CVS Health’s merger with managed care company Aetna has resulted in lower stock shares and some financial stress, but strategies to reduce unnecessary medical expenses and capitalize on trends like cannabis legalization might ease some of that discomfort, CNBC reported March 21.

BrightWater Medical, a medical device company based in Temecula, California, announced that its new stent system for treating biliary obstructions has gained FDA approval.

CMS issued its final Health Insurance Exchanges 2019 Open Enrollment Report on March 25, touting stabilized premiums and extended “grandmother” policies amid sign-ups that numbered 300,000 fewer than last year.

An AI-powered intervention supported by Google Glass reinforced facial engagement and emotion recognition in a study of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting the digital approach might be a viable way to support those patients without spending five figures on conventional therapy.  

Training interventional radiologists how to perform endovascular thrombectomies is an effective way to improve patient care, according to research presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting. 

Royal Philips has acquired Direct Radiology’s teleradiology platform and business operations.

Four years ago the U.K.’s Royal College of Radiologists released its evidence-based “iRefer” guidelines to help referring physicians in Ireland order the right imaging at the right time for the right indication. Now researchers on the Emerald Isle have compared the appropriateness of imaging ordered before and after the release, with an eye on economic costs as well as radiation doses.

An expert consensus statement published by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) offers guidance for the safe and effective use of patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure devices to prevent recurrent stroke.

Dense breast notification (DBN) laws that require recommending supplemental tests and cancer diagnosis after screening mammography boosted ultrasound use and cancer detection rates in a recent study of more than 1 million women across the U.S.

Patients with severe but asymptomatic aortic stenosis have better survival two and three years later if an aortic valve replacement (AVR) is initially recommended instead of a “watchful waiting” approach, according to a single-center study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.