Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Urology for April 2016. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Percutaneous Needle-Based OCT Differentiates Renal Masses
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Percutaneous needle-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) can differentiate renal masses, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Urology.
Wide Variation in Health Care Costs Across the U.S.
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Health care prices vary widely across the United States, even within the same state, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs.
Pain Most Frequent Cause of ER Visits Post Ureteroscopy
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Most patients who present to the emergency department after undergoing elective ureteroscopy complain of pain alone, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Urology.
Article Discusses Workplace Violence in Health Care
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of data relating to the prevalence of workplace violence in health care and how to address it, according to a review article published in the April 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Doctors Have a Only a Few Weeks Left to Review Financial Data
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, physicians have only a few weeks left to review and report disputes relating to their financial ties to drug and medical device manufacturers, according to the American Medical Association.
U.S. Health Report Card Finds Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An update on Americans’ health finds that racial and ethnic disparities persist, with significant gaps in obesity, cesarean births, and dental care. But advances have been made in some important areas, including infant mortality rates, women smokers, and numbers of uninsured, according to the new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Optimally Timed Follow-Up Cuts Readmissions After Cystectomy
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Detection of concerning symptoms after radical cystectomy can be improved by optimizing the timing and number of outpatient encounters, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Urology.
A Doctor’s View: EHRs Impair Physician-Patient Relationship
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Electronic health records (EHRs) may be impairing the physician-patient relationship, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Continued Aspirin Treatment Safe With Partial Nephrectomy
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Continuing aspirin for chronic antiplatelet therapy is safe in patients undergoing laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
Pre-Op Stenting, Longer Surgery Tied to Genitourinary Infection
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Preoperative stenting and longer operative time are associated with a greater likelihood of serious genitourinary infection after ureteroscopy with laser lithotripsy, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
Physicians Can Get Involved in Developing Payment Models
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Doctors can be involved in developing new payment models for their practices, according to the American Medical Association.
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Comorbidity Tied to Prostate Cancer Upgrading, Up Staging
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Comorbidity burden is strongly and independently associated with pathological upgrading/up staging in men with clinically low-risk prostate cancer, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
Medical Expulsive Therapy Underused for Ureteral Stones
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with ureteral stones, medical expulsive therapy remains underused, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
Improved Survival for Certain Cancers With Low-Dose Aspirin
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancers may have better survival odds if they are on a low-dose aspirin regimen, according to a review published online April 20 in PLOS ONE.
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Decrease in Prostate CA Mortality Parallels Drop in Smoking
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Declines in prostate cancer mortality seem to parallel declines in cigarette smoking, based on data from four U.S. states. The report was published online April 14 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Preventing Chronic Disease.
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Diffusion-Weighted Imaging + MRI OK for Undescended Testes
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Combined diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) show a greater performance compared to conventional MRI alone for identification of non-palpable undescended testes (UDTs), according to a study published online April 6 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
Suboptimal Guideline Adherence for Hematuria After Menopause
TUESDAY, April 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of urinary tract malignancy is low among postmenopausal women evaluated for asymptomatic microscopic hematuria, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
Testosterone Undecanoate Cuts Anemia in Hypogonadal Men
MONDAY, April 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Testosterone undecanoate reduces anemia in patients with subnormal testosterone levels, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Urology.
2016 Match Marks Record Highs for Registrants, Matching
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The 2016 Match was the largest ever recorded by the National Resident Matching Program, with a higher match rate that 2015, according to a report from the American Medical Association.
Decrease in Medicare Spending for 2012 ACO Entrants
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Early reductions in Medicare spending were seen for the first full year of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) contracts for 2012 Accountable Care Organization (ACO) entrants, according to a study published online April 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Health Care Workers Skip Hand Washing One-Third of the Time
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Staff at many outpatient health care facilities in New Mexico failed to follow recommendations for hand hygiene more than one-third of the time, according to findings published in the April 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Surveillance Seems Safe for Some Intermediate Risk Prostate CA
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For men with prostate cancer, active surveillance seems safe for those at low risk and for select patients at intermediate risk, according to a study published in The Journal of Urology.
Potentially Inappropriate Meds Use Common With OAB Tx
WEDNESDAY, April 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For older adults starting antimuscarinic treatment for overactive bladder (OAB), potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use is highly prevalent and associated with greater total costs, according to a study published online April 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Doctors Can Be Misled About FDA ‘Breakthrough’ Drug Designation
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of the word “breakthrough” in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s expedited approval process could mislead doctors about the new drugs’ actual benefits, according to a research letter published in the April 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Androgen Deprivation Tx for Prostate CA Tied to Depression
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Older men who receive androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer may be at increased risk of developing depression, according to a new, large study published online April 11 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Iodine-125 Interstitial Implant Feasible for Prostate Cancer
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Iodine-125 permanent interstitial implantation is associated with long-term, biochemical control of localized prostate cancer, according to a study published online March 28 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
VA Commission on Care: Eliminate VA Medical Centers
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A radical proposal has been suggested for eliminating all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and outpatient facilities in the next 20 years, floated by seven of 15 members of the VA Commission on Care, according to an article published in the Military Times.
Cancer Care and Fertility Program Improves Patient Satisfaction
TUESDAY, April 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A cancer and fertility program, which provides resources, clinician education, and fertility clinical nurse specialist consultation, is associated with improvement in patient satisfaction with information received, according to research published online April 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Increasing Radiation Dose Ups Freedom From Biochemical Fail
MONDAY, April 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with prostate cancer (PCa), increasing biologically equivalent dose (BED) of external radiation therapy (RT) is associated with freedom from biochemical failure (FFBF), but not with improvement in overall survival (OS), distant metastasis (DM), or cancer-specific mortality (CSM), according to research published online March 24 in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Are Guidelines Needed to Assess Competence of Aging Physicians?
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The question of whether national guidelines need to be developed for assessing the competence of aging physicians was discussed during a recent meeting of key stakeholders, according to a news release from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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