About healthcare devices
Lumendi reports its first 'incisionless appendectomy' procedure: “Lumendi’s disposable DiLumen system attaches to a traditional, standard endoscope and helps stabilize the device’s movements and the surrounding organ, allowing the procedure to be performed completely within the intestine.”
About pharma
Hydroxychloroquine, a drug promoted by Trump, failed to prevent healthy people from getting covid-19 in trial:”The study is the first randomized clinical trial that tested the antimalarial drug as a preventive measure, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School who conducted the trial. It showed that hydroxychloroquine, which has been touted by President Trump, was no more effective than a placebo — in this case, a vitamin — in protecting people exposed to covid-19.”
Effect of low‐dose aspirin on health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses: Here is the latest on the controversy of using low dose aspirin as primary prevention for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The benefit is a balance between preventing CVD events (like heart attack and stroke) and causing serious bleeding: “…the benefits and risks of low‐dose aspirin for the primary prevention of CVD events in the modern era of preventive management in middle‐aged people (i.e., involving statins, anti‐hypertension medications, smoking cessation, obesity management and other similar interventions) are closely balanced, calling into question the use of aspirin in those without a prior cardiovascular disease event.”
About the public’s health
Ultra-high-throughput clinical proteomics reveals classifiers of COVID-19 infection: This diagnostic process could help focus on patients who might require the most care.
“We use our platform on samples collected from a cohort of early hospitalized cases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and identify 27 potential biomarkers that are differentially expressed depending on the WHO severity grade of COVID-19. They include complement factors, the coagulation system, inflammation modulators, and pro-inflammatory upstream and downstream of interleukin 6. All protocols and software for implementing our approach are freely available. In total, our platform supports the development of routine proteomic assays to aid clinical decision making and generate hypotheses about potential COVID-19 therapeutic targets.”
Fauci says he's 'cautiously optimistic' about Moderna COVID-19 vaccine: “Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, M.D., says he's "cautiously optimistic" about biotech company Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
But he believes a successful COVID-19 vaccine will not be a ‘one and done’ and will require a booster dose to provide immunity.”
China delayed releasing coronavirus info, frustrating WHO: “Chinese government labs only released the genome after another lab published it ahead of authorities on a virologist website on Jan. 11. Even then, China stalled for at least two weeks more on providing WHO with detailed data on patients and cases, according to recordings of internal meetings held by the U.N. health agency through January — all at a time when the outbreak arguably might have been dramatically slowed.
WHO officials were lauding China in public because they wanted to coax more information out of the government, the recordings obtained by the AP suggest. Privately, they complained in meetings the week of Jan. 6 that China was not sharing enough data to assess how effectively the virus spread between people or what risk it posed to the rest of the world, costing valuable time.”
Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis:“Our search identified 172 observational studies across 16 countries and six continents, with no randomised controlled trials and 44 relevant comparative studies in health-care and non-health-care settings… Transmission of viruses was lower with physical distancing of 1 m or more, compared with a distance of less than 1 m… ; protection was increased as distance was lengthened…Face mask use could result in a large reduction in risk of infection… with stronger associations with N95 or similar respirators compared with disposable surgical masks or similar (eg, reusable 12–16-layer cotton masks…)”
Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Adults, Including Pregnant Persons: Interventions: These draft recommendations from the USPTF are now open for comment. One industry-influencing recommendation: “The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) for tobacco cessation in adults, including pregnant persons.”
Coronavirus fact check: Does the ‘recycled’ air on planes really put you at a high risk of infection?: This article is a really good summary of air quality issues on planes- better than you thought but not as good as you would like it to be.
About health insurance
Which Types of Insurance are Marketplace Enrollees Choosing?: Key findings from this Urban Institute study:
“Health plans issued by Blue Cross Blue Shield companies accounted for nearly half (47%) of the Affordable Care Act marketplace enrollment in 2018, but Medicaid health plans are emerging as competition.
Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated insurers hold all or close to all of the enrollment in 11 states’ marketplaces (Alaska, Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Wyoming).
In another nine states (Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia), Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have the majority of enrollment, though they face increasing competition from other insurer types, typically Medicaid insurers.”
DHHS Office of the Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress October 1, 2019-March 31, 2020: “During this semiannual reporting period (October 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020), we issued 81 audit reports and 14 evaluation reports. Our audit work identified $605.2 million in expected recoveries, as well as $288.4 million in questioned costs (costs questioned by OIG because of an alleged violation, costs not supported by adequate documentation, or the expenditure of funds where the intended purpose is unnecessary or unreasonable). Our audit work also identified $911.3 million in potential savings for HHS— funds that could be saved if HHS implemented all of OIG’s audit recommendations. “
Why COVID-19 is spurring 'buzz' among employers about reference-based pricing: The interesting facts from this article are that: “…employers spent an average of 241% of Medicare for care in 2017, paying 204% higher than Medicare rates for inpatient care and 293% higher for outpatient care.” In my experience, these rates are much higher than PPO rates, which are often no higher than 150% of Medicare rates. Why have Third Party Administrators for these plans allowed providers to get away with charging so much when they pay far less for their own insured products?
About the business of healthcare
5 of healthcare's next billion-dollar startups from 2020 Forbes list: Here is a list of these 5 healthcare companies from the Forbes list. It is a real mix of products and services.
About hospitals/health facilities
Physicians acquire 35-hospital health system from private equity firm: “Dallas-based Steward Health Care is now the largest physician-owned healthcare system in the U.S.
Humana Launches Medicare Clinic Expansion In Three Cities: “Humana’s Partners in Primary Care unit will open 20 new senior-focused primary care centers over the next year in the new markets of Las Vegas and Louisiana plus a major expansion in Houston.
It’s the first wave of a three-year expansion of the geographic footprint for Humana’s Partners in Primary Care since the health insurer and private equity giant Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe earlier this year announced a $600 million joint venture to develop primary care centers to treat seniors insured by Medicare Advantage plans.The 35-hospital system announced June 2 that a management group of Steward physicians led by the company's CEO and founder acquired a controlling interest of Steward from Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm. The physicians will control 90 percent of the company and Medical Properties Trust will maintain its 10 percent stake.”