Patient Care

This page includes news coverage of various aspects of patient healthcare, including new technology innovations, what is working, what is not, personalized medicine and remote and telemedicine delivery. Find specific news in the areas of Care Delivery, Digital Transformation, Precision Medicine, Remote Monitoring and Telehealth.

Weight-loss surgery protects the heart more than GLP-1 drugs
Both treatment options were found to be effective in a new meta-analysis of nearly 20,000 patients. Surgery, however, had the most substantial long-term impact.
Researchers develop active listening system for creating ‘workforce wellness culture’ among healthcare workers
Healthcare leaders looking to optimize their workplaces for the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers have a new model from which to draw how-to tips, ideas and guidance.
It’s about to get harder for many Medicare patients to see a cardiologist
UnitedHealthcare now requires patients enrolled in certain Medicare Advantage plans to receive a PCP referral before seeing a cardiologist. On May 1, the insurer will start denying all claims that do not include the necessary referral. UnitedHealthcare argues that "stronger PCP engagement" is good for patient care, but many stakeholders disagree.
Days after ransomware attack, UMMC clinics remain closed as emergency rooms rely on paper backups
University of Mississippi Medical Center revealed on Thursday that it was the victim of an ongoing cyberattack, leading to disruptions throughout the health system. It's now been forced to close all clinics statewide until at least Feb. 25, as phone systems and the EHR remain inaccessible.
New group names 4 things US healthcare can—and should—handle on behalf of Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers
Alzheimer’s disease already has the nation in a crisis of care capacity. The pressure to do more in response is mounting. Meanwhile the true total cost is hard to estimate since so many dementia caregivers are unpaid family members and other volunteers.

weight loss surgery bariatric Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy

Weight-loss surgery protects the heart more than GLP-1 drugs

Both treatment options were found to be effective in a new meta-analysis of nearly 20,000 patients. Surgery, however, had the most substantial long-term impact.

Researchers develop active listening system for creating ‘workforce wellness culture’ among healthcare workers

Healthcare leaders looking to optimize their workplaces for the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers have a new model from which to draw how-to tips, ideas and guidance.

It’s about to get harder for many Medicare patients to see a cardiologist

UnitedHealthcare now requires patients enrolled in certain Medicare Advantage plans to receive a PCP referral before seeing a cardiologist. On May 1, the insurer will start denying all claims that do not include the necessary referral. UnitedHealthcare argues that "stronger PCP engagement" is good for patient care, but many stakeholders disagree.

cybersecurity hacker ransomware cyber data breach

Days after ransomware attack, UMMC clinics remain closed as emergency rooms rely on paper backups

University of Mississippi Medical Center revealed on Thursday that it was the victim of an ongoing cyberattack, leading to disruptions throughout the health system. It's now been forced to close all clinics statewide until at least Feb. 25, as phone systems and the EHR remain inaccessible.

New group names 4 things US healthcare can—and should—handle on behalf of Alzheimer’s patients, caregivers

Alzheimer’s disease already has the nation in a crisis of care capacity. The pressure to do more in response is mounting. Meanwhile the true total cost is hard to estimate since so many dementia caregivers are unpaid family members and other volunteers.

Teenage cannabis users twice as likely as non-users to develop psychosis, bipolar disorder

The new research doesn’t solve the mystery of which tends to come first—the mental illness or the drug use. Regardless, the large study serves to underscore the need for proactive and preventive measures.

Registry data point to ‘striking shift’ in treatment decisions after FDA approved low-risk TAVR

Many experts still recommend SAVR over TAVR for patients younger than 65 years old with severe aortic stenosis. However, transcatheter treatments are growing more and more popular when these younger patients require a valve replacement.

Death after PCI seen in just 0.5% of patients—heart attack, cardiac arrest most common causes

The new analysis included data from more than 22,000 PCI patients treated at one of two high-volume U.S. facilities. Infection was the most common noncardiac cause of death.