Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pulmonology for November 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.
AAFP Recommends Doctors Explore Use of Social Media
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The use of social media channels and associated benefits for physicians are highlighted in a recent article published by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). And guidelines are provided for physicians wishing to become active in social media.
Cost of Private Rooms Less Than That Associated With Infections
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients in private hospital rooms are less likely to develop infections, which saves hospitals money in the long run, according to a study published online recently in the Journal of Critical Care.
FDA Approves Portrazza for Advanced Squamous NSCLC
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Portrazza (necitumumab), in combination with two other chemotherapy drugs, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the agency said Tuesday in a news release.
Music Can Help Doctors Develop Relationships With Patients
TUESDAY, Nov. 24 2015 (HealthDay News) — For one physician, writing songs has improved her self-awareness and strengthened her relationships with patients, according to an article published by the American Medical Association.
Central Sleep Apnea Predicts Atrial Fibrillation in Older Men
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Central sleep apnea and Cheyne Stokes respiration predict incident atrial fibrillation in older men, according to a study published online Nov. 23 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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ACP: Physicians Should Prescribe Generic Meds If Possible
TUESDAY, Nov. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Physicians should prescribe generic medications whenever possible, keeping in mind that generics have comparable effectiveness to brand name medications and are associated with reduced costs and increased adherence, according to new guidelines published online Nov. 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Fatal Train Derailment Likely Due to Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea
MONDAY, Nov. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Findings from a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into a train derailment highlight the importance of diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea, according to a report published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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New Drug Looks Promising for Respiratory Syncytial Virus
THURSDAY, Nov. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An experimental drug shows promise as a treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to a study published in the Nov. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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E-Portfolio Developed to Assess Millennial Med Students
THURSDAY, Nov. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Electronic portfolios are being used to transform medical students’ assessments and track progress as students advance through medical training, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Factors ID’d That Predict Antibiotic Rx in Pediatric URI
THURSDAY, Nov. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Factors that relate to appropriate management of upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) in children include clinician specialty and patient race/ethnicity and age, according to a study published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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AAFP: Expected 0.5 Percent Pay Increase Reduced to Zero
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A small but promised Medicare pay increase has effectively been reduced to zero for all physician specialties, according to the final 2016 Medicare physician fee schedule and a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Vitamin D Supplementation Doesn’t Cut Colds in Asthma
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Vitamin D supplementation does not reduce cold severity or frequency among adults with mild-to-moderate asthma, according to a study published online Nov. 5 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Burnout Reduces Readiness to Change Teaching Approaches
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Occupational burnout appears to reduce clinical faculty members’ readiness to change teaching approaches, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Prognostic Biomarkers ID’d in Pulmonary Hypertension
TUESDAY, Nov. 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Biomarkers have been identified for the risk of lung transplantation and death in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a study published online Oct. 26 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Successful Treatment of U.S. Child With XDR Tuberculosis
MONDAY, Nov. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A 5-year-old child from the United States, diagnosed at age 2 with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis after traveling to India, is finally in remission, researchers report. A detailed account of the child’s diagnosis and treatment, and the obstacles that clinicians at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore faced, was published in the December issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Transitional Care Interventions Cut Risk of Readmission in CHF
MONDAY, Nov. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with congestive heart failure, transitional care interventions (TCIs), especially high-intensity TCIs, are effective for reducing the risks of readmission and emergency department visits, according to a review published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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CDC: Adult Smoking Rate Falls to New Low in the United States
FRIDAY, Nov. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Under 17 percent of adults said they smoked in 2014, down from nearly 21 percent in 2005. And the average number of cigarettes smoked daily fell from nearly 17 to fewer than 14 by 2014. The latest numbers are published in the Nov. 13 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Swiss Report Highlights Danger of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Although antibiotics have largely eradicated tuberculosis (TB) in the United States in recent decades, researchers say evidence is mounting that the bacteria is becoming increasingly resistant to these medications. Details of a recent Swiss case are reported in the Nov. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Substantial Increase in Costs for Uncontrolled Asthma
THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of patients with mild to moderate asthma are symptomatically uncontrolled, and uncontrolled asthma is associated with significantly increased costs, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in Allergy.
About Half of Pulmonologists Tend to Offer LDCT Screening
THURSDAY, Nov. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About half of pulmonologists have a propensity for guideline-concordant low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening for lung cancer, according to a study published in the November issue of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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ACP Issues Guidance on ‘Concierge’ Practices
TUESDAY, Nov. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Direct patient contracting practices (DPCPs), in which patients pay out of pocket for some or all services provided by the practice, are growing in popularity, according to a position paper published online Nov. 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Surgery Can Benefit ‘Ineligible’ High-Risk Lung Cancer Patients
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — One in five patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer are deemed high-risk or ineligible for lung surgery, but these patients may benefit from the procedure, according to research published online Nov. 9 in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Case Report Highlights Dangers of Natural Remedies
TUESDAY, Nov. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A case of accidental overdose of an Atropa belladonna preparation highlights the dangers of the use of herbal remedies, according to a case report published online Nov. 5 in BMJ Case Reports.
Expanding Rooming, Discharge Office Protocols Can Save Time
MONDAY, Nov. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Expanding protocols for rooming and discharge can allow physicians to free up an hour or more of time per day, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Study Explores Comfort With Non In-Person Test Results
MONDAY, Nov. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients have different preferences for non in-person receipt of test results, with preferences varying by test, according to a study published in the November-December issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
Web-Based CBT Program Cuts Suicidal Ideation in Interns
MONDAY, Nov. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A web-based cognitive behavioral therapy (wCBT) program is effective for preventing suicidal ideation among medical interns, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Emotional Intelligence Linked to Self-Management in COPD
FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Emotional intelligence, the capacity to understand and manage personal thoughts and feelings, is associated with self-management abilities and quality of life in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study published online Oct. 26 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
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Lipophilic Tops Hydrophilic Statins for Heart Failure
FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with heart failure, lipophilic statin is superior to hydrophilic statin for cardiac function and inflammation, according to a meta-analysis published in the December issue of Cardiovascular Therapeutics.
Updated Checklist for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy Studies
FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An updated list of 30 essential items should be included in every report of a diagnostic accuracy study, according to the Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) 2015. These new guidelines have been published in several journals, including Radiology, Clinical Chemistry, and The BMJ.
Doctors Who Order More Tests Have Fewer Malpractice Claims
THURSDAY, Nov. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) –The more tests and treatments U.S. doctors order for patients, the less likely they are to be sued for malpractice, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in The BMJ.
Poll: Americans Want Health Care Costs Kept in Check
THURSDAY, Nov. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most Americans now support aggressive regulation to keep health care costs in check — including price caps on drugs, medical devices, and payments to doctors and hospitals, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll has found.
Progress Made in Early Trial of RSV Vaccine
THURSDAY, Nov. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Another research team is reporting progress toward developing a vaccine to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Their findings were published in the Nov. 4 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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ACP Joins Amicus Curiae Brief to Supreme Court
THURSDAY, Nov. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The American College of Physicians (ACP) has joined other organizations in an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court, urging the court to uphold considerations of race and ethnicity in the medical school admissions process.
Sleep-Disordered Breathing in REM Linked to Insulin Resistance
THURSDAY, Nov. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The correlation between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and glucose metabolism varies for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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AMA: 6 Steps to Help Ensure Patients Get Preventive Care
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Panel management, or population health management, can help physicians provide necessary preventive and chronic care to all patients regardless of their visit frequency, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Doctors Should Consider Financial Factors Before Career Change
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Financial and other factors should be considered before physicians change career direction, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Prescription Medication Use on the Rise in the United States
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More Americans than ever are taking prescription drugs, as well as using more of them, according to research published in the Nov. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Guidelines Issued for Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The first guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in children have been published online Nov. 3 in Circulation.
Sweetened Drinks Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Failure
TUESDAY, Nov. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Regular consumption of soda or sweetened fruit drinks may increase risk for heart failure in men, according to research published online Nov. 2 in Heart.
New Electronic Health Record Regulations Released
TUESDAY, Nov. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New electronic health record (EHR) regulations modify Stage 2 of the meaningful use program and finalize requirements for Stage 3, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Competition for Fellowships Broke Records in 2015
MONDAY, Nov. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — According to the American Medical Association (AMA), 2015 was a record-breaking year for fellowship applications.
Prescribing Drugs ‘Off-Label’ Can Pose Serious Safety Risks
MONDAY, Nov. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Off-label drug use puts patients at risk for serious side effects, especially when scientific evidence is lacking, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Displaying Prices to Providers Seems to Reduce Order Costs
MONDAY, Nov. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Displaying order prices to physicians seems to reduce order costs, according to a review published online Oct. 23 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
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