ATS: American Thoracic Society International Conference

Michelle M Cloutier, MD, is professor emerita at UCONN Health in Farmington, Connecticut, and chair of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group.

Data from the Mayo Clinic suggest that smokers who have quit longer than 15 years may need to be screened for lung cancer, yet they fall outside the window recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force.

Researchers based at the University of Michigan compared patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in Medicaid expansion states with those in nonexpansion states, focusing on 18 specific conditions identified as severe illnesses that could be avoided through better preventive care.

From smartphones to smart rescue inhalers, researchers offered ideas to make chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care more data-driven and personalized.

Navigating FDA's rules to get a fixed-dose combination therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease approved required a large study and a specific population.

Two scientists taking part in a session on addiction and pulmonary health outlined existing evidence about marijuana's effects on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and cancer. But one speaker warned there are too few longitudinal studies in this area.

Results presented at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference confirm a hypothesis about the connections among pollution, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

A session at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference examined the factors that contribute to disparities and potential partnerships between doctors and lawyers on behalf of patients.

Officials with GlaxoSmithKline said COLUMBA is the first long-term study for an anti-IL5 biologic to treat severe asthma that has been reported.

Attendees at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference, meeting in San Diego, California, heard details that led to FDA's recent expansion of the indication for GlaxoSmithKline's Trelegy Ellipta, including findings that the once-daily combination also provides significant mortality benefits over a dual therapy that is often the combination patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are taking when triple therapy is recommended.

In "What Does the Affordable Care Act Actually Do?," presented by Ivor Douglas, MD, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Denver, Chief, Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine Director, Medical Intensive Care, Denver Health Medical Center, at the ATS 2013 International Conference, Dr Douglas noted that fundamental issues driving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) include access, quality, and cost.

Richard Channick, MD, Director, Pulmonary Hypertension and Thromboendarterectomy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, spoke at the 2013 American Thoracic Society International Conference as part of a session featuring the Clinical Trials in Pulmonary Hypertension.

In this video, Richard Channick, MD, Director, Pulmonary Hypertension and Thromboendarterectomy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, speaks about the use of Macitentan for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Colin Cooke, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, says that hospitals with higher readmission rates that treat patients with acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia will be penalized due to healthcare reform.

The panel at the American Thoracic Society 2013 International Conference continued discussions that suggested high rates of hospital readmissions may be an indicator of poor initial treatment, or failure to coordinate care. Further, these rates, which varied dramatically from hospital to hospital, were often excessively expensive.

Scott Halpern, MD, PhD, discussed the Choosing Wisely campaign with his opening presentation on The History of and Rationale for the Choosing Wisely Campaign. As most healthcare providers know, healthcare spending per capita in the United States is significantly higher than most other countries.

David Au, MD, Professor, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, says that hospital systems represent only one aspect of care delivery for patients who have been hospitalized.

In this video, Gulshan Sharma, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, addresses the hospitalist movement, which has resulted in shorter hospital stays and lower costs of care.

David H. Au, MD, MS, kicked off the Hospital Readmissions session at the American Thoracic Society 2013 conference with his presentation on Defining the Role of the Practitioner, Scientist and Policymaker. In the presentation, Dr Au says that it is important for all stakeholders in the healthcare industry to focus on hospital readmission rates.

Dr Keertan Dheda's presentation at the American Thoratic Society 2013 International Conference, XDR TB: What Else Can We Do? focused on the growing epidemic of drug resistant tuberculosis (DR TB). Dr Dheda said there are about 25000 XDR TB global cases annually, and that DR TB can be very expensive to treat and manage.

"I think probably most importantly, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) seeks to expand insurance coverage for a large population of people," said Colin Cooke, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.

David Weidig, MD, System Director of Hospital Medicine, Aurora Medical Group, Milwaukee, WI, says that readmissions are not necessarily a failure of medical treatment, but a failure of psycologic and social support systems for the patient that are not addressed while the patient is hospitalized.