ReportWire

Tag: Healthcare

  • Philips warns of 5% fall in like-for-like sales due to supply-chain woes

    Philips warns of 5% fall in like-for-like sales due to supply-chain woes

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    Royal Philips NV said Wednesday that its performance for the third quarter was hurt by stronger-than-anticipated supply-chain challenges, and adopted a more pessimistic view on its sales through the end of the year.

    The Dutch health-technology company
    PHIA,
    -8.01%

    PHG,
    -0.80%
    said that it expects to record a 1.3 billion euro ($1.26 billion) impairment charge in the period. The company said that this is an impairment of goodwill of Philips Respironics, its sleep and respiratory care business, and that it is due to revisions to the business’s financial forecast.

    This compares with adjusted Ebita of EUR512 million, or 12.3% of sales, a year earlier.

    Analysts had seen the metric at EUR336 million, according to a consensus estimate provided by the company.

    Philips expects to book a EUR1.3 billion impairment charge on its sleep and respiratory care business after revising its financial forecast for the unit, it said.

    Group comparable sales for the quarter fell around 5%.

    For the last quarter of the year, Philips now expects a mid-single-digit decline in comparable sales, it said.

    In late July, Philips had guided for 6%-9% growth in comparable sales over the second half of the year.

    “Philips still expects a better second half of the year, compared to the first half of 2022. However, the company sees prolonged supply chain disruptions and a worsening macro-environment,” it said.

    The company said it expects adjusted Ebita margin to be in the range of a high single to double digit for the last quarter of the year.

    Write to Anthony O. Goriainoff at anthony.orunagoriainoff@dowjones.com and Cristina Roca at cristina.roca@wsj.com

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  • ACS comments on European study on colonoscopies published in New England Journal of Medicine

    ACS comments on European study on colonoscopies published in New England Journal of Medicine

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    Newswise — CHICAGO (October 11, 2022): The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is aware of a European study examining colonoscopy in Sweden, Poland, Norway, and the Netherlands, “Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death,” published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine1 that may seem to call into question the effectiveness of colonoscopy screening.

    Although the ACS recognizes global discrepancies in cancer screening recommendations across countries, the ACS remains committed to supporting U.S. evidence-based recommendations and practices based on decades of research, including the use of colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer.

    “As an evidence-based and educational organization of surgeons, it is clear that patient outcomes are vastly improved when cancer is detected early,” said ACS Executive Director & CEO, Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS. “The value and importance of colonoscopies in preventing and detecting colorectal cancer cannot be overstated, and current U.S. guidelines are based on decades of research in the United States showing that routine screenings with colonoscopy can save lives.”

    “We recognize that this study is generating a lot of attention and could have the effect of discouraging some from getting life-saving colonoscopy screenings. We firmly stand behind the science that has unequivocally demonstrated the benefits of these screenings,” said Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, Medical Director of the ACS Cancer Programs. As the Emeritus Fred C. Andersen Professor for the Mayo Foundation and consultant for Mayo Clinic’s division of colon and rectal surgery, Dr. Nelson is internationally renowned for her research in the field of colon and rectal cancer. “Significant work has gone on to optimize the reliability and accuracy of the colonoscopy test, both in terms of optimizing bowel preparations performed in advance of the procedure and the specialized training of the clinicians who perform the procedure. The evidence and data are abundantly clear that screenings with colonoscopies save lives. The bottom line is that people should continue to follow their doctors’ recommendations on colonoscopy screening.”

    Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.2 Since the 1990s, national guidelines have supported the use of colonoscopies to screen for colorectal cancer.3 The procedure – in which a tube-like instrument with a light and video camera is inserted into the rectum to visualize abnormalities – can not only detect early cancers but can also prevent colorectal cancer through the removal of polyps, which can take 10-15 years to turn into cancer. 

    Moreover, colonoscopy has been recognized as an effective and reliable preventive health practice by the federal government. In 2000, the law expanded Medicare coverage to beneficiaries who were not considered high risk for colon cancer.4 Today, the American Cancer Society currently recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45 through either a colonoscopy or a stool-based test.

    —

    1 Bretthauer M, Løberg M, Wieszczy P, et al. Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death,  New Engl J Med, 2022 Oct 9. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2208375

    2 American Cancer Society Guideline for Colorectal Cancer Screening: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html

    3 Trends in Screening for Colorectal Cancer -United States, 1997 and 1999: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5009a2.htm

    4 Moore KJ, Medicare Expands Preventive Screening Benefits, Fam Pract Mang. 2001; 8(6):16: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2001/0600/p16.html

     

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    About the American College of Surgeons  

    The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 84,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.   

     

     

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  • Global Expert Panel Publishes New Guidance on Designing and Conducting Real-World Evidence Studies

    Global Expert Panel Publishes New Guidance on Designing and Conducting Real-World Evidence Studies

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    Newswise — Lawrenceville, NJ, USA—October 11, 2022—Value in Health, the official journal of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, announced today the publication of a new template that provides a set of core recommendations for clear and reproducible real-world evidence study protocols and is intended to be used throughout the research process. The report, “Harmonized Protocol Template to Enhance Reproducibility of Hypothesis Evaluating Real-World Evidence Studies on Treatment Effects: A Good Practices Report of a Joint ISPE/ISPOR Task Force,” was published in the October 2022 issue of Value in Health.

    “Ambiguity in the communication of key study parameters limits the utility of real-world evidence (RWE) studies in healthcare decision making,” said lead author Shirley V. Wang PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. “Clear communication about data provenance, design, analysis, and implementation is needed. This would facilitate reproducibility, replication in independent data, and assessment of potential sources of bias.”

    In response to this need, the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) and ISPOR convened a joint task force to create a harmonized protocol template for RWE studies. The template builds on existing efforts to improve transparency and incorporates recent insights regarding the level of detail needed to enable study reproducibility.

    “The overarching principle of this effort was to reach for sufficient clarity to achieve 3 main goals,” noted Wang. “First, help investigators thoroughly consider and document their choices and rationale for key study parameters that define the causal question. Second, facilitate decision making by enabling reviewers to readily assess potential for biases related to these choices. And third, facilitate reproducibility.”

    The output of the joint ISPE/ISPOR task force effort, the HARmonized Protocol Template to Enhance Reproducibility (HARPER), helps create a shared understanding of intended scientific decisions through a text, tabular, and visual structure. The template provides a set of core recommendations for clear and reproducible RWE study protocols and is intended to be used as a backbone throughout the research process from developing a valid study protocol, to registration, and through implementation and reporting on those implementation decisions.

    Once published, HARPER will be freely available for anyone to download and use. However, recognizing that the impact of HARPER relies on uptake, the joint task force has outlined a strategy to introduce and pilot the template with numerous key stakeholders over the next 2 years. They will be presenting the template directly to international regulatory agencies and health technology assessment groups and are laying the groundwork to pilot test the template with ongoing demonstration projects that are evaluating or guiding the use of RWE to support decision making.

    “HARPER has been designed to reduce ambiguity by helping research teams be clear about the scientific decisions made in the design and conduct of an RWE study and to allow other investigators or reviewers to have a shared understanding of those decisions,” said Wang. “Going forward, we recognize that real-world data analytics is a rapidly evolving field and that this work may need iterative revision. Therefore, we plan to have the harmonized template reviewed and updated as needed through a standing review process.”

    Background on the ISPE-ISPOR Joint Task Force

    ISPOR is actively working to improve standards and practice for the collection and analysis of real-world data. The Society views this initiative as a critical aspect of ISPOR’s mission to promote health economics and outcomes research excellence to improve decision making for health globally. As part of this effort, ISPOR partnered with ISPE to form the joint task force on Real-World Evidence in Healthcare Decision Making. In addition to this current report, the joint task force has produced and published 2 reports and an editorial in this area. To learn more about the task force and its publications, visit their webpage.

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    ABOUT ISPOR
    ISPOR, the professional society for health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), is an international, multistakeholder, nonprofit dedicated to advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally. The Society is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and MEDLINE®-indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the field.
    Website  | LinkedIn  | Twitter (@ispororg)  |  YouTube  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  

    ABOUT VALUE IN HEALTH
    Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) is an international, indexed journal that publishes original research and health policy articles that advance the field of health economics and outcomes research to help healthcare leaders make evidence-based decisions. The journal’s 2021 impact factor score is 5.101 and its 5-year impact factor score is 6.747. Value in Health is ranked 5th of 87 journals in health policy and services, 7th of 102 journals in healthcare sciences and services, and 19th of 371 journals in economics. Value in Health is a monthly publication that circulates to more than 10,000 readers around the world.
    Website | Twitter (@isporjournals) 

    ABOUT ISPOR GOOD PRACTICES REPORTS
    ISPOR has earned an international reputation for research excellence based, in part, on its Good Practices Reports. These highly cited reports are expert consensus recommendations on good practice standards for outcomes research (clinical, economic, and patient-reported outcomes) and on the use of this research in healthcare decision making. ISPOR Task Forces comprise subject matter experts representing different stakeholders from diverse work environments (ie, regulators, payers, manufacturers, technology assessors, etc from research, government, academic, and industry sectors around the world). All ISPOR Good Practices Reports are published in the Society’s scientific journal, Value in Health, and are made freely available as part of the Society’s mission. The Society’s Good Practices Reports have been recognized with an ASAE “Power of A” award that acknowledges innovative, effective, and broad-reaching programs that have a positive impact on the world.

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    ISPOR–The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research

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  • Mobile Network Data, an Efficient Method for Assessing the Spread of Epidemics

    Mobile Network Data, an Efficient Method for Assessing the Spread of Epidemics

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    Newswise — The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 forced governments around the world to take measures to prevent its spread among the population and, thus, reduce the number of fatalities as a result of the virus. A few months later, as mobility restrictions and confinements were gradually lifted, states decided to launch tracking apps that citizens could download to their cell phones to find out if nearby contacts were infected with COVID. However, for these apps to be truly effective they require a large number of people to have them installed on their devices, and they also involve certain privacy risks.

    Now an IMDEA Networks research team led by Elisa Cabana (Postdoc researcher) and Nikolaos Laoutaris (Research Professor), in collaboration with Andra Lutu (Teléfonica Research) and Enrique Frías-Martínez (Camilo José Cela University), has carried out a study in which they propose a method that uses mobile network data to detect possible hospitalizations due to COVID-19 and obtain the corresponding epidemic risk maps. The paper “Improving epidemic risk maps using mobility information from mobile network data” will be published at the ACM SIGSPATIAL conference in November 2022.

    Cabana explains that the main advantage of the proposed solution is that, unlike Contact Tracing, “the data is already available at the operator and progress is faster. You don’t need to have GPS enabled and an application downloaded.” “When you have mobile data connected, your device connects to a cell tower that identifies your location radius. And that’s how you study the spatio-temporal mobility of people,” she adds. Another plus point is that the method works with anonymized data and can be run on the operator’s premises under its standard security provisions.

    According to Laoutaris, the method works as follows: “We check the location of a phone late at night and if it is not connected to the usual phone towers it was connected to in the pre-pandemic era, we see if it was connected to a tower near a hospital that is receiving COVID patients. If it does, the person who owns the cell phone is labeled as potentially hospitalized. The method also includes filters to eliminate false positives, such as people who live near or work in hospitals.

    As indicated in their study, mobile network data can be exploited to understand the dynamics of urban mobility and its impact on the spread of contagious diseases such as cholera, and also to predict the risk of viruses such as dengue, Zika or malaria, or other new ones that may emerge in the future.

    The team has applied their methods to an anonymized dataset of more than 2 million cell phones, collected by a mobile network provider located in London, UK, during the months of March and April 2020. They have concluded that this method yields a 98.6% agreement with public records of patients admitted to National Health Service (NHS) hospitals.

    Phases of the data collection process

    In the first phase, the research group describes the algorithm for detecting possible COVID hospitalizations from the mobile network data, as well as the parameters involved. The second phase consists of validating these data by checking the cases reported by London hospitals to the National Health Service and comparing them with those obtained with the proposed method. Finally, in the third phase, they analyze the mobility pattern of each person detected as hospitalized during the two weeks prior to their hospitalization day. With this information, they obtain dynamic and detailed risk maps that change over time and thus more accurately capture the distribution, evolution and intensity of the disease.

    Compared to census-based maps, their risk maps indicate that the areas at highest risk are not necessarily the most densely populated and can change from day to day. In addition, they have observed that hospitalized people tend to have a higher average mobility than non-hospitalized people.

    Elisa Cabana stresses that the most relevant result of her research is precisely the risk maps, since they not only allow the evolution of an epidemic to be visually analyzed, but can also be very beneficial for different sectors of society. “At the individual level, representing each area with a more or less intense color, which can vary over time, depending on a risk measure, is useful because it can help people to take additional protective measures, at each time and place. For emergency teams and decision-makers, it would help to assess the level of stress in the health system, as well as the severity and intensity of spread, and the advantages or disadvantages of certain decisions (use of masks, quarantine, vaccination). In general, the spatio-temporal information extracted from mobile network data, and the tools we develop with that information, can benefit both individuals and the policies and important decisions being developed against existing and future epidemics,” she concludes.

    E. Cabana, A. Lutu, E. Frias-Martinez, N. Laoutaris, “Improving Epidemic Risk Maps Using Mobility Information from Mobile Network Data,” ACM SIGSPATIAL’22.(extended abstract, full versionat SpatialEpi’22 workshop).

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  • ACP says Federal Government Needs to Improve Health Support for Indigenous Communities

    ACP says Federal Government Needs to Improve Health Support for Indigenous Communities

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    ACP says Federal Government Needs to Improve Health Support for Indigenous Communities 

    Abstract: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-1891  

    URL goes live when the embargo lifts    

    Indigenous populations continue to suffer significant barriers and disparities in health care, due in part to the federal government failing to provide adequate health support and services for these communities, says the American College of Physicians (ACP) in a new position paper. ACP says that policymakers have an obligation to fulfill the federal trust responsibility to provide equitable health care and other services to Indigenous populations in the U.S., including sufficient financial resources to support their care. The full policy paper is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.  

    In recent years, Indigenous populations have experienced high rates of chronic diseases, death due to unintentional and intentional injuries, and infant mortality. These disparities have arisen in-part from the historical trauma associated with decades of racism, discrimination, and violence; subsequent poor social drivers of health; the degradation of Indigenous traditions, culture, and society; and inadequate access to and chronic insufficient funding of health care services for Indigenous populations.  

    ACP offers several recommendations for public policymakers at the federal level to strengthen the health and well-being of Indigenous populations in a manner that reflects the need for self-determination and collaboration while ensuring federal obligations are met. Specifically, ACP believes: 

    • Increased funding is needed for health services for Indigenous people, particularly given the identified disparities and inequities in federal funding.  
    • Community-driven public policy, developed under the leadership of Indigenous leaders is necessary to remedy the injustices, disparities, and inequities experienced by Indigenous individuals and communities.   
    • Improved support is needed to prioritize health and wellness promotion, chronic disease prevention, and other public health interventions addressing morbidities with high incidence in Indigenous communities; and that policy makers must team with Indigenous leaders to address the full range of underlying social drivers of health associated with disproportionately high rates of poverty experienced by Indigenous communities.   
    • A multidisciplinary approach, developed by Indigenous populations in collaboration with other experts in the field, is necessary to implement culturally appropriate interventions to address the underlying drivers that exacerbate physical, mental, and behavioral health issues and contribute to catastrophic rates of suicide in Indigenous communities.   
    • Community-driven collaboration is needed among relevant governments, agencies, and Indigenous leaders to develop plans to mitigate the high rates of violence experienced in Indigenous populations. ACP also supports actions to increase Indigenous representation in medical school student bodies and the medical workforce. 

     

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  • WSJ News Exclusive | Bio-Rad Laboratories in Talks to Combine With Qiagen

    WSJ News Exclusive | Bio-Rad Laboratories in Talks to Combine With Qiagen

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    Bio-Rad Laboratories is in talks to combine with fellow life-sciences company Qiagen NV in a deal that would be worth more than $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

    The talks have been going on for a while but any agreement isn’t likely for another few weeks or more—and there may not be one.

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  • Social Media Influencer Gigi Robinson to Deliver Keynote at the Autoimmune Community Summit

    Social Media Influencer Gigi Robinson to Deliver Keynote at the Autoimmune Community Summit

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    Newswise — The Autoimmune Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to autoimmune awareness, advocacy, education, and research, is partnering with Gigi Robinson, a Gen Z patient advocate and creator economy thought leader. Gigi will deliver a lunch keynote session at the Autoimmune Association’s annual Autoimmune Community Summit taking place virtually October 21-22, 2022.

    “I am super excited to be talking to such an amazing community of people looking to learn more and find new ways to navigate living life with chronic conditions,” Gigi said.

    When she was just 11 years old, Gigi was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder, that leaves her very susceptible to injury. She has used her chronic illness as fuel for her passion for advocacy. Along with chronic illness advocacy, Gigi is also extremely passionate about mental health and body image. Having suffered from both in her teenage years, she strives to be a role model for the next generation, speaking directly to them via social media, podcasts, as well as numerous panels at colleges, high schools, and multiple nonprofits organization seminars.

    The Autoimmune Community Summit, presented by the Autoimmune Association, is a virtual, free, two-day event designed for patients and care partners featuring educational and empowering sessions led by autoimmune experts including physicians, nurses, policy experts and of course, patient advocates. Attendees will hear about the most pressing topics that impact the autoimmune community, including clinical trials, health equity, access, complementary medicine, nutrition, coping mechanisms, medical and personal relationships, and more.

    In her keynote, Gigi will discuss living life with a chronic illness, crucial communication skills, and mindset shifts that will inspire attendees to have a newfound perspective on their conditions.

    Autoimmune diseases – comprising approximately 100 unique, chronic conditions – affects as many as 50 million Americans. These diseases include well-known conditions such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as others that are rare and difficult to diagnose.

    “We are thrilled that Gigi is joining us for the Autoimmune Community Summit. She brings a unique perspective that will inspire and empower others living with chronic illness,” said Molly Murray, Autoimmune Association president and CEO. “As a social media influencer popular among the Gen Z population, Gigi will offer fresh insights and help create connections among the diverse autoimmune community.”

     

    The full agenda, speaker information, session descriptions, and registration for the Autoimmune Community Summit can be found at go.autoimmune.org/AiCommunitySummit2022.

     

    About The Autoimmune Association

    The Autoimmune Association leads the fight against autoimmune disease by collaborating to improve healthcare, advance research, and support the community through every step of the journey. For more information about the Autoimmune Association, please visit autoimmune.org and connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

     

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  • American Urological Association Names Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA Inaugural Chief Diversity Officer and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair

    American Urological Association Names Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA Inaugural Chief Diversity Officer and Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair

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    Newswise — MAYWOOD, IL – The American Urological Association (AUA) has named Larissa Bresler, MD, DABMA, department of urology at Loyola University Medical Center, as their inaugural chief diversity officer and diversity & inclusion committee chair. Dr. Bresler began her three-year term on August 1, 2022.

    The AUA first formed a Diversity & Inclusion Task Force in December 2020, and its final report to the board in February 2022 resulted in the establishment of the AUA Diversity & Inclusion Committee. As its inaugural chair, Dr. Bresler will advise the Board of Directors on vision, strategy, and implementation of diversity initiatives in line with the Task Force’s recommendation. Her responsibilities include identifying and advising on potential solutions to meet diversity gaps, the implementation of diversity initiatives, and methods to recruit, support and retain diverse AUA leaders and volunteers.

    “I have championed diversity throughout my career and strive to build a legacy paving the road for others, identifying a need or gap in opportunities for URM [underrepresented minority] groups, LGBTQ+ persons and women, and closing that gap by pioneering novel initiatives,” said Dr. Bresler. “I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and other AUA leaders to shape D&I priorities and initiatives for the AUA and our profession.”

    Among her many plans for the diversity & inclusion committee, Dr. Bresler is particularly excited to create mentorship opportunities for underrepresented minority groups in urology. She also hopes to promote and improve transparency around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts at each step of AUA leadership and award process in addition to expanding and highlighting DEI and healthcare disparities efforts in annual meeting agendas. The committee will be working with the AUA leadership to present a newly created DEI award to recognize workplaces that exemplify DEI efforts as well as increasing access for physicians and patients. Steps such as these will help ensure that the AUA is making an active effort towards diversity and inclusion at every level.

    Dr. Bresler has championed DEI for her entire career, spanning over 20 years. She first got involved in advocacy work through volunteering in the LGBTQ+ community as well as providing prostate cancer screenings in predominantly African American communities on the south side of Chicago during her residency under the direction of Robert Flanigan, MD, department of urology at Loyola University Medical Center.  An active member of the AUA since 2003, Dr. Bresler has a proven track record of advancing DEI and education initiatives in various leadership positions. Nationally, she sat on the Federal Women’s Task Force that helps promote equity and inclusion for federal workers and she recently completed her term as senior editor and consultant of Urology Basics and Core Topics with the AUA’s Core Curriculum Committee. She has participated on the AUA’s Practice Guidelines Committee. Dr. Bresler is also a member of the North Central Section (NCS) of the AUA’s Board of Directors, Long Range Planning and Education Committees and chairs the NCS Women in Urology Committee. She is also serving as a first woman president of the Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation (MARF) and sits on the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture board of directors.  Locally, she has championed diversity initiatives as the President of the Chicago Urological Society.

    Dr. Bresler is an associate professor of urology, obstetrics and gynecology at the Loyola University Medical Center. She obtained her MD from Oregon Health and Sciences University where she was inducted into the AOA honor society, and completed her urology residency at Loyola University Medical Center and completed the AUA leadership program in 2019. Dr. Bresler is a board certified physician-acupuncturist as well as a resiliency and wellness coach. She has published more than 50 articles and book chapters and has received numerous honors and awards, including multiple teaching awards, the Best of AUA (Female Urology) and Illinois Magazine’s Top Urologist 2021-2022.

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    About Loyola Medicine

    Loyola Medicine, a member of Trinity Health, is a nationally ranked academic, quaternary care system based in Chicago’s western suburbs. The three-hospital system includes Loyola University Medical Center, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, MacNeal Hospital, as well as convenient locations offering primary care, specialty care and immediate care services from more than 1,500 physicians throughout Cook, Will and DuPage counties. Loyola is a 547-licensed-bed hospital in Maywood that includes the William G. and Mary A. Ryan Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine, the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, a Level 1 trauma center, Illinois’s largest burn center, a certified comprehensive stroke center and a children’s hospital. Having delivered compassionate care for over 50 years, Loyola also trains the next generation of caregivers through its academic affiliation with Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine and Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing. Established in 1961, Gottlieb is a 247-licensed-bed community hospital in Melrose Park with the Judd A. Weinberg Emergency Department, the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care and the Loyola Cancer Care & Research Facility at the Marjorie G. Weinberg Cancer Center. MacNeal is a 374-licensed-bed teaching hospital in Berwyn with advanced medical, surgical and psychiatric services, acute rehabilitation, an inpatient skilled nursing facility and a 68-bed behavioral health program and community clinics.

    For more information, visit loyolamedicine.org. You can also follow Loyola Medicine on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

    About Trinity Health

    Trinity Health is one of the largest not-for-profit, Catholic health care systems in the nation. It is a family of 115,000 colleagues and nearly 26,000 physicians and clinicians caring for diverse communities across 25 states. Nationally recognized for care and experience, the Trinity Health system includes 88 hospitals, 131 continuing care locations, the second largest PACE program in the country, 125 urgent care locations and many other health and well-being services. Based in Livonia, Michigan, its annual operating revenue is $20.2 billion with $1.2 billion returned to its communities in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.

    For more information, visit www.trinity-health.org or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

     

     

     

     

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  • Jersey Shore University Medical Center Adds Advanced Technology to Detect Movement Disorders

    Jersey Shore University Medical Center Adds Advanced Technology to Detect Movement Disorders

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    Newswise — Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center Neuroscience Institute recently added a new, state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging system to its Nuclear Medicine program.  GE Healthcare’s DaTscantm camera is one of the most advanced diagnostic imaging technologies available, utilizing single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to visualize dopamine transporter levels in the brain.  It enables clinicians to view the brain with exceptional clarity while using a low dose of radiation.

    “In Parkinson’s Disease, there is a steady loss of dopamine transporters in the brain. Dopamine transporters (DaT) mediate the flow of the neurotransmitter dopamine between nerve cells,” said Alan Colicchio, M.D., chair of Neurology, Jersey Shore University Medical Center and medical director, Neuroscience Care Transformation Service, Hackensack Meridian Health, Southern Market.  “The loss of DaT disrupts the communication between nerve cells and the transport of information from the brain to the muscles causing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.” 

    “DaTscan enables us to understand dopamine metabolism deep in the brain, which may help to diagnose certain neurologic diseases,” said Shabbar F. Danish, M.D., FAANS, chair of Neurosurgery, Jersey Shore University Medical Center.  “It’s a great tool for our clinicians and a gamechanger for the care of our patients.”

    Dr. Danish leads the Surgical Movement Disorder Program at the academic medical center.  Movement disorders refer to a group of neurological conditions that cause abnormal, increased or reduced body movements that are typically involuntary.  Three of the major disorders are Parkinson’s Disease, Essential Tremors, and Dystonia.  The program’s multidisciplinary team of experts, including neurologists, nurse practitioners, neuropsychologists, and neuro rehabilitation specialists provide an array of medical and surgical treatments to specifically address and manage movement disorders.  They include complex medical management, Botulinum Treatment, deep brain stimulation (DBS), MRI-guided laser therapy, physical, occupational and speech therapy and nutrition counseling.

    “This is a great example of how we arm all our clinical specialists with the tools and resources they need to provide our patients with the best care and treatments,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive, Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

    The Neuroscience Institute provides patients with a comprehensive lineup of services for spine injuries, concussion, epilepsy, MS, ALS, brain tumors, memory, and more, as well as the region’s only Stroke Rescue Center.  Jersey Shore University Medical Center was recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care and with Neuroscience Excellence Awards in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as well as the new Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award in 2022.

    “We continue to expand our Neuroscience Institute with new patient services, advanced technology and highly specialized clinicians, as well as finalize construction of a new centralized and exceedingly patient-accessible location at Jersey Shore for many of our neuroscience services,” said Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, Southern Market, Hackensack Meridian Health.

    To make an appointment with the Movement Disorders Program specialists in Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s HOPE Tower, 19 Davis Ave., Neptune, NJ, call 732-974-0003.  For more information, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/Services/Neurosciences/Parkinsons-Movement-Disorders.

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  • 21 dividend stocks yielding 5% or more of companies that will produce plenty of cash in 2023

    21 dividend stocks yielding 5% or more of companies that will produce plenty of cash in 2023

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    When the stock market has jumped two days in a row, as it has now, it is easy to become complacent.

    But the Federal Reserve isn’t finished raising interest rates, and recession talk abounds. Stock investors aren’t out of the woods yet. That can make dividend stocks attractive if the yields are high and the companies produce more cash flow than they need to cover the payouts.

    Below is a list of 21 stocks drawn from the S&P Composite 1500 Index
    SP1500,
    +3.12%
    that appear to fit the bill. The S&P Composite 1500 is made up of the S&P 500
    SPX,
    +3.06%    ,
    the S&P 400 Mid Cap Index
    MID,
    +3.18%
    and the S&P Small Cap 600 Index
    SML,
    +3.80%    .

    The purpose of the list is to provide a starting point for further research. These stocks may be appropriate for you if you are looking for income, but you should do your own assessment to form your own opinion about a company’s ability to remain competitive over the next decade.

    Cash flow is key

    One way to measure a company’s ability to pay dividends is to look at its free cash flow yield. Free cash flow is remaining cash flow after planned capital expenditures. This money can be used to pay for dividends, buy back shares (which can raise earnings and cash flow per share), or fund acquisitions, organic expansion or for other corporate purposes.

    If we divide a company’s estimated annual free cash flow per share by its current share price, we have its estimated free cash flow yield. If we compare the free cash flow yield to the current dividend yield, we may see “headroom” for cash to be deployed in ways that can benefit shareholders.

    For this screen, we began with the S&P Composite 1500, then narrowed the list as follows:

    • Dividend yield of at least 5.00%.

    • Consensus free cash flow estimate available for calendar 2023, among at least five analysts polled by FactSet. We used calendar-year estimates, even though fiscal years for many companies don’t match the calendar.

    • Estimated 2023 free cash flow yield of at least double the current dividend yield.

    For real-estate investment trusts, dividend-paying ability is measured by funds from operations (FFO), a non-GAAP figure that adds depreciation and amortization back to earnings. Adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) takes this a step further, subtracting cash expected to be used to maintain properties. So for the two REITs on the list, the FCF yield column makes use of AFFO.

    For many companies in the financial sector, especially banks and insurers, free cash flow figures aren’t available, so the screen made use of earnings-per-share estimates. These are generally considered to run close to actual cash flow for these heavily regulated industries.

    Here are the 21 companies that passed the screen, with dividend yields of at least 5% and estimated 2023 FCF yields at least twice the current payout. They are sorted by dividend yield:

    Company

    		 Ticker

    		 Type

    		 Dividend yield

    		 Estimated 2023 FCF yield

    		 Estimated “headroom”
    Uniti Group Inc.

    		 UNIT,
    +7.36%         		Real-Estate Investment Trusts

    		 8.33%

    		 25.25%

    		 16.92%
    Hanesbrands Inc.

    		 HBI,
    +5.56%         		Apparel/ Footwear

    		 8.33%

    		 17.29%

    		 8.96%
    Kohl’s Corp.

    		 KSS,
    +5.80%         		Department Stores

    		 7.68%

    		 16.72%

    		 9.04%
    Rent-A-Center Inc.

    		 RCII,
    +10.40%         		Finance/ Rental/ Leasing

    		 7.52%

    		 17.26%

    		 9.73%
    Macerich Co.

    		 MAC,
    +8.18%         		Real-Estate Investment Trusts

    		 7.43%

    		 18.04%

    		 10.60%
    Devon Energy Corp.

    		 DVN,
    +5.72%         		Oil & Gas Production

    		 7.13%

    		 14.47%

    		 7.33%
    AT&T Inc.

    		 T,
    +1.19%         		Major Telecommunications

    		 6.98%

    		 14.82%

    		 7.84%
    Newell Brands Inc.

    		 NWL,
    +5.16%         		Industrial Conglomerates

    		 6.59%

    		 17.42%

    		 10.82%
    Dow Inc.

    		 DOW,
    +2.96%         		Chemicals

    		 6.18%

    		 15.63%

    		 9.45%
    LyondellBasell Industries NV

    		 LYB,
    +3.64%         		Chemicals

    		 6.09%

    		 16.07%

    		 9.99%
    Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. Class A

    		 SMG,
    +5.01%         		Chemicals

    		 6.04%

    		 12.68%

    		 6.65%
    Diamondback Energy Inc.

    		 FANG,
    +5.23%         		Oil & Gas Production

    		 5.56%

    		 13.63%

    		 8.08%
    Best Buy Co. Inc.

    		 BBY,
    +5.86%         		Electronics/ Appliance Stores

    		 5.53%

    		 14.08%

    		 8.55%
    Viatris Inc.

    		 VTRS,
    +5.62%         		Pharmaceuticals

    		 5.50%

    		 28.95%

    		 23.45%
    Prudential Financial Inc.

    		 PRU,
    +5.66%         		Life/ Health Insurance

    		 5.38%

    		 13.30%

    		 7.91%
    Ford Motor Co.

    		 F,
    +7.76%         		Motor Vehicles

    		 5.23%

    		 15.95%

    		 10.72%
    Invesco Ltd.

    		 IVZ,
    +6.76%         		Investment Managers

    		 5.23%

    		 14.95%

    		 9.73%
    Franklin Resources Inc.

    		 BEN,
    +4.37%         		Investment Managers

    		 5.17%

    		 13.21%

    		 8.04%
    Kontoor Brands Inc.

    		 KTB,
    +0.73%         		Apparel/ Footwear

    		 5.17%

    		 14.15%

    		 8.98%
    Seagate Technology Holdings PLC

    		 STX,
    +4.09%         		Computer Peripherals

    		 5.11%

    		 13.19%

    		 8.07%
    Foot Locker Inc.

    		 FL,
    +1.35%         		Apparel/ Footwear Retail

    		 5.03%

    		 15.52%

    		 10.49%
    Source: FactSet

    Any stock screen has its limitations. If you are interested in stocks listed here, it is best to do your own research, and it is easy to get started by clicking the tickers in the table for more information about each company. Click here for Tomi Kilgore’s detailed guide to the wealth of information for free on the MarketWatch quote page.

    For the “estimated FCF yields,” consensus free cash flow estimates for calendar 2023 were used for all companies except the following:

    Don’t miss: Dividend yields on preferred stocks have soared. This is how to pick the best ones for your portfolio.

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  • Endocrine Society experts recommend individualized approach to use of telehealth

    Endocrine Society experts recommend individualized approach to use of telehealth

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    Newswise — WASHINGTON—Following rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth visits are expected to remain an important part of endocrine care, according to a new Endocrine Society policy perspective published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

    Health care providers need to consider a variety of factors when determining which type of visit best serves an individual patient’s needs at a given moment. For many patients, scheduling a mixture of in-person and telehealth visits can make medical care more convenient and effective.

    “Clinicians will need to draw upon their own knowledge of each patient and their clinical goals to decide when to incorporate telehealth into their care,” said Varsha G. Vimalananda, M.D., M.P.H., of VA Bedford Healthcare System in Bedford, Mass., and Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, Mass. She is the policy perspective’s first author. “Telehealth visits can be considered as an option each time we schedule an appointment. Patient preference should be elicited, and decisions guided by weighing the factors we describe in the perspective piece.”

    The policy perspective explores five aspects of care that determine when telehealth is appropriate, including:

    • Clinical factors, including whether an in-person physical exam or assessment is needed;
    • Patient factors, such as geographic distance to the clinic, access to transportation, work and family obligations, and comfort level with technology;
    • The patient-clinician relationship;
    • The clinician’s physical surroundings and personal circumstances; and
    • Availability of infrastructure needed to provide quality telehealth services.

    Telehealth can be a valuable component of an individualized care plan. Health care providers and patients should discuss how telehealth fits into care as they develop a care plan together, the policy perspective recommended.

    Telehealth can play an important role in reducing disparities in health care access. Telehealth appointments can make it easier for patients facing barriers such as travel, cost, mobility, mental health, and work or caregiver responsibilities to access the medical care they need.

    Other authors of this study include: Juan P. Brito, M.D., M.S., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.; Leslie A. Eiland, M.D., of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb.; Rayhan A. Lal, M.D., of Stanford University in Stanford, Calif.; Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., M.S., of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark., VA Central Arkansas Healthcare System, Little Rock, Ark., and the Mayo Clinic; Marie E. McDonnell, M.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass., and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass.; Radhika Narla, M.D., of the University of Washington in Seattle, Wash., and VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Wash.; Mara Y. Roth, M.D., of the University of Washington; and Stephanie S. Crossen, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of California Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, Calif.

    The manuscript, “Appropriate Use of Telehealth Visits in Endocrinology: Perspective Statement of the Endocrine Society,” was published online, ahead of print.

    # # #

    Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

    The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.

     

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  • ISPOR Europe 2022 Plenaries and Speakers Announced

    ISPOR Europe 2022 Plenaries and Speakers Announced

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    Newswise — Lawrenceville, NJ, USA—October 4, 2022—ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research announced today its plenary sessions and speakers for its ISPOR Europe 2022 conference. The conference will be held 6-9 November in Vienna, Austria and focused on the theme, “Collaborating Across Borders: Building and Using Evidence to Enable Access.” The conference theme is especially timely, as the new Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation in the European Union has spurred conversations about how different countries, regions, or even cities, can work together in a variety of outcomes research methods. Conference registration options include in-person as well as virtual attendance.

    Plenary sessions and speakers for the conference are outlined below. Speakers listed are confirmed with additional speakers added to the online program as they are confirmed. 

    Plenary 1—Monday, 7 November:
    The Convergence of HTA and Regulation: A New HTA Reality and Collaboration with Regulatory Agencies
    The new HTA regulation in Europe is expected to have a more systematic and synergic collaboration with regulatory agencies. This session will explore how the different activities and remits of both regulatory and HTA assessment can be optimized. Confirmed speakers currently include:

    • Moderator: Rui Santos Ivo; INFARMED; Lisbon, Portugal
    • Marcus Guardian, MBA; EUnetHTA; Diemen, Netherlands 

    Plenary 2—Tuesday, 8 November:
    Patient-Centered Research in the Real World: Possible Across Borders?
    This session will discuss advances and lessons learned for reliably capturing patient-centric data and whether doing so across borders is realistic to aid in effectiveness evaluation of new medicines. Confirmed speakers currently include:

    • Moderator: Tara Symonds, PhD; Clinical Outcomes Solutions Ltd; Folkestone, England, UK
    • Nancy Devlin, PhD; University of Melbourne; Melbourne, Australia
    • Eleanor M. Perfetto, PhD, RPh, MS; University of Maryland; Baltimore, MD, USA

    Plenary 3—Wednesday, 9 November:
    Innovative Methods for Integrating Data Across Outcomes and Borders
    The volume, granularity, and heterogeneity of real-world evidence have been growing exponentially as technology platforms provided new opportunities to access, link, and integrate these data and use them for outcomes research and regulatory purposes. This session will examine innovative study designs to derive comparative effectiveness when randomized controlled trials cannot be performed. Confirmed speakers currently include:

    • Moderator: Uwe Siebert, MD, MPH, MSc, ScD; UMIT – University for Health Sciences; Hall in Tirol, Austria
    • Peter Arlett, MBBS (MD); European Medicines Agency; Amsterdam, Netherlands 

    The ISPOR Short Course Program for HEOR training and education will also be offered on 6 November at ISPOR Europe 2022.

    ISPOR is recognized globally as the leading professional society for health economics and outcomes research and for its role in improving healthcare decisions. ISPOR Europe 2022 draws healthcare stakeholders with an interest in HEOR, including researchers and academicians, assessors and regulators, payers and policymakers, the life sciences industry, healthcare providers, and patient engagement organizations.

    Additional information on the conference can be found at:
    Conference Information  |  Program  | Short Courses  |  Press  |  Exhibits & Sponsorship

    ###

     

    ABOUT ISPOR
    ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), is an international, multistakeholder, nonprofit dedicated to advancing HEOR excellence to improve decision making for health globally. The Society is the leading source for scientific conferences, peer-reviewed and MEDLINE®-indexed publications, good practices guidance, education, collaboration, and tools/resources in the field.
    Website  | LinkedIn  | Twitter (@ispororg)  |  YouTube  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  

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  • Study casts doubt on routine use of anesthesiologists in cataract surgery

    Study casts doubt on routine use of anesthesiologists in cataract surgery

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    Newswise — Ophthalmologists may be able to safely cut back on having anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists routinely at bedside during cataract surgery, which accounts for more than two million surgeries per year in the U.S., according to a study publishing Oct. 3 in JAMA Internal Medicine. 

    A team of researchers from UC San Francisco examined Medicare claims for 36,652 patients who had cataract surgery in 2017 and found the use of anesthesia care was substantially higher for cataract surgery when compared to patients undergoing other elective, low-risk outpatient procedures—such as cardiac catheterization or screening colonoscopy. However, they found that these patients experienced fewer systemic complications—such as myocardial infarction or stroke—than did patients undergoing the other low-risk procedures.  These results held true even in cases where anesthesia experts were not present for the cataract surgery, suggesting that for many cataract patients, it may be reasonable to consider doing the procedure without routine anesthesia support.

    “It’s important to note we only looked at systemic complications and not ophthalmologic outcomes from the procedure,” noted senior study author Catherine Chen, MD, MPH, UCSF associate professor in  Anesthesia and Perioperative Care and researcher at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. “We are evaluating those next, but it would be premature to say we should change practice now based on this study. Hopefully we can get a conversation going, though.” 

    Some type of anesthetic and possibly sedation is needed for cataract surgery, Chen noted, but the question is who should be present for administration and intraoperative monitoring of these patients. In the past, cataract surgery carried a much higher risk of complications, which helps explain the historic and legacy use of anesthesiologists and/or certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA). 

     “The risk of the procedure itself used to require general anesthesia with paralysis and inpatient admission. Over time, ophthalmologists improved their technique so it [cataract surgery] is much safer and can be done on an outpatient basis,” said Chen. “Often the patient just needs a topical anesthetic such as numbing drops in the eyeball, and, at UCSF anyway, a little fentanyl and midazolam, which are agents a sedation nurse can administer safely.”

    A Question of Resources

    The study found that, for cataract surgery, 90% of U.S. Medicare patients have an anesthesia provider at the bedside compared to a range of <1% to 70% at bedside for other low-risk elective procedures. In contrast, fewer cataract surgery patients experienced systemic complications within seven days (7.7%) than patients undergoing other low-risk procedures (range, 13% to 52%).  

    Approximately 6% of ophthalmologists never used anesthesia providers, 77% always used anesthesia providers, and 17% used them for only a subset of patients. Patients of those ophthalmologists who never used anesthesia providers had a 7.4% rate of systemic complications. 

    There is no specific guidance from professional associations on whether to include an anesthesia expert during cataract surgery, but other countries do not routinely use them, to no ill effect, Chen noted. 

    With U.S. anesthesiologists being asked to staff an increasing number of non-OR procedures, such as endoscopic or interventional radiology procedures where patients tend to be much sicker and the procedure potentially more invasive, there often aren’t enough of these specialists go around, Chen said. 

    “Add to this a general shortage of anesthesiologists since COVID, and it’s clear we need to ensure staff resources are used efficiently,” said Chen.

    In an upcoming study, Chen and her colleagues will look at both systemic and ophthalmologic outcomes stratified by whether patients received care from an anesthesia provider during cataract surgery. While the current study used a sample of 5% of Medicare claims, the upcoming study will use 20% of claims. 

    “It’s certainly possible that by having an anesthesiologist there, the patients are calmer and possibly less likely to move, and so the ophthalmologic outcomes could be better—so we are working on those studies now,” Chen said. “Where I think where we could end up, when the results are in, is that instead of automatically defaulting to include an anesthesiologist, we stratify patients by risk so that their level of sedation and anesthesia support matches their likelihood of complications.”

    Co-authors and funding: Please see paper for additional co-authors and funding disclosures.

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    University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

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  • October 2022 Issue of Neurosurgical Focus: Video: “Flow Diversion for Cerebral Aneurysms”

    October 2022 Issue of Neurosurgical Focus: Video: “Flow Diversion for Cerebral Aneurysms”

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    October 2022 Issue of Neurosurgical Focus: Video: “Flow Diversion for Cerebral Aneurysms”

    Rolling Meadows, IL (October 1, 2022). The October issue of Neurosurgical Focus (Vol. 7, No. 2 [https://thejns.org/video/view/journals/neurosurg-focus-video/7/2/neurosurg-focus-video.7.issue-2.xml]) presents 8 articles discussing flow diversion for cerebral aneurysms.

    Topic Editors: Peter T. Kan, Elad I. Levy, Felipe C. Albuquerque, and Mandy Jo Binning     

    Noting that “flow diversion represents a major advancement in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms,” in this issue of Neurosurgical Focus: Video, the Topic Editors present videos representing a “spectrum of cases” involving flow diversion for a variety of aneurysm treatment experiences.

     

    Contents of the October issue: 

    • “Introduction. Flow diversion for cerebral aneurysms” by Peter T. Kan et al.
    • “Flow diversion for cerebral aneurysms” by Joseph A. Carnevale et al.
    • “Challenging access during flow diversion treatment of a giant cavernous ICA aneurysm” by Visish M. Srinivasan et al.
    • “FRED flow diversion with LVIS protection of large posterior communicating artery aneurysm: the “FRELVIS” technique” by Steven B. Housley et al.
    • “Treatment of an acutely ruptured complex fusiform middle cerebral artery aneurysm with flow diverting stenting and adjunctive coil embolization” by Guilherme Barros and Michael R. Levitt
    • “Treatment of a ruptured blister aneurysm of the left internal carotid artery with telescoping Pipeline Flex embolization devices with Shield Technology” by Karol P. Budohoski et al.
    • “Combined deconstructive and reconstructive treatment of a giant vertebrobasilar fenestration aneurysm” by Lorenzo Rinaldo et al.
    • “Woven EndoBridge embolization in the retreatment of basilar apex aneurysm” by Jae Eun Lee et al.
    • “Flow diversion of a dissecting PICA aneurysm” by Tyler Lazaro et al.

     Please join us in viewing the videos in this month’s issue of Neurosurgical Focus: Video.

     ***

    Embargoed Article Access and Author/Expert Interviews: Contact JNSPG Director of Publications Gillian Shasby at [email protected] for advance access and to arrange interviews with the authors and external experts who can provide context for this research.

     ###

    The global leader for cutting-edge neurosurgery research for more than 75 years, the Journal of Neurosurgery (www.thejns.org) is the official journal of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) representing over 12,000 members worldwide (www.AANS.org).

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  • Health, care and social services should be designed to be sensitive to people’s shame, experts urge

    Health, care and social services should be designed to be sensitive to people’s shame, experts urge

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    Newswise — Health, care and social services should be designed to be more sensitive to the shame felt by their clients, patients and service users, experts have said. Using a ‘shame lens’ can transform interactions between professionals and those they work with, according to a new study.

    The research says being more aware of the impact of shame will help doctors and other care professionals manage interactions and relationships with more empathy, humanity and sensitivity. This is particularly relevant for professionals working with trauma-informed approaches. Training care professionals to have “shame competence” would involve giving them a theoretical and practical understanding of what shame is, how it operates, how it is evoked, how it can be hidden, and understand the behaviours that are used to cope with shame.

    The study, published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, was conducted by Luna Dolezal, from the University of Exeter, and Matthew Gibson, from the University of Birmingham.

    Dr Dolezal said: “Not only is shame a barrier to accessing services, but it is also very easily exacerbated and incited in the context of seeking help from professionals. Interactions with care professionals can compound feelings of shame, as these interactions often involve unequal power relationships, a fear of being judged, the scrutiny and exposure of one’s potentially ‘shameful’ past, circumstances, coping behaviours, body, illnesses, along with other vulnerabilities.”

    Dr Gibson said: “Having the capacity, on the levels of policy, organizations and individual practitioners, to address shame directly is imperative considering the how impactful shame can be for those who have experienced trauma and post-traumatic states. Being attentive to shame, and acknowledging its significance for individuals, in health and social care contexts can improve both engagement and outcomes.

    “Using a ‘shame lens’ can help those who work with people to redesign services to be more sensitive and supportive, with the ultimate aim of avoiding additional trauma and harm.”

    The study says doctors, social workers and other care professionals should become aware of common verbal and nonverbal cues that may indicate shame. This includes physical tics such as covering the face, blushing and downcast eyes. They should also be aware of words people us instead of shame – self-conscious’, ‘embarrassed’, ‘foolish’, ‘worthless’, ‘inept’, ‘inferior’ and stammering, silence, long pauses.

    They must remain alert to, and continuously assess, how the language they use, their demeanour, questioning style, emotional expression and other interpersonal dynamics may inadvertently produce a shame response. Organizations must also continuously assess for implicit and explicit shaming, endeavouring to eliminate intentional or inadvertent shaming from their policies and practices.

     

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    University of Exeter

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  • Taking aim at triple-negative breast cancer and multiple myeloma to improve prognoses

    Taking aim at triple-negative breast cancer and multiple myeloma to improve prognoses

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    Newswise — Two Houston Methodist cancer researchers have been awarded a half million dollars in funding from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to further research two of the most lethal, difficult-to-treat cancers that all-too-often have poor prognoses.

    Jenny C. Chang, M.D., director of Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center and Emily Hermann Chair in Cancer Research, received a $250,000 grant to study the interaction between obesity and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

    Chang says TNBC, already the worst prognosis among the subtypes of breast cancer, has even worse outcomes in obese patients. These patients have a higher chance of resisting chemo and an increased risk of relapse and poorer survival. She says the reason is unclear, but evidence indicates it’s associated with chronic inflammation and that two essential players of chronic inflammation – tumor neutrophil infiltration and nitric oxide (NO) levels – have been identified to play pivotal roles in obesity-associated TNBC.

    Studies have shown that obesity reprograms the tumor microenvironment and that this reprograming is accompanied by increased nitric oxide levels that, along with infiltrating neutrophils, compromise vascular integrity and cause increased breast cancer metastasis. Chang and her team propose that NOS inhibition will reverse the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to enhance the efficacy of the current standard of care. Successful completion of their proposed work will provide an improved understanding of the role of the NOS inhibitors in TNBC and may define prognostic markers in obese TNBC patients at a higher risk of mortality, as well as help the design of successful clinical trials to enhance the appropriate selection of TNBC patients who would benefit from chemotherapy and/or immune checkpoint therapy.

    Jing Yang, Ph.D., an associate professor of oncology with the Houston Methodist Research Institute and member of the Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, received a $250,000 grant to study multiple myeloma, which is the second most common blood cancer, to improve the therapeutic efficacy and survival in these patients. Specifically, Yang and her team are looking at a novel FDA-approved monoclonal antibody treatment, daratumumab (DARA), that has shown to improve therapeutic efficacy when combined with other drugs, but falls short in patients with high-risk multiple myeloma who too often relapse or don’t respond to the treatment at all.

    Yang’s team believe they found a clue to better understand how multiple myeloma cells resist DARA and keep it from being effective. Using the largest public database for multiple myeloma patients, they examined tumor gene expression and patients’ best clinical response, which led them to identifying a protein called NHE6 that may be involved in multiple myeloma’s resistance to treatment with DARA. They found that the NHE6 protein is highly expressed in multiple myeloma cells, and its high expression is correlated with patients’ poorer prognoses, high-risk genetic features and multiple myeloma stage progression. Ultimately, these multiple myeloma cells with the high NHE6 level were less responsive to DARA.

    Yang and team’s plan is to investigate the role and mechanism by which NHE6 induces DARA resistance and develop NHE6 as a new target to improve DARA efficacy in murine models and patients. The knowledge gained from their study should uncover innovative insight into how multiple myeloma cells escape from DARA treatment. Given that DARA is an emerging compound used as standard care for multiple myeloma patients, they believe their new strategy of targeting NHE6 and developing an inhibitor to do so could significantly improve DARA-based multiple myeloma therapy outcomes.

     

    ———————–

    For more information:

    Targeting Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) pathway to remodel obesity induced tumor inflammation in patients with TNBC; Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas; awarded Sept. 14, 2022; $250,000 grant (RP220650); PI: Jenny C. Chang, M.D.; https://www.cprit.state.tx.us/grants-funded/grants/rp220650

     

    Targeting NHE6 to improve clinical efficacy of daratumumab in myeloma; Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas; awarded Sept. 14, 2022; $250,000 grant (RP220639); PI: Jing Yang, Ph.D.; https://www.cprit.state.tx.us/grants-funded/grants/rp220639

    ###

     

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  • The COVID pandemic is over? Not quite there, say scientists

    The COVID pandemic is over? Not quite there, say scientists

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    Newswise — In widely covered remarks during an interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley, President Biden claimed, “the pandemic is over.” Biden elaborated, adding, “we still have a problem with COVID, we’re still doing a lot of work on it, but the pandemic is over. If you noticed, no one’s wearing masks, everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it’s changing, and I think this is a perfect example of it.” 

    According to the Washington Post, Biden’s remarks caught some senior officials off guard, particularly since the U.S. government has started its fall vaccination campaign. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced more relaxed COVID-19 guidelines last month, the agency specifically said that the pandemic was not over in a press release issued on August 11th. Therefore, this statement has earned a rating of “Half True.”

    With the rollout of boosters of life-saving vaccines, new treatments, and a large population already infected, the U.S. is in a less vulnerable place than it was in 2020.  However, the death toll, while lower than before, is still at around 400 deaths per day from COVID-19 in the U.S. Many health experts say we’re not out of the woods yet.

    “Saying that the pandemic is over has much larger and more serious ramifications, it means we take away resources allocated by Congress and other agencies. We must be careful about saying it is over. We still need resources to continue vaccination and to address vaccine hesitancy.” says Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, DrPH, Founding Dean and Director of the UCI Program in Public Health.

    The end of masking restrictions and relaxing of other major guidelines has given many Americans a sense of moving on from the national health crisis that has festered for more than two years. Biden’s remarks, though perhaps an oversimplification, reflect national sentiment. However, COVID-19 is still very much evident in our U.S. population, and will likely continue for the foreseeable future. 

    “This is in great part due to human behaviors and motivations,” says Halkitis, “including subpar vaccination uptake, which continues to place all of us at risk for infection.” 

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    Newswise

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  • DrHouse Telehealth App Launches Zero Cost 24/7 Virtual Care Visits in New York

    DrHouse Telehealth App Launches Zero Cost 24/7 Virtual Care Visits in New York

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    The on-demand telehealth service will offer virtual urgent care, men’s and women’s health appointments at no cost to consumers, regardless of insurance status, for a limited time

    Press Release
    –

    Sep 12, 2022


    NEW YORK, September 12, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    DrHouse, a telehealth company providing on-demand urgent care, men’s health, and women’s health services throughout New York State, announced today the launch of a new promotion. From Sept. 12, 2022 – Oct. 31, 2022, DrHouse will offer online telehealth visits and the opportunity to renew or get a new Rx prescription with a DrHouse Plus subscription, regardless of insurance status, for $0. 

    With the pandemic redefining the way the country approaches healthcare, consumers are now relying on telehealth to provide ease and convenience in receiving medical care. DrHouse’s platform paves the way for efficient, on-demand healthcare at a low cost and on their own terms. This promotion helps provide healthcare at no cost during a time when many New Yorkers may be seeking care as they head back to school and the office.

    “Our limited-time zero-cost healthcare initiative is a great opportunity for consumers seeking fast and reliable healthcare this fall,” said Ergo Sooru, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, DrHouse. “We want to break conventional healthcare barriers by giving others access to on-demand telehealth appointments, designed to take the ‘wait’ out of the waiting room. This promotion will allow new patients full access to DrHouse’s services with no appointment needed in advance, connecting users to top healthcare professionals within minutes via the app.” 

    While a DrHouse Plus subscription normally has a membership fee of $9.99 a month, this limited-time initiative waives the subscription fee for the first 30-days allowing new users total access to DrHouse’s services for an unlimited number of visits for zero cost. DrHouse’s services include providing 24/7 access to U.S based board-certified clinicians that diagnose and treat circumstances such as, but not limited to, the following:

    • Urgent care conditions such as COVID-19 symptoms, cold and flu, and minor health injuries 
    • Provide Rx prescriptions for pickup or delivery, inclusive of anxiety and antidepressants, antibiotics, birth control, and other common prescriptions, as needed
    • Consultations regarding men’s and women’s sexual health needs 

    The DrHouse app is available now to download on iOS and Android mobile devices. To learn more about DrHouse, please visit https://www.drhouse.com.

    About DrHouse
    DrHouse is a telehealth company offering 24/7 virtual visits with board-certified clinicians. Consumers can expect on-demand virtual health services with a short wait time of 15 minutes or less and access to clinicians that specialize in non-emergent medical conditions in urgent care, men’s health, and women’s health spaces. Services are affordable and convenient, with no insurance necessary for medical care. Patients can subscribe to membership services or purchase a one-time virtual visit. Businesses can purchase a small business or an enterprise plan to cover employee medical care.

    Media Contact:
    5W Public Relations
    drhouse@5wpr.com 

    Source: DrHouse Inc.

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  • Earlens Shares FDA Historical Ruling on OTC Hearing Aids

    Earlens Shares FDA Historical Ruling on OTC Hearing Aids

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    Press Release
    –


    updated: Sep 6, 2022


    MENLO PARK, Calif., September 6, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Earlens, a privately held medical technology company transforming the way people hear with a new class of non-surgical hearing technology, supports the FDA’s ruling to create a new category of Over the Counter (OTC) hearing aids. Hearing loss, a medical epidemic associated with dementia, depression and social isolation, affects an estimated 30 million people in the United States. Despite the high prevalence and public health impact of hearing loss, only about one-fifth of people who could benefit from a hearing aid seek intervention.

    While this new ruling may address a few of the barriers that impede the adoption of hearing aids, such as perceived hearing benefit relative to price and access, it will not address the top two complaints of hearing aid users: understanding speech in background noise and sound quality. The new over-the-counter hearing aids work in the same way as the traditional hearing aids widely available by prescription today. They amplify sound through a tiny speaker in a limited bandwidth. Unlike traditional hearing aids, Earlens works with the natural hearing system by gently vibrating the eardrum via a tiny, custom-built lens, which delivers 2.5X the audible bandwidth of traditional hearing aids, resulting in significantly better speech understanding in noise and improved clarity. 

    “With the changing landscape in the hearing space, Earlens is well positioned to assist the many people that are dissatisfied with traditional air-conduction hearing aids, whether they are purchased in a store, through a dispenser, or over the counter. Earlens’ differentiated technology and unique care model places highly trained hearing healthcare professionals at the forefront of hearing loss treatment. Earlens is committed to transforming the hearing experience for millions of people who suffer from hearing loss”, said Bill Facteau, Earlens President & Chief Executive Officer.

    About Earlens

    Earlens is a privately held medical technology company that has developed the Earlens® hearing solution. With more than 185 US and international patents, Earlens was named to Time Magazine’s list of the top 100 inventions of 2020. Earlens is exclusively available from a growing network of highly trained Ear, Nose & Throat physicians and audiologists who are supported by a dedicated concierge team. For more information, please visit www.earlens.com.

    Contact

    Connon Samuel

    Chief Operating Officer

    1-844-234-LENS (5367)

    Source: Earlens

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  • Newly updated CDC guidelines do not invalidate the protection that COVID-19 vaccines offer

    Newly updated CDC guidelines do not invalidate the protection that COVID-19 vaccines offer

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    Fact Check By:
    Craig Jones, Newswise

    Truthfulness: False

    Claim:

    New CDC guidance is final proof, that these vaccines do not offer any protection against spread!

    Claim Publisher and Date: Twitter users on 2022-08-11

    On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised their guidelines on minimizing the impact of COVID-19. Much of the updates involve the lifting of quarantine requirements to those exposed to the virus. For example, social distancing is now recommended to be done as needed based on individual health risk and community transmission level. The new guidelines also deemphasize screening people with no symptoms, and update COVID-19 protocols in schools. One major point that has grabbed the attention of skeptics of the leading authority of public health in the U.S. is how the recommended prevention strategies no longer draw a distinction between people who are vaccinated and those who are not. People who are exposed to the virus no longer must quarantine at home regardless of their vaccination status. Although the new guidelines still emphasize the importance of vaccination and other prevention measures, including antiviral treatments and ventilation, many are using the new guidelines as proof that the vaccines don’t work. We find this claim false. The recommended vaccines to prevent severe illness from COVID-19 have been proven to be effective. 

    Previous guidance suggested that someone who was unvaccinated and was in close contact with someone infected should quarantine for five days, even if they tested negative and had no symptoms. A vaccinated person could skip quarantine. Under the new guidelines, there is no quarantine recommendation. Does this invalidate the efficacy of the vaccines? No. The new guidelines could be construed as a pragmatic approach on the current climate, after taking cautious measures for over two years.

    The CDC said it is making changes now because vaccination and prior infections have granted many Americans some degree of protection against the virus, and treatments, vaccines and boosters are available to reduce the risk of severe illness.

    The COVID-19 vaccines, such as the authorized vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna, are effective at preventing serious illness. As mentioned in previous fact checks, many studies show that they are also effective at preventing infection. More information on the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines can be read here.

     

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