Healio Minute Monday, March 17, 2014 Edition: Nerve stimulation saved costs, Google Glass consults tested, glucosamine fails knee cartilage trial

What just happened in medicine and why do you care?

Estimate shows TENS system for low back pain may save CMS millions

Healio.com/Pain Management Patients treated with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation had significantly fewer hospital and clinic visits, used less diagnostic imaging, had fewer physical therapy visits, and required less back surgery than patients receiving other treatment modalities. Read more.

Study focuses on Google Glass for dermatology consultations

Healio.com/Dermatology Researchers also envision the technology eventually being used by first responders and nursing homes as a tool to communicate with emergency medicine physicians. Read more.

Glucosamine provided no structural benefits for chronic knee pain

Healio.com/Rheumatology Results suggest that administration of glucosamine hydrochloride in a beverage for 24 weeks is not associated with less deterioration in knee cartilage damage. Read more.

Investigational TB vaccine to be tested

Healio.com/Infectious Disease Using a new trial design, researchers will test for infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a marker of the vaccine’s efficacy, producing faster clinical results that could possibly lead to larger randomized trials. Read more.

Medicare SGR reform hits another political snag in Congress

Healio.com/Practice Management Republican-controlled House of Representatives approves a measure, but it includes “poison pill” provisions to delay implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Read more.