HCI's Monthly Review of the Healthcare Industry
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Robert J. Stilley
President, CEO
HeartCare Imaging, Inc.
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Dear Colleague -
Over the past month I've traveled through FL, NY, TN, KY, and SC visiting with our customers and meeting with some potential clients. While the weather has been a challenge, it's been a delight to know that no matter where I traveled there were true professionals that have dedicated themselves to taking care of patients. Whether the location was a major academic center or a rural hospital, quality healthcare for the patient was the focus. Of course, financial concerns are always present but the message taken away from my visits were that strong financial performance will result from providing excellent quality care. So, hats off to all of you that spend time working everyday to help others. You make a difference and, at HCI, we are proud to be part of the team.
Best Regards,
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Statin discontinuation common in high-risk patients
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A perceived lack of need is a major reason why patients with elevated CVD risk discontinue statin therapy, according to data presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session.
In a new study, most high-risk patients who discontinued statins refused to resume therapy, according to the researchers.
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Docs hope to convince the CMS to spend more now and save more later
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Clinicians hope the CMS will drop plans to hold providers accountable for how much it costs to care for heart attack victims based on a new study that shows higher spending lead to better health outcomes.A March 12 study that appeared in the American Heart Association Journal found that 30-day mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction or heart attack patients were 12.8% for hospitals that spent the most on care and 13.5% that spent the least on care.The average amount spent per beneficiary in a hospital that spent the least was just over $20,000 compared to $24,000 for higher spending hospitals.The findings come just as the CMS wants to reduce Medicare spending on heart attack patients, which hovers around $12 billion every year. The mandatory Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program,
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Researchers attribute 250K annual CVD deaths in US to lead exposure
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More than a quarter million deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) each year in the United States can be attributed to historical lead exposure in people age 44 and older, according to new estimates published in The Lancet Public Health.
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HbA1c Levels Affects Serum Phospholipids, Inflammation in T2D, CVD
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In patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, worse glycemic control is associated with unfavorable serum phospholipid ratios and greater systemic inflammation, according to results published in Cardiovascular Diabetology.
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Could Omega-6 fatty acids help us live longer?
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New research from Finland supports the idea that a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids may protect us from premature death. Scientists from the University of Eastern Finland analyzed data from a study that followed nearly 2,500 men for over 20 years. It was revealed that higher blood levels of the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid were tied to both a lower risk of death and death from cardiovascular disease.
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Racial Gap in Heart Health Shrinking As Whites Lose Ground
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Worsening cardiovascular health of white Americans over the past three decades has reduced persistent disparities in the heart health of minorities, researchers found. The reduced disparities in CV health over time were most pronounced and consistent between whites and African Americans, and "were due to larger declines in LS7 scores for whites rather than gains in cardiovascular health among African Americans and Mexican Americans," the group noted.
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New Expert Statement on Arrhythmias and Cognitive Function
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Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) could reduce their risk for dementia by taking oral anticoagulation therapy, according to the first expert consensus statement on arrhythmias and cognitive function.
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Preeclampsia, lactation duration affect CV risk in women
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Two new studies presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session highlight differences in CV risk related to preeclampsia history and lactation duration.The data in women highlight a need for increased awareness and research on women during pregnancy and postpartum.
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ACC: PET/CT calcium scans could foretell cardiac events
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By using PET/CT to measure the level of calcium in the coronary arteries during stress tests, clinicians can better predict which patients are at high risk of heart disease, according to a study presented on Monday at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual conference in Orlando, FL.
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Alzheimer's Risk May Affect Kids' Brain Function, Hippocampal Volume
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Genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease may be related to brain function and hippocampal volume in childhood, suggesting a neurodevelopmental origin of the disease, new research suggests.
"We found that the genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease is associated with lower performance in memory tasks even decades before the onset of the disease," Giovanni Salum, MD, PhD, from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, told Medscape Medical News.
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Dementia study links your risk with your fitness level
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Your stamina -- or the time it takes for you to reach peak exhaustion during exercise -- can be tied to your dementia risk, and a new study reveals how. The study, published Wednesday in the medical journal Neurology, found that women with high cardiovascular fitness, or high stamina, had an 88% lower risk of dementia than women who were moderately fit.
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Algorithm identifies lung cancer patients who should have chemotherapy
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Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic are developing a computerized tissue imaging capability that uses predictive analytics to potentially help identify which lung cancer patients are likely to experience an earlier recurrence of the disease.
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FDA grants accelerated review for Merck's Keytruda in cervical cancer
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The FDA accepts under Priority Review Merck's (NYSE:MRK) marketing application seeking approval to use KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) to treat patients with advanced cervical cancer who have progressed on or after chemo. The agency's action date is June 28.
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Opioid Receipt Up for Teens With Mental Health Conditions
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Adolescents with pre-existing mental health conditions and treatments are more likely to receive any opioid and to transition to long-term opioid therapy, according to a study published online March 12 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Determining the Effectiveness of Anti-PD1 Treatment in Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients
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Three-month 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging helps detect which patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) respond to immune-checkpoint blockade by anti–programmed death 1 antibodies (anti-PD1), according to a study published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
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Colonoscopy significantly reduces colorectal cancer mortality
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Patients receiving care through the Veterans Affairs health system who underwent a colonoscopy were 61% less likely to die of colorectal cancer, according to research published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Colonoscopy is widely used in the Veterans Affairs health care system for colorectal cancer prevention, but its effect on colorectal cancer mortality is unknown,” Charles J. Kahi, MD, MSc, from Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center and Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote.
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Vit D Concentration Associated With Reduced Risk of Cancer
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Higher plasma concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with reduced risk of total cancer in a Japanese population, according to a study published online March 7 in The BMJ.
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Cell therapy could improve brain function for Alzheimer's disease
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Inhibitory interneurons are particularly important for managing brain rhythms. Researchers have uncovered the therapeutic benefits of genetically improving these interneurons and transplanting them into the brain of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
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Alzheimer's patients exhibit changes in blood lipids typical of premature ageing
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The neurodegenerative condition Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. A research group led by molecular biologists Fabian Dorninger and Johannes Berger at MedUni Vienna's Centre for Brain Research investigated changes in certain lipids (choline phospholipids) in the plasma of elderly people who were healthy and those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. They were able to show that normal, age-related changes in blood levels also occurred in the Alzheimer's patients but to a significantly greater extent. The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
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Rapid rise in hospital-employed physicians increases costs
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About a quarter of the increase could be attributed to higher-rate facility and professional fees that were intended to help cover the overhead costs for services that can only be provided in hospitals, but are often misused. Hospital-employed physicians can get higher payment rates from payers and patients, both from the facility fees and from the greater leverage that hospitals have in negotiations with payers. Thus, the hospital can pay them more than they would earn in an independent practice.
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President's Cancer Panel -- Urgent Action on Drug Prices
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n a new report, the President's Cancer Panel stresses that urgent action is needed to address the ongoing and rapidly rising cost of cancer drugs.
This challenge can only be met, according to the report, through "input and action of all stakeholders — drug developers and manufacturers, policy makers, government, public and private payers, healthcare institutions, and systems, providers, and patients."
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7 most helpful types of EHR information for patients
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While a majority of survey respondents — 36 percent — say their primary reason for accessing their EHR is to stay informed, 19 percent admit they want EHR access because they are curious, and 18 percent want to make sure their record is accurate.
When asked what they consider the most helpful EHR information, respondents reported the following:
• Lab work and blood test results: 67 percent
• Physician notes from my medical visits or about my medical condition in general: 55 percent
• Prescription medication history: 41 percent
• X-rays or nuclear imaging results: 31 percent
• Immunization status: 23 percent
• Personal profile information, such as demographics: 23 percent
• Billing information: 20 percent
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Redfield Named to Lead the CDC
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Redfield, 66, is a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and co-founder and associate director of the school's Institute of Human Virology.
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Politics that Affect Medicine
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House lawmakers launch group to push value-based care policies
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The healthcare industry is applauding a new group of U.S. House of Representatives lawmakers that plans to push federal policies on value-based care models and accompanying technologies — another step in the federal government's shift away from fee-for-service — but it is unclear what role the lawmakers will immediately play.The Health Care Innovation Caucus, formed by Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Penn.), Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Ami Bera (D-Calif.), was announced Thursday to immediate applause from key healthcare groups.American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack emphasized how hospitals are already adopting accountable care organization models and bundled payments."They are using new tools — such as predictive analytics and
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Congress must invest in colon cancer prevention
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Colorectal cancer is America’s silent killer. The disease often has no warning signs or symptoms, and it affects more than 140,000 men and women each year. Despite being largely preventable with screening and treatable if caught early, more than 50,000 people in the United States die from colorectal cancer each year.
The United States can and must improve the mortality rate of colorectal cancer. Robust federal research funding is essential to preventing and treating the disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) support first-in-class medical research that serves as the foundation for life-changing — and life-saving — discoveries.
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CBO: Bill to shore up ObamaCare would reduce premiums by 10 percent
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An updated bill to shore up ObamaCare's markets could reduce premiums by 10 percent next year and by 20 percent in 2020 and 2021 for states that get extra funding from the administration, according to preliminary estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The bill, originally introduced last year by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), could be added to a long-term spending package Congress hopes to pass next week.
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For over 25 years, HRSI has provided Authorized User (AU) classroom and laboratory training to physicians. HRSI's training is recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and fulfills the didactic training required by law.
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Annual Rural Health Conference May 8-11, 2018 in New Orleans, LA. New Orleans Marriott Hotel.
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Annual Scientific Session of the
American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
Bridging Quality Imaging and Patient Care
September 6-9, 2018 | San Francisco Marriott Marquis | Calif.
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Mark your calendar! The Radiological Society of North America’s 104
th
Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place November 25 to 30 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Every year, radiology’s best and brightest convene at the RSNA annual meeting to learn from the specialty’s top experts and get an exclusive look at the latest in medical imaging technology. RSNA 2017 brought breakthrough science in machine learning, artificial intelligence and 3D printing to the forefront, affirming the Society’s position as the leader promoting scientific innovation for better patient care. Save the date now to see tomorrow’s medical imaging discoveries today at RSNA 2018!
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HeartCare Imaging, Inc. | Phone: 561-746-6125 | Fax: 561-741-2036 | info@heartcareimaging.com
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