(MedPage Today) -- FDA advisors narrowly supported accelerated approval for Sarepta Therapeutics' investigational gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) on Friday. In a 8-to-6 vote, the agency's Cellular, Tissue, and Gene ... [Continue Reading]
Dear Medical Schools, Educate Students on the Business of Medicine
(MedPage Today) -- Graduation day. A moment of shear elation. I've been there. Years of medical school. Scut work. Rotations. Cadaver labs. Foreign smells. Short white coats. Board exams. And now, the students are done (with the med school ... [Continue Reading]
Sleep Apnea Patients Prone to Higher Long COVID Risk
(MedPage Today) -- Preexisting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was associated with up to a 75% increased risk of long COVID in adults, an analysis from the NIH RECOVER collaboration found. Unadjusted odds of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 ... [Continue Reading]
Multiple Solutions Needed to Fix Drug Supply Chain Problems, Lawmakers Told
(MedPage Today) -- WASHINGTON -- Drug shortages continue to plague the U.S., and a variety of solutions must be employed to solve the problem, witnesses said here Thursday at a hearing held by the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on ... [Continue Reading]
Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist in OUD Treatment
(MedPage Today) -- Black and Hispanic patients with a disability had a tougher time getting medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) despite frequent contact with healthcare providers, Medicare claims data showed. Within 180 days of an ... [Continue Reading]
AI Poses Serious Threats to Health and Human Existence, Researchers Say
(MedPage Today) -- Despite the potential for negative health outcomes with the use of artificial intelligence (AI), most research is biased toward its benefits, without sufficient consideration of effective regulations that would be needed to ... [Continue Reading]
CMS Official Sees Rosy Future for ACOs
(MedPage Today) -- CMS stands by its "bold goal" of moving 100% of Medicare beneficiaries into accountable care by 2030, according to Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, JD, deputy administrator and director for the CMS Innovation Center. She announced ... [Continue Reading]
Artificial Intelligences Creates Inroads to Ophthalmology Clinical Practice
(MedPage Today) -- SAN DIEGO -- As some experts sound the alarm about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), ophthalmologists have begun embracing AI as a means to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care. During ... [Continue Reading]
Medicaid Expansion Seen Lifting Colon Cancer Screening for Low-Income People
(MedPage Today) -- CHICAGO -- Colorectal cancer screening rates at so-called Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in 2021 were higher in states that had accepted funding from the federal government to expand access to Medicaid ... [Continue Reading]
FDA Reviewers Raise Multiple Issues on OTC Birth Control Pill
(MedPage Today) -- FDA staff raised concerns over the prospect of a contraceptive pill for over the counter (OTC) use, and questioned whether sufficient evidence exists that consumers would take the pill appropriately, according to briefing ... [Continue Reading]
COVID Drops to Fourth Leading Cause of Death, CDC Says
(MedPage Today) -- COVID-19 dropped to the fourth leading cause of death in 2022, down from third place in 2020 and 2021, according to provisional mortality data from the CDC. Taking its place was "unintentional injury," which followed heart ... [Continue Reading]
‘Ghost’ Provider Networks a Big Problem for Patients, Especially in Mental Health
(MedPage Today) -- WASHINGTON -- Nine years ago, Keris Jän Myrick had a problem: she got a new job in a new state, and with it, new health insurance, and she needed to change her mental health provider. "Navigating the Blue Cross Blue ... [Continue Reading]