Practice Management
Earlier this week, several media outlets reported that Walgreens is in negotiation discussions for a potential sale to private equity firm Sycamore Partners. With Walgreens’ debt and flagging in-store clinics, a major overhaul seems likely regardless. A few weeks ago, the retail pharmacy giant said it would be closing 1,200 locations over the next few years after reporting a $3 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2024. A deal with Sycamore Partners would take …
Read More
A new draft recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggests that testing for human papilloma viruses (HPV) every 5 years starting at age 30 is a preferred screening strategy, emphasizing the need for testing for high-risk HPV with vaginal samples as opposed to the traditional cervical cytology pap tests. The USPSTF notes that the HPV test is more effective than a pap test as a cervical cancer screening tool for ages 30 …
Read More
An artificial intelligence (AI) model accurately detected infantile epileptic spasm syndrome through the assessment of smartphone videos captured by families, according to a study published in a medRxiv preprint that has not been peer reviewed. Among the results, the AI model had 82% sensitivity and 90% specificity. The infantile epileptic spasm syndrome diagnosis is considered a neurologic emergency, according to MedPage Today, and experts believe the AI platform has potential as a screening tool. Infants …
Read More
Amazon has added digital musculoskeletal care company Hinge Health to its care platform. According to a press release, when the online retailer’s customers search for products related to back, joint, or muscle pain, they will encounter Hinge Health programs and have an option to check their insurance eligibility for participation. The program includes an artificial intelligence delivery model and wearable devices with clinical care support. This is the 4th partner program for Amazon, adding to …
Read More
New first aid guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Red Cross published in Circulation expand the scope of emergency care conditions addressed and provide greater specificity for first aid action steps. It is the first major update since 2010. Key topics that are new, substantially revised, or have significantly updated literature include: opioid overdose; bleeding control; open chest wounds; spinal motion restriction; hypothermia and frostbite; presyncope; anaphylaxis, snakebite; oxygen administration; and …
Read More
In a pharmaceutical head-to-head, tirzepatide was found to provide 47% greater relative weight loss compared to semaglutide. On average, patients using tirzepatide lost 50.3 lbs (22.8 kg), and those using semaglutide lost 33.1 lbs (15.0 kg) after 72 weeks. In addition, for the study’s secondary endpoint, 31.6% of people taking tirzepatide achieved at least 25% body weight loss compared to 16.1% of those taking semaglutide. The randomized, open-label trial included 751 participants across the United …
Read More
Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare’s insurance division, was shot and killed outside of a hotel in New York City on December 4, according to news reports. The 50-year-old Thompson has worked for the company for 20 years and was promoted to the chief executive position in 2021. UnitedHealth Group leadership canceled the day’s scheduled investor event immediately after the incident. He was described as an “extraordinary person” in a video sent to employees. Thompson was …
Read More
In a new study of children 6 to 18 months of age, researchers found the odds of receiving first-line antibiotic therapy in pediatric urgent care centers (PUCs) were lower among White children and those with commercial insurance than in other groups. Authors of the study presented in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology looked at guideline-recommended first-line antibiotics for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) for 396,340 encounters at 28 PUCs in the United States over 1 year. …
Read More
The United Kingdom’s Health Security Agency has now contracted with a supplier to purchase more than 5 million doses of human H5N1 avian flu vaccine to prepare the country should an avian flu pandemic occur. The virus has been causing a prolonged global outbreak with new cases emerging in humans recently—although the risk still remains quite low. Poultry and dairy cattle are the most likely animals to experience outbreaks of the virus, and thousands of …
Read More
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and a number of its partners issued a joint advisory last week, highlighting cybercriminal activities by a ransomware group known as BianLian. With a history of attacking the healthcare sector, BianLian has targeted various other industries as well. The group gains system access using legitimate remote desktop protocol credentials then steals system-user credentials. The hackers then extort the target organizations by threatening to publicly release the stolen data. By using …
Read More