movers

    J&J, C3.ai, Albemarle, Walmart, and More Stock Market Movers

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    This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com.

    https://www.barrons.com/articles/stock-market-movers-88cae2de

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  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network Names the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center as 33rd Member Institution

    National Comprehensive Cancer Network Names the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center as 33rd Member Institution

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    Newswise — PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA and CHICAGO, IL [April 4, 2023] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) today announced the addition of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center as the newest Member Institution to join the not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers. There are now 33 academic centers across the United States contributing multidisciplinary subject matter experts to 61 different panels determining the latest evidence-based expert consensus recommendations for risk assessment, prevention, evaluation and treatment, surveillance, supportive care, and survivorship throughout the cancer care continuum.

    “UChicago is a recognized leader in cancer care that will bring numerous strengths to our network,” said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. “We were particularly impressed with their substantial work improving outcomes for underserved populations and longtime commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. They serve an ethnically and economically diverse population and have a history of higher-than-average rates of Black patients taking part in clinical trials. Their work also includes a focus on cancer prevention through tobacco control and HPV control programs. We look forward to working with them as we continue to focus on our mission of helping all people with cancer live better lives.”

    The UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center utilizes a broad array of unique and innovative educational, training, clinical, and research programs all characterized by a particular focus on increasing the presence of underrepresented populations in oncology and better understanding and serving their catchment area population. These include training and mentorship programs for students at all levels starting in high school, as well as partnerships with numerous community programs throughout their area.

    Additionally, the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center was designated as a National Cancer Institute cancer center in 1974 and earned the comprehensive cancer center designation in 2008. It has been recognized for genetic classification of hematologic malignancies and for pioneering risk-adapted therapies. The UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center also has a long history of major contributions to drug development and early-phase clinical trials.

    “We are thrilled to join NCCN, which means our renowned faculty will contribute to evidence-based cancer treatment guidelines, research and education that will have an impact on patient care in the country and across the world,” said Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Director of the UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Dean for Oncology in the Biological Sciences Division; and The AbbVie Foundation Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago. “We need to have better cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment for our communities, especially those that are underserved and face some of the worst cancer disparities.”

    NCCN’s Member Institutions work together in a variety of ways to define and advance high-quality, high-value, patient-centered cancer care globally. One key area of activity is maintaining the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®), which are updated at least once a year to reflect the very latest data and best practices. They are available free-of-charge at NCCN.org or via the Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines® App. The clinical guidelines serve as the basis for NCCN Guidelines for Patients®—free resources to help people with cancer and their caregivers participate in informed decision-making about their care.

    NCCN Member Institutions also work together to identify and address pressing concerns in cancer care delivery as they arise, including public health and safety, policy, and other issues.

    NCCN was originally founded in 1995 with 13 Member Institutions. The alliance now includes 33 different centers that provide top-level care across the United States. Learn more at NCCN.org/member-institutions.

    # # #

    About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

    The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.

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    National Comprehensive Cancer Network(r) (NCCN(r))

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  • Por que tenho dores no ombro?

    Por que tenho dores no ombro?

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    Newswise — FAIRMONT, Minnesota — Se sentir dores no ombro após movimentar o braço, talvez você tenha um problema nele. A dor no ombro pode ser um sinal de artrite, tendinite, ruptura do manguito rotador ou instabilidade no ombro. 

    Independentemente da causa, o paciente deve procurar um profissional da área de ortopedia. A primeira consulta incluirá uma análise do histórico de saúde, exame físico e possivelmente um raio X para determinar a causa subjacente e extensão do problema no ombro. Em alguns casos, um exame adicional de imagem, como uma ressonância magnética (RM), pode ser necessário. 

    O profissional da área de ortopedia indicará as opções de tratamento e ajudará a decidir o que é melhor para você. A primeira linha de tratamento pode incluir: 

    • Tomar anti-inflamatórios que não necessitam de receita médica. 
    • Fazer repouso do ombro/braço afetado. 
    • Colocar gelo no ombro. 
    • Modificar as atividades para evitar complicações. 
    • Receber aplicação de injeção de esteroides. 
    • Fazer fisioterapia para fortalecer os músculos do ombro e braço. 

    Muitos estudos demonstram que as pessoas com dores no ombro respondem bem a esses tratamentos e são capazes de se restabelecer para fazer as atividades cotidianas. Porém, caso o paciente esteja sentindo dor e fraqueza, o profissional da área de ortopedia poderá recomendar uma cirurgia. 

    Uma das causas de dor e fraqueza é a ruptura do manguito rotador. O manguito rotador é um grupo de músculos e tendões. Ele mantém a articulação do ombro posicionada e auxilia na movimentação e força do braço. Caso o exame de ressonância magnética (RM) revele uma ruptura no manguito rotador, poderá ser necessário fazer uma cirurgia, ainda que isso não seja necessário para a maioria dos pacientes. 

    Normalmente, a cirurgia é ambulatorial, e o paciente pode ir para casa no mesmo dia. Neste procedimento, o cirurgião insere uma câmera minúscula (artroscópio) e ferramentas através de pequenas incisões para recolocar o tendão rasgado no osso. O paciente poderá necessitar de uma tipoia por seis semanas após a cirurgia para cicatrizar o ombro. 

    Após quatro a seis semanas, o paciente ainda poderá ter algumas restrições para trabalhar e talvez tenha que mudar as atividades. O profissional da área de ortopedia também poderá recomendar fisioterapia. 

    Independentemente de o paciente responder aos tratamentos não invasivos ou necessitar de uma cirurgia, o objetivo do profissional da área de ortopedia é aliviar a dor no ombro para que o paciente possa retomar as atividades cotidianas sem dor ou restrições. 

    Dr. Mark Wikenheiser, médico ortopedista no Sistema de Saúde da Mayo Clinic.   

    ### 

    Sobre a Mayo Clinic 
    A Mayo Clinic é uma organização sem fins lucrativos comprometida com a inovação na prática clínica, educação e pesquisa, fornecendo compaixão, conhecimento e respostas para todos que precisam de cura. Visite a Rede de Notícias da Mayo Clinic para obter outras notícias da Mayo Clinic. 

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  • Use of racially concordant educational video did not affect acceptance of heart implant devices among Black patients

    Use of racially concordant educational video did not affect acceptance of heart implant devices among Black patients

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    Newswise — DALLAS – April 03, 2023 – Multiple studies have demonstrated that Black patients are significantly less likely than white patients to undergo invasive cardiovascular procedures. Prior research also has demonstrated substantial racial disparities in the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) that can be lifesaving for those at high risk for sudden cardiac death.

    Agreeing to have an ICD, though, relies on patients having a clear understanding of the potential benefits of the procedure as well as trust in their care team. Cardiologists at Duke University, including Eric Peterson, M.D., M.P.H., who served at Duke before joining UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2020, investigated whether an educational video that used both white and Black physicians and patients might increase patients’ willingness to consider an ICD.

    “Racial health disparities are often complex and multifactorial. Yet empowering patients to better understand their disease and potential treatment options is one way to help overcome this,” said Dr. Peterson, Vice Provost and Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research at UTSW and the study’s lead author.

    The findings, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, examined two separate facets. First, it looked to see whether the video would affect patients’ decision-making process. The study found that rates of ICD implantation were not different among those randomized to the video versus not, about 60% in each. However, the researchers did find that patients seeing the video felt they understood their options better and had to spend less time with their physicians to reach a decision. 

    Second, the researchers examined whether the video’s impact was altered by whether the race of the characters in the video matched that of the patient. Interestingly, racial concordance or discordance had no impact on the video’s effectiveness.

    The researchers concluded that better educational tools could engage more patients and give them confidence in their treatment decisions. However, education alone will not fully rectify complex differences in procedural use by race. Since a high percentage of Black patients in both arms were willing to undergo the procedure, Dr. Peterson concluded that the major underlying causes for ICD disparities may lie more with who is offered the costly device rather than on who agrees to the procedure.    

    Dr. Peterson holds the Adelyn and Edmund M. Hoffman Distinguished Chair in Medical Science.

    The study was supported by a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Program Award (AD-1503-29746).

    About UT Southwestern Medical Center

    UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 18 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 2,900 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 4 million outpatient visits a year.

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  • Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center Performs 1,000th Single-Port Robotic Procedure – More Than Any Other Hospital in the Country

    Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center Performs 1,000th Single-Port Robotic Procedure – More Than Any Other Hospital in the Country

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    Newswise — Surgeons at Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center performed their 1,000th Single-Port Robotic surgery with the da Vinci single port (SP) system on March 23.

    Hackensack University Medical Center, a center for excellence in advanced robotic surgery, was the first and only hospital in New Jersey to have access to this groundbreaking technology in 2018 and is now the first hospital in the country to perform the most procedures with it. 

    “Performing 1,000 Single-Port Robotic procedures is a tremendous accomplishment for our entire team and for our patients,” says Michael D. Stifleman, MD, director of Robotic Surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health Network. “The more procedures we perform with this state-of-the-art technology, the greater the benefit for our patients as it further minimizes the trauma associated with surgery while enhancing precision and control compared to traditional techniques.”

    The da Vinci SP technology’s revolutionary design involves a single arm that delivers three multi-jointed instruments and camera, making it an innovative, dynamic instrument for narrow, deep spaces. A single, one inch incision helps surgeons perform complex procedures in the most  minimally invasive way, resulting in less pain and fewer complications, especially with urologic procedures, including prostate cancer; kidney cancer; head and neck cancers; and advanced urinary tract reconstruction surgery. Click here to learn more about the future of single-port surgery in an episode of “Operation: Reimagine Surgery,” a Freethink original series produced in partnership with Intuitive, which created the world’s first commercially available robotic surgery system in the 1990s.

    “Surgeons at Hackensack University Medical Center performed New Jersey’s first robotic surgery more than 20 years ago,” says Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, President & Chief Hospital Executive of Hackensack University Medical Center and President, North Region, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our academic medical center now has the largest and most experienced robotic surgery program in the state and one of the busiest in the nation.”

    Experience matters as close to  25% of the nation’s single-port robotic procedures are completed at Hackensack University Medical Center by renowned surgeons including  Chan W. Park, M.D., head and neck oncology surgeon; Brian E. Benson, M.D., interim chair of Otolaryngology; and  Mutahar Ahmed, M.D., director of the Urologic Bladder Cancer Program; and Dr. Michael Stifelman, who is also professor and chair of Urology at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.

    “Single-port robotic surgery places Hackensack University Medical Center’s urology program on the world stage with surgeons visiting us from the most prestigious medical centers nationally and internationally to see how we do it here in Hackensack,” says Dr. Ahmed. “Hackensack University Medical Center is focused on bringing the most advanced technologies and the most experienced surgeons together to constantly improve patient outcomes. The single-port technology is transformative and enables our surgeons to perform the most complex surgeries in the hardest to reach places, through just one small incision.”

    Mutahar Ahmed, M.D., director of the Urologic Bladder Cancer Program using the Single-Port Robot

    ABOUT HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

    Hackensack University Medical Center, a 803-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital, was Bergen County’s first hospital founded in 1888. It was also the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet®-recognized hospital for nursing excellence, receiving its sixth consecutive designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The academic flagship of the Hackensack Meridian Health network, Hackensack University Medical Center is Nationally-Ranked by U.S. News & World Report 2022-2023 in four specialties, more than any other hospital in New Jersey. The hospital is home to the state’s only nationally-ranked Urology and Neurology & Neurosurgery programs, as well as the best Cardiology & Heart Surgery program. It also offers patients nationally-ranked Orthopedic care and one of the state’s premier Cancer Centers (John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center). Hackensack University Medical Center also ranked as High-Performing in conditions such as Acute Kidney Failure, Heart Attack (AMI), Heart Failure, Pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Diabetes and Stroke. As well as High Performing in procedures like Aortic Valve Surgery, Heart Bypass Surgery (CABG), Colon Cancer Surgery, Lung Cancer Surgery, Prostate Cancer Surgery, Hip Replacement and Knee Replacement. This award-winning care is provided on a campus that is home to facilities such as the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital and the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, ranked #1 in the state and top 20 in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospital Report. Additionally, the children’s nephrology program ranks in the top 50 in the United States. Hackensack University Medical Center is also home to the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center and is listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Our comprehensive clinical research portfolio includes studies focused on precision medicine, translational medicine, immunotherapy, cell therapy, and vaccine development. The hospital has embarked on the largest healthcare expansion project ever approved by the state: Construction of the Helena Theurer Pavilion, a 530,000-sq.-ft., nine-story building, which began in 2019. A $714.2 million endeavor, the pavilion is one the largest healthcare capital projects in New Jersey and will house 24 state-of-the-art operating rooms with intraoperative MRI capability, 50 ICU beds, and 175 medical/surgical beds including a 50 room Musculoskeletal Institute. 

    ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

    Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The network has 18 hospitals and more than 500 patient care locations, which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers, physician practice locations, and a fitness and wellness center. With more than 35,000 team members and 7,000 physicians, Hackensack Meridian Health is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy and committed to the health and well-being of communities throughout New Jersey. The network’s notable distinctions include having more U.S. News-ranked hospitals than any other health system in New Jersey, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, 2022-23. Hackensack University Medical Center is nationally-ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four specialties, more than any other hospital in New Jersey. Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, are ranked #1 in the state and top 20 in the Mid-Atlantic Region by U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospital Report. Additionally, their combined nephrology program ranks in the top 50 in the United States. To learn more, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.

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  • A healthy microbiome may prevent deadly infections in critically ill people

    A healthy microbiome may prevent deadly infections in critically ill people

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    Newswise — Twenty to 50 per cent of all critically ill patients contract potentially deadly infections during their stay in the intensive care unit or in hospital after being in the ICU – markedly increasing the risk of death.

    “Despite the use of antibiotics, hospital-acquired infections are a major clinical problem that persists to be a huge issue for which we don’t have good solutions,” says Dr. Braedon McDonald, MD, PhD, an intensive care physician at the Foothills Medical Centre (FMC) and assistant professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). “We tackled this issue from a different angle. We looked at the body’s natural defense to infection to better understand why some people are more susceptible to these deadly infections.”

    The study involved 51 patients newly admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at FMC. Patients were studied over the first week of acute critical illness. The research showed that the gut microbiota and systemic immunity work together as a dynamic “metasystem,” in which problems with gut microbes and immune system dysfunction are associated with significantly increased rates of hospital-acquired infections.

    “The signal that we’ve seen in our research is that a family of bacteria, that naturally live in the gut, seems to be important for directing the immune system,” says Jared Schlechte, PhD candidate in McDonald’s lab and first author of the study. “However, during critical illness the microbiome becomes injured allowing these bacteria to start taking over.”

    The study published in Nature Medicine found that patients who experienced an abnormal increase in the growth of this common bacteria, called a bloom, were at the highest risk of severe infections.

    “This information is important because it gives us a whole new avenue to start thinking about not just ways to treat infections, but a potential treatment to prevent them,” says McDonald. “The findings suggest that if we want to fight infection, we can’t just target these bad bacteria in isolation and the immune system in isolation. We really need to have a more holistic view of how things are functioning.” McDonald says the study’s findings

    As a next step, McDonald and the team plan to launch a randomized, controlled clinical trial – based on a precision medicine approach that borrows from probiotics therapy, and utilizes multiple different bacteria engineered to specifically target the bacteria identified in the study. People who agree to participate will be given engineered microbiomes.

    “What we’re trying to do is restore the normal mechanism that work when we’re healthy, and take advantage of that to help protect people from infections,” McDonald says.

    UCalgary faculty co-authors included Drs. Christopher Doig, MD, Kathy McCoy, PhD, and Mary Dunbar, MD. PhD candidate Amanda Zucoloto, along with research technician and laboratory manager Ian-Ling Yu, also co-authored the study. The study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Alberta Health Services Critical Care Strategic Clinical Network. 

    Braedon McDonald is an assistant professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM), an intensive care physician at the Foothills Medical Centre, and a member of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases at CSM.

    The Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases is a team of more than 480 clinician-scientists and basic scientists dedicated to uncovering new knowledge leading to disease prevention, tailored medical applications and ultimately cures for those with chronic and infectious disease. Visit snyder.ucalgary.ca and follow @SnyderInstitute to learn more.

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  • خبراء السرطان في مايو كلينك يسلطون الضوء على التقدم المحرز في علاج الورم النقوي المتعدد

    خبراء السرطان في مايو كلينك يسلطون الضوء على التقدم المحرز في علاج الورم النقوي المتعدد

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    Newswise — مدينة روتشستر، ولاية مينيسوتا— يشارك دكتور سكندر العوضي، دكتور في الطب، اختصاصي الدَّمَويات والأورام في مركز مايو كلينك الشامل لعلاج للسرطان تفاصيل حول تطورات جديدة توصلت إليها الأبحاث ستفضي إلى نتائج أفضل لمرضى الورم النقوي المتعدد.  

    الورم النقوي المتعدد هو نوع غير شائع نسبيًا من أنواع سرطان الدم التي تصيب نخاع العظم. رغم أنه لا يوجد علاج نهائيًا للمرض، إلا إنه يمكن التعامل معه بالعلاجات المتاحة مثل الأدوية، والعلاج الكيميائي، والإشعاع، أو حتى بزراعة نخاع العظم للمساعدة في إطالة جودة حياة المرضى.  

    يشارك دكتور العوضي في قيادة فريق من الباحثين في مايو كلينك لتجربةعلاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية، والتي تسمى أيضًا علاج الخلايا التائية ذات مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية (CAR-T cell)، لعلاج المرضى المصابين بالورم النقوي المتعدد، وتطوير أدوية جديدة لاستهداف الواسِمات السرطانية المختلفة مثل مستضد نضج الخلايا البائية وغيره.  

    يقول دكتور العوضي “التطورات في الأدوية والعلاجات الجديدة لعلاج الورم النقوي في حالة تطور وتغير مستمرين. وإنه لوقت باعث على الحماسة لإجراء أبحاث على أدوية السرطان لاكتشاف علاجات جديدة ستمنح الأمل لمرضى السرطان.”  

    إن علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية هو أحدث علاج مناعي للسرطان يحتوي على خلايا تائية مُعدّلة وراثيًا لاستهداف واسِمات الخلايا السرطانية تحديدًا، ولتنشيط الجهاز المناعي للتعرف على الخلايا السرطانية والقضاء عليها.  

    في دراسة نُشرت مؤخرًا في في مجلة نيو إنجلاند الطبية، والتي شاركت فيها مايو كلينك، قارن الباحثون نتائج علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية بنتائج نُظُم العلاج القياسية المتوفرة حاليًا لدى المرضى الذين عولجوا سابقًا من الورم النقوي المتعدد والذين عاودهم المرض بعد الشفاء منه. وقاس الباحثون معدلات البقاء على قيد الحياة التي خلت من تقدّم المرض، وهي الفترة التي يتعايش فيها المريض مع المرض خلال العلاج وبعده، ولكن دون أن يتفاقم المرض.  

    وأشارت الدراسة أنه بإجراء متابعة تفقدية بمتوسط 18.6 شهرًا، بلغ متوسط البقاء على قيد الحياة دون تقدّم المرض لدى المجموعة التي تلقت علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية 13.3 شهرًا، مقارنة بمتوسط بلغ 4.4 شهور فقط لدى المجموعة التي عولجت بنُظُم العلاج القياسية.  

    يضيف دكتور العوضي قائلاً: “تشير هذه النتائج إلى أننا نمضي في الطريق البحثي الصحيح الذي سيحدث تغييرًا في الممارسة العلاجية والتي ستقدم علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية في مرحلة مبكرة من علاج المرضى الذين عاودتهم الإصابة بالورم النقوي المتعدد — والذي أتمنى أن يصبح معيار الرعاية في المستقبل.”  

    يواصل باحثو مايو كلينك اختبار أدوية جديدة تستهدف الورم النقوي المتعدد حيث تقود فرق متخصصة التجارب السريرية مستخدمين طرق علاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية الحديثة. يشمل ذلك استخدام العلاجات الجاهزة وعلاج مستقبلات المستضد الخيمرية في وقت مبكر من رحلة العلاج المرضى.  

    يوجد حاليًا ما يزيد عن 40 تجربة سريرية متاحة في مايو كلينك لمرضى الورم النقوي المتعدد. 

    ### 

    نبذة عن مايو كلينك 
    مايو كلينك هي مؤسسة غير ربحية تلتزم بالابتكار في الممارسات السريرية والتعليم والبحث وتوفير التعاطف والخبرة لكل مَن يحتاج إلى الاستشفاء والرد على استفساراته. لمعرفة المزيد من أخبار مايو كلينك، تفضَّل بزيارة شبكة مايو كلينك الإخبارية.  

    جهة الاتصال الإعلامية: 

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  • RSV hospitalizations spiked unusually high in late 2021, study finds

    RSV hospitalizations spiked unusually high in late 2021, study finds

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    Newswise — The COVID-19 pandemic posed an immense challenge on the health care industry in 2020 and 2021. While hospitals were inundated with COVID-19 cases, other illnesses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) saw a decrease in hospital visits, particularly in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.

    A Texas A&M University School of Public Health study recently published in the journal Frontiers found that while there were an unusually low number of hospitalizations in 2020, there was an unusual peak in the third quarter of 2021, when hospital admissions for RSV were approximately twice those in a typical year.

    “We found some really interesting data,” said Itza Mendoza-Sanchez, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) and one of the lead authors on the study. “We had very low numbers in 2020 because of COVID, but then we saw higher numbers in 2021.”

    “Kids were not going into daycare and getting that exposure (to RSV), and that mirrored the dynamic,” added Natalie Johnson, PhD, associate professor in EOH, and one of the lead authors of the study,

    RSV is a common airway pathogen that most frequently results in mild, cold-like respiratory tract infections. In children younger than two years of age, RSV infection can result in severe lower respiratory illness, including acute bronchiolitis or pneumonia.

    The seasons are usually a strong predictor of RSV infection, with activity typically occurring in late fall, winter and early spring, peaking from late December to mid-February. According to the researchers, however, the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on RSV seasonality.

    Additionally, the researchers found that the length of hospital stays in relation to RSV, which typically followed a seasonal trend prior to COVID-19, was longer during the pandemic despite the lower number of cases.

    “We can only hypothesize that during COVID they were only accepting the extreme cases, and on average the length of stay was longer,” Mendoza-Sanchez said. “We learned that what has happened in the past is informing us that if something similar happens in the future we have to be ready for the peaks in cases.”

    Additional authors on the paper include Inyang Uwak, Toriq Mustapha, Mariya Rahman and Tanaya Tonpay, all from the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, and Annette K. Regan from the School of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of San Francisco.

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  • 9 Healthcare Marketing Strategies to Attract and Engage Patients | Entrepreneur

    9 Healthcare Marketing Strategies to Attract and Engage Patients | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    If you’re a healthcare provider looking for new and effective ways to find and engage potential patients, there are many strategies you can adopt. Here are nine healthcare marketing strategies that can help you attract more patients and increase patient engagement. From leveraging social media to investing in search engine optimization, these healthcare marketing strategies will give you the tools to reach out to and build relationships with potential patients.

    1. Define your audience

    Identifying the target audience for your healthcare marketing efforts is an essential first step in any marketing strategy. You need to determine who your ideal patient is so you can craft effective messaging and use the right tactics to reach them.

    Related: How to Find Your Purpose, Your Audience and Your Voice

    Start by considering the demographics of your current patients and those most likely to be interested in your services. Take into account age, gender, income level, location, and other factors that might be relevant.

    Then, think about the pain points or needs your services can address. It will help you identify potential customers who could benefit from your offer. For example, if you specialize in sports medicine, you’ll want to target athletes and active individuals who are likely looking for solutions to common injuries or health issues.

    2. Foster relationships with referring physicians

    Building relationships with referring physicians is great for your healthcare marketing strategy. Physicians are well-respected and highly trusted in the healthcare industry, so building meaningful relationships with them is important. Doing so will help you gain access to their patient referral networks and increase your visibility in the community.

    Start by introducing yourself and your practice to referring physicians. Ask for their contact information and make sure to keep it up-to-date. Connect with them on social media, if appropriate. Offer to attend conferences and meetings they are attending, or invite them to yours. Offer them patient education materials, service discounts, or other incentives that show your appreciation.

    Related: Challenges Faced by Marketers in the Healthcare Sector

    You can also offer referring physicians helpful resources and advice, such as regular updates on medical advances or educational materials related to their specialties. Make sure that your content is always accurate and up-to-date. Finally, be sure to follow up with referring physicians regularly. It will show them you value their relationship and help maintain positive working relationships.

    3. Research your competition

    Understanding your competitors is essential when it comes to healthcare marketing. Knowing what strategies they use and how successful they are can help you improve your tactics and stay ahead of the game.

    Start by researching the demographics of your target market – who are they, what do they need, and how can you reach them? Analyze their services and offerings and evaluate their marketing tactics. Ask yourself how you can differentiate your services from theirs, what makes your product better, and how you can beat them in terms of quality, cost, or convenience.

    Look for trends in their marketing campaigns and see what works for them. Analyze their approach and create a plan that capitalizes on their weaknesses and maximizes your strengths. Discover what makes them unique and use this knowledge to inform your marketing strategy.

    4. Incorporate SEO into your website

    Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for healthcare marketing and can help increase organic traffic to your website. It involves optimizing keywords, phrases, titles, headings, images, and other elements on web pages to appear higher in search engine results.

    Optimize your website for search engines to ensure that it ranks high when users search for topics related to your practice. The higher your site appears in the search results, the more traffic it will get –more opportunities to convert leads into appointments.

    SEO helps you get found by potential patients and keep existing patients coming back. As an essential part of your healthcare marketing plan, it’s important to understand how to incorporate SEO into your website.

    Related: How to Establish a Viable Long-Term SEO Strategy

    First, you’ll need to create content that is both informative and optimized for search engines. Research relevant keywords related to your practice and target audience, then use those keywords in your website content. Ensure you don’t overuse the keywords, which can negatively affect your rankings.

    It’s also important to ensure your site is easy to navigate and contains fresh, unique content. It will improve user experience and encourage visitors to stay longer on your site. Additionally, ensure that your website works on all devices and browsers. It will maximize the number of people who can access your site, increasing your ranking in search engine results.

    5. Use social media

    Social media is another powerful tool when it comes to healthcare marketing. Not only does it allow you to interact with potential patients directly, but it also builds relationships with current and potential referral sources. Utilizing social media channels allows you to share valuable information about your practice and create content that engages with patients and drives new leads.

    Regarding healthcare marketing, social media is important to your overall plan. With a well-executed social media strategy, you can reach a wide audience quickly and easily. It’s essential to have an active presence on major platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, as they provide excellent opportunities for reaching a wide range of audiences.

    The key to success is to create content that resonates with your target audience and can convert leads into actual customers. Post relevant information about your services and helpful health tips, and answer questions from potential patients.

    Ensure to include visuals whenever possible, as this will help grab your audience’s attention. Also, use hashtags to make your posts more visible and encourage user engagement. Responding quickly to comments and questions is important to foster relationships with potential patients. Finally, measure and track the results of your efforts through analytics software like Google Analytics or Facebook Insights.

    6. Develop a strong brand

    When it comes to healthcare marketing, creating a strong and unique brand is essential. It is your opportunity to stand out from the competition. Crafting an eye-catching logo and website and utilizing high-quality visuals can help you make a powerful impression on potential patients.

    Another great way to build your brand is by creating custom content. Leveraging educational materials like blog posts and videos can help showcase your expertise. Sharing success stories and patient testimonials can also be effective in building trust with potential patients. Look for opportunities to get your name out in the local community. Attending events and partnering with other organizations are great ways to boost your visibility.

    Participating in local events is a great way to interact with potential patients and show them why your services are superior. It also allows you to network with local healthcare professionals and gain referrals.

    You can also host educational webinars or live chats to educate your patients and generate leads. Tools like Zoom or YouTube Live will allow you to stream the content and engage with people who aren’t physically present in the room. It can also help you reach a wider audience since many patients won’t be able to attend in person and may not have access to your event unless they know it beforehand.

    You can ask questions during the webinar or chat and collect data from those who participate through their answers before ending the session with an action plan for following up with those who respond positively. It allows for better follow-up than just sending automated emails out afterward — you’ll get actual feedback from real people.

    7. Invest in content marketing

    Healthcare content marketing is a powerful tool for providers to attract and engage new patients. It involves creating and distributing content related to your business’s services or products. It aims to educate and inform potential patients about your practice, services, and how you can help them.

    Content marketing can take the form of articles, blog posts, infographics, videos, podcasts, social media posts, and other forms of media. This type of content provides value to potential patients and can help establish you as an authority figure in the industry. By creating high-quality content that is informative and engaging, you can help potential patients learn more about your practice and its offerings. You can also use content marketing to build trust with current and prospective patients.

    Content marketing can be done in-house or outsourced to a content creation agency. If you choose to outsource, select an agency with expertise in the healthcare industry that can create accurate, relevant, and up-to-date content.

    No matter your approach, content marketing can be an effective strategy for reaching new patients and building relationships with them. By investing in content marketing, you’ll be able to keep your website updated, attract more organic traffic from search engines, and give your current and prospective patients the information they need to make an informed decision about their healthcare.

    8. Advertise online

    Online advertising can be a great way to reach potential patients and those in your care. You can use platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads to target potential patients based on location, age, gender, interests, and more.

    Online advertising can help you promote awareness of your practice and services, increase brand visibility, and even drive conversions. You can also ensure your messages reach the right people with the right targeting. Just do your research and understand the different types of ad formats available.

    For example, some formats are better suited to creating brand awareness, while others may be better for lead generation. Additionally, have clear, concise messaging with strong call-to-action (CTA). It will help ensure that your online ads are effective in driving conversions.

    Paid advertising on social media channels or platforms like Google Ads is another great way to reach potential patients. Setting up ads allows you to target specific population segments, which increases the likelihood of getting clicks and converting leads into customers.

    9. Implement lead capture forms

    Lead capture forms are essential in any successful healthcare marketing strategy. They allow you to collect information from potential patients, such as name, email address, phone number, and other contact information. This data allows you to track your leads and nurture them into becoming paying customers.

    To get the most out of lead capture forms, design them for maximum conversion. It means providing an easy-to-use interface with a clear call to action that encourages users to take action. You should also include a field for additional comments or questions so that you can gather more detailed information about your leads.

    Your lead capture forms should also be strategically placed throughout your website. Place them prominently on your homepage, or add them to key service and contact pages. Additionally, consider offering incentives to encourage people to fill out the forms, such as discounts or free consultations.

    By investing in lead capture forms, you can track your leads and nurture them into becoming loyal customers. The right combination of design, placement, and incentives can make all the difference in finding and engaging patients.

    Conclusion

    Healthcare marketing is a unique opportunity to build relationships and connections with your audience. These people will benefit from your products and services to be incredibly loyal customers. By putting yourself out there in a way that resonates best with your target demographic — and by keeping an eye on what makes them tick — you’ll find that you have a much easier time engaging them on social media or in person at events like conferences or expositions.

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    ReadWrite.com

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  • UHealth IT Experts Win CIO 100 Award for Adding EMR System to Sylvester Game Changer Vehicles

    UHealth IT Experts Win CIO 100 Award for Adding EMR System to Sylvester Game Changer Vehicles

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    Newswise — For the third year in a row, the IT and health information experts at UHealth – University of Miami Health System were awarded the prestigious CIO 100 Award by from Foundry’s CIO.

    The 2023 recognition goes to David Reis, Ph.D., vice president of IT and chief information officer at UHealth, and his interdisciplinary team, for adding Epic electronic medical record system capabilities to the Game Changer vehicles operated by Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

    “This is really evidence of our team approach in working with our physicians and researchers,” said Dr. Reis. “There are so many opportunities to leverage technology in new ways to help our patients where they are.”

    The annual CIO 100 award recognizes initiatives that drive business growth through technology innovation. Sylvester, part of UHealth and the Miller School of Medicine, launched the first Game Changer in 2018, providing a vehicle to travel into communities to deliver cancer screenings and education. The focus is on prevention, diagnosis and treatment because certain cancers disproportionately affect some residents of these neighborhoods.

    Connecting people in these underserved communities to the EMR system allows them to access the patient portal, engage more in their health care and communicate with their UHealth providers using their smartphones. “It’s really about education, cancer detection, prevention and referring them for treatment if needed,” said Lisa Swiontek, R.N., chief health application officer at UHealth.

    For clinicians, the initiative means replacing paper forms with laptops to add information into the system more efficiently and in real time.

    Another goal is to help people overcome any hesitancy in seeking medical care. “For some in this patient population, going into a physician office can create anxiety,” Swiontek said. “Even having them come to the mobile vehicle can sometimes be a challenge.”

    The wireless setup was the easy part. Creating a different Epic service area was more challenging, but necessary. The strategy segregates the Sylvester Game Changer patients from the rest of the health system patients, storing their clinical data without billing them for services. There is also the bigger picture: If the same person comes into the emergency department in the future, providers can see their medical information in the EMR.

    “We also know community care is already happening — but it may not be documented in Epic,” Swiontek said.

    Dr. Reis added that the IT team had to tread carefully in adapting the technology. “We wanted to create this unique service area in Epic without negatively altering the Epic system used throughout other UHealth hospitals and clinics.”

    Swiontek and Dr. Reis credit Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., vice provost for research at the University of Miami and associate director of population science and cancer disparities at Sylvester, with being the catalyst for the initiative. Dr. Kobetz was the first to suggest adding Epic to the Game Changer vehicles.

    “Bringing Epic to the Game Changer vehicles bridges critical gaps in access to health information and technology, essential for advancing health equity,” said Dr. Kobetz. “It was a privilege to work with the UHealth IT team on this initiative, which is so connected to our institutional commitment to translational research that has measurable, community-facing impact.”

    Deploying the Epic EMT System

    Adding the EMR to the fleet of now three Game Changer vehicles is the first time Epic has been deployed outside a traditional clinical setting. The Sylvester Game Changer vehicles are retrofitted, air-conditioned motor homes equipped with private rooms for consultation and cancer screening and a multimedia area for cancer education.

    The Sylvester Game Changer is also among the first in the United States to offer mobile prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer. Black men are at especially high risk for prostate cancer, which makes PSA testing in communities like Miami’s Little Haiti even more essential. Testing is free, and men who require further medical care are referred to other locations. And it’s not just men who stand to benefit. Women in Little Haiti have a much higher than average incidence of cervical cancer, and Sylvester investigators have created novel prevention strategies to overcome traditional barriers to screening, prevention and treatment.

    This project will be used as a model for other areas. For example, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is using the Epic-equipped Game Changer vehicles to provide free yearly eye screenings to school age children in some communities.

    The UHealth IT team won the CIO 100 Award last year for technological advances in remote patient monitoring. The 2021 award was for automating the COVID-19 vaccination process to ensure that the inoculations could be administered swiftly and safely.

    Asked what she is proudest of, Swiontek said, “It was that the team acted pretty quickly. We saw the need, and the team really pulled together with our operational counterparts to develop and deploy the Game Changer solution as quickly as we could.”

    For Swiontek, winning the CIO 100 a third year in a row is “pretty spectacular.”

     

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    University of Miami Health System, Miller School of Medicine

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  • Markey study: new program shows promise in reducing financial burden of cancer care

    Markey study: new program shows promise in reducing financial burden of cancer care

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    BYLINE: Elizabeth Chapin

    Newswise — LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 28, 2023) — The rising cost of cancer care puts patients and their caregivers at increased risk of experiencing financial toxicity, a term used to describe financial hardship caused by out-of-pocket treatment costs.

    A new University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center study published in JCO Oncology Practice found that the use of a financial navigator can significantly reduce financial toxicity for patients with hematologic cancer and their caregivers.

    The study led by UK Markey Cancer Center researcher Jean Edward, Ph.D., examined the effectiveness of a new oncology financial navigation intervention called Coverage and Cost-of-Care Links (CC Links), among patients and their caregivers recruited from Markey’s Hematology and Blood & Marrow Transplant Program.

    The CC Links financial navigator helped participants optimize their health insurance, identify different types of assistance for out-of-pocket expenses, or apply for disability or family medical leave among other services.

    Results showed that the CC Links intervention decreased financial toxicity for both patients and caregivers, with an average of $2,500 in financial benefits secured per participant. The study also tracked improvements in physical and mental quality of life.

    “Financial toxicity is a significant burden for patients and their families and can negatively impact treatment adherence and overall quality of life. We are encouraged by the preliminary results of CC Links, which highlight the tremendous impact financial navigation can have on improving patient quality of life and health outcomes,” said Edward, an associate professor and assistant dean for diversity, equity & inclusion at the UK College of Nursing.

    The study is one of the first to evaluate the effectiveness of an oncology financial navigation intervention designed specifically to address financial toxicity among patients with hematologic cancer and their caregivers.

    Hematologic cancer patients and their caregivers are especially vulnerable to financial toxicity due to specialized treatments that often include bone marrow transplants, lengthy hospital stays, and prolonged follow up.

     

    UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center and Kentucky’s top hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report.  

    As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come. 

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    University of Kentucky

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  • Marijuana Has Special Risks for Older People – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    Marijuana Has Special Risks for Older People – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

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    … .wsj.com/articles/marijuana-cannabis-edibles-pot-cbd-health … Original Author Link click here to read complete story.. … Read More

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    MMP News Author

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