Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Ophthalmology for April 2015. 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.
Intensive T1DM Control Greatly Lowers Odds of Ocular Surgery
THURSDAY, April 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Intensive management of type 1 diabetes can reduce the risk of having a diabetes-related ocular surgery by nearly 50 percent, according to a new report. Results of the study were published in the April 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Physician Compensation Up for Most Specialties
TUESDAY, April 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physician compensation has gone up for almost all specialties, according to a 2015 report published by Medscape.
CDC: Surveillance System Can Help Reduce Health Care Injuries
TUESDAY, April 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A surveillance system for health care facilities can be used to identify and help reduce the number of preventable injuries among health care personnel, according to research published in the April 24 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Global Variation in Antibiotic Rx Practices After Eyelid Sx
FRIDAY, April 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable worldwide variation in antibiotic prescribing practices following eyelid surgery, according to a study published online April 23 in JAMA Ophthalmology.
EHR Data Mining Helps With Quality Improvement
WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Electronic health records (EHRs) are a valuable source of data that can be mined to help practices with quality improvement performance, according to a study published in Medical Economics.
Guidance Offered for Managing Conflict With Patients
MONDAY, April 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Good communication is key to managing conflict with patients, according to an article published April 1 in Medical Economics.
Suboptimal Prescribing Attitudes Could Signal Personal Distress
FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical students in personal distress may be more likely to have suboptimal attitudes about self-prescribing and personal responsibility for reporting impaired colleagues, according to a study published in the April issue of Academic Medicine.
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Review Explores Challenges of Ocular Antioxidants for Cataracts
FRIDAY, April 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Delivery of antioxidants to the eye may be a therapeutic option for cataracts, but considerable challenges need to be resolved, according to a review published in the April issue of the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.
Ethical Implications for Looking Up Applicants on Facebook
THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Looking up students on Facebook and other social networking sites (SNS) is associated with ethical concerns, according to a perspective piece published in the March issue of the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
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Medicare Spending Down in Year One of Pioneer ACO
THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medicare spending is down in year one of the Pioneer accountable care organization (ACO) program, according to a study published online April 15 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Many Cataract Patients Undergo Unnecessary Pre-Op Testing
THURSDAY, April 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Many patients still undergo routine preoperative testing before cataract surgery despite recommendations against it, according to a study published in the April 16 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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AMA Announces End of Sustainable Growth Rate Formula
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Recently adopted legislation has repealed the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Survey Looks at Patient Attitudes Regarding Informed Consent
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most U.S. adults would prefer to be asked for permission to participate in studies assessing usual medical practices, according to a study published online April 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Security Breaches of Health Records Up Over Past Decade
TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Breaches in data security exposed more than 29 million health records to potential criminal misuse between 2010 and 2013, according to a new study. Security breaches involving hacking have nearly doubled in recent years, rising to 8.7 percent in 2013 compared with 4.7 percent in 2010, according to the study, published as a research letter in the April 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Placebo Response May Depend on Individual DNA
TUESDAY, April 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The strength of the placebo effect may depend on particular DNA, according to a report published online April 13 in Trends in Molecular Medicine.
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Adverse Ocular Effects From Aesthetic Facial Tx Rare
MONDAY, April 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Adverse ocular effects from aesthetic facial procedures are infrequent, according to a review published online March 19 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
Many Doctors Haven’t Started Dealing With ICD-10 Revision
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most physicians have barely begun to deal with issues relating to documentation associated with the transition to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Medical Debt Burden Higher in Texas, Florida
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Significantly more adults in Florida and Texas struggle to pay medical bills or pay off medical debt over time compared with residents of New York and California, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report released Friday.
Art Program Hones Med Students’ Visual Observation Skills
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An innovative interdisciplinary program, Art Rounds, is effective for improving medical and nursing students’ physical observation skills, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nursing Education.
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Agomelatine Cuts Ocular Pressure With Glaucoma
FRIDAY, April 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Oral systemic agomelatine has a hypotonising effect that decreases intraocular pressure (IOP) in both eyes of treatment-resistant primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients, according to a study published in the March issue of Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
Pharmacists Raise Concerns for Patient Access to Generic Drugs
THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nearly all pharmacists have experienced upswings in the acquisition costs of generic drugs, with price spikes reported to be worse since 2013, according to a report published by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).
Periocular Basal Cell Carcinomas Can Grow Rapidly
THURSDAY, April 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Periocular basal cell carcinomas (pBCCs) have a mean growth rate of 11.2 mm² every 30 days, according to a study published in the April issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
Limited Time Available to Review Sunshine Act Data
WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians have only 45 days to review and dispute reports regarding their financial ties to drug and medical device manufacturers reported under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Med Students, Residents Rarely Perform Stethoscope Hygiene
TUESDAY, April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Stethoscope hygiene is rarely performed by trainee physicians, according to a research letter published online April 2 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Contact Lens Sensor Safe for Patients With Thyroid Eye Disease
TUESDAY, April 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with thyroid eye disease (TED), a contact lens sensor provides a safe and well-tolerated approach for 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring, according to a study published in the March issue of Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.
Healing Indicators After Pterygium Excision Proposed
MONDAY, April 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — After pterygium excision, the sequence of tissue restoration appears to start in the cornea and end in the limbal area, according to a study published online March 31 in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
Article Highlights Legal Issues Linked to Physician Extenders
FRIDAY, April 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The use of physician extenders (PEs; mainly physician assistants and nurse practitioners) may bring added legal risks to a practice, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Patients May Be Modifying Meds Due to Trouble Swallowing
THURSDAY, April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Some patients experience difficulties swallowing and modify medication dosage forms, without necessarily consulting health professionals, according to research published in the March issue of the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research.
Review Indicates Benefits for Bilateral Cataract Surgery
THURSDAY, April 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Immediately sequential bilateral cataract surgery seems beneficial, with faster rehabilitation, improved visual outcome, and savings in time and costs, according to a review published online March 30 in Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology.
Equivalent Glaucoma Grading Seen by Specialty Optometrists
WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Community optometrists have moderate inter-observer agreement for grading limbal anterior chamber depth (LACD), while equivalent agreement is seen for specialist optometrists and ophthalmologists, according to a study published in the March issue of Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
Legal Issues of Removing Patient From Practice Explored
WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The legal and ethical responsibilities of removing a patient from practice are discussed in an article published March 16 in Medical Economics.
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