Practice Management News

Three-dimensional spin-echo echo planar imaging was more accurate in diagnosing liver fibrosis among patients with chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infections compared with 2-D gradient-recalled echo, according to published findings in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Recent findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggested that 26.9% of general medicine patient readmissions are potentially preventable. Also, the most common factors that contributed to preventable readmissions were premature discharge, ED decision making, inability to keep appointments after discharge, and patient lack of awareness of whom to call after discharge.

When hospitalists responded to patients with empathy, those patients experienced decreases in anxiety.

All veterans with hepatitis C virus infection will be able to be treated for the infection regardless of liver disease stage for fiscal year 2016, according to a press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma admitted to the hospital on the weekend had an increased likelihood for mortality vs. patients admitted on a weekday, according to data presented at the Society of Hospital Medicine Annual Meeting 2016.

BOSTON — Interventions and surveillance techniques used to control the HIV and hepatitis C epidemic in Scott County, Indiana, may prevent future outbreaks in other states and local health jurisdictions that are threatened by an increasing trend in injection drug use, according to two presentations at CROI 2016.

Olympus Corporation of the Americas has reached an agreement with the United States Department of Justice to pay more than $600 million in settlements to resolve two separate investigations concerning allegations that the company and a subsidiary respectively violated the U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute and the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, according to a press release.

BOSTON — In the ASCEND clinical trial, researchers found that hepatitis C virus infection treatment administered to a patient by a primary care physician or nurse practitioner is safe and effective, according to a Late Breaker presented at CROI 2016.

The FDA announced that the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Robert Califf, MD, MACC, as commissioner of the agency.

In a retrospective study, researchers found that patients who received total IV anesthesia with propofol experienced less pain post-liver surgery vs. patients who received sevoflurane.