Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Otolaryngology for June 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.
Three Issues to Consider Before Selecting EHR
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Work flow, features and functionality, and technical infrastructure should all be considered in advance of selecting an electronic heath record (EHR) system, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Patients Want Online Access to Physicians, Health Records
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Internet-savvy Americans would like to add their doctors to their group of Facebook friends or e-mail contacts, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
AMA Discusses Pre-Retirement Evaluation for Aging Doctors
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Issues relating to physician retirement and evaluation of aging physicians before retirement are discussed in a Council on Medical Education report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Blood, Saliva Tests May Help ID Head and Neck Cancers Early
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Scientists report they’ve detected DNA from head and neck cancer tumors in patients’ blood and saliva samples, a development that potentially could lead to early diagnosis of these malignancies. The finding was published in the June 24 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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SCOTUS Upholds Subsidies for Affordable Care Act
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the legality of tax subsidies for millions of Americans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Medical Identity Theft Incidents Increasing
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical identity theft is on the rise, costly to consumers, and challenging to resolve, according to the fifth annual report published by the Ponemon Institute.
Caution in Social Media Age: Self-Promotion Can Backfire
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In a series of experiments, researchers found that people who self-promote often offend others. The study was published in the June issue of Psychological Science.
FDA Cracks Down on Online Sale of Illegal Medical Products
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with international partners, moved this week against more than 1,050 websites that sell potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines and medical devices, the agency said Thursday.
Hundreds Arrested Nationwide for Medicare/Medicaid Fraud
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of people have been charged after health care fraud sweeps were made across the United States, the federal government said Thursday.
Health Highlights: June 19, 2015
Readmitted Surgery Patients Fare Better at Same Hospital
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Surgery patients who suffer complications after discharge from a hospital are more likely to die if they’re readmitted to a different hospital than where they had their original operation, according to a new study published online June 17 in The Lancet.
Cosmetic Lip Augmentation May Help Ease Facial Paralysis
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with facial paralysis may benefit from cosmetic lip augmentation, according to research published online June 18 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.
Virtual Credit Card Fees Amount to 3 to 5 Percent of Payments
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Payment with virtual credit cards (VCCs) is associated with considerable fees, although physicians are often unaware of these charges, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Meta-Analysis: Oral Sex Is Not Risk Factor for Oral Cancer
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Oral sex is not an independent risk factor for oral cancer, according to a meta-analysis published online June 11 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine.
Direct Messaging Not Yet Widely Adopted by Physicians
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Direct secure messaging (Direct), which is a standardized protocol for exchanging clinical messages and attachments, has not been widely adopted by physicians, despite its potential for improving care coordination, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
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Review Examines Inappropriate Prescribing of IV Fluids
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Inappropriate prescribing of intravenous (IV) fluids most often involves incorrect volumes and types of IV fluids prescribed, according to a review published online June 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Article Weighs Paying Off Student Loans Versus Investment
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Newly-minted physicians should consider the issues relating to paying off their loans versus investing for retirement, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
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Fewer Malocclusions Seen in Exclusively Breastfed Children
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The more infants breastfeed, the less likely it is that they will develop any kind of misalignment in their teeth later on, but pacifiers can negate some of that potential benefit, according to a study published online June 15 in Pediatrics.
Half of Cancer Deaths Due to Past, Current Smoking
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About half of U.S. deaths caused by certain cancers — including lung, colorectum, and pancreatic tumors — can be attributed to smoking, a new American Cancer Society study estimates. The report was published online June 15 as a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Study Estimates Incidence of Surgical Never Events
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Wrong-site surgery and retained surgical items still occur, and evidence for interventions to prevent these is limited, according to a review published online June 10 in JAMA Surgery.
Obesity Ups Risks in Pediatric Procedural Sedation
FRIDAY, June 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For pediatric patients undergoing procedural sedation, obesity is associated with increased risk of adverse respiratory events and frequency of airway interventions, according to research published in the July issue of Pediatric Anesthesia.
Some Graduating Seniors Not Matching to Residency Positions
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More than 250 of this year’s graduating seniors from U.S. medical schools did not match to a residency position, according to the American Medical Association.
Report Offers Guidance on Medical Ethics Education
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An analysis of the current state of medical ethics education in the United States has been published in the June issue of Academic Medicine. The article, the Romanell Report, also offers guidance to assist medial ethics educators in meeting expectations.
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Geographic Location Most Important for Residents
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For residents, the most important element in a future practice is geographic location, with lifestyle, adequate call hours and personal time, and a good financial package also cited as being important, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Extra Time During MCAT Linked to Less Success in Med School
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical school applicants with Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores obtained with extra test administration time have lower rates of success in medical schools, according to a study published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Professional Guidelines Have Limited Impact on Pre-Op Testing
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The publication of 2002 professional guidelines on routine preoperative testing correlated with a reduction in routine electrocardiogram testing, but not in the incidence of radiography, hematocrit, urinalysis, or cardiac stress testing, according to research published online June 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Analysis Targets U.S. Hospitals With Highest Markups
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The 50 U.S. hospitals with the highest charge-to-cost ratio have markups approximately 10 times the Medicare-allowable costs, and most of these hospitals are for profit, according to a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs.
AMA Offers Guidance for Physician-Hospital Relationships
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New guidelines can enable successful physician hospital relationships and integrated leadership, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Pediatric Anesthesia Prior to Age 4 May Affect IQ Testing
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Children who receive general anesthesia during surgery before they turn 4 years of age may later score slightly lower on listening comprehension and performance IQ, compared to children who had never had general anesthesia; however, overall IQ scores appear to remain within the normal range. These findings were published online June 8 in Pediatrics.
Study IDs Surgical Never Events, Contributing Factors
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Surgical never events and contributing human factors have been identified, with individual cognitive factors contributing one half of all nano-codes, according to a study published online May 29 in Surgery.
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Formed
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nine states have enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact law, with the seventh state’s enactment triggering formation of a commission to administer a process for physicians seeking licensure in multiple states, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
CMS: Hospital Charges for Common Procedures Up
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The prices hospitals charge patients for a number of common procedures rose more than 10 percent between 2011 and 2013, more than twice the rate of inflation, according to data released by the federal government Monday.
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