Governor Kathy Hochul proposed this week that New York become the first state to require health systems to implement cyber defenses; a new report from the World Health Organization and the CDC highlighted a staggering rise in measles cases and deaths in 2022; a study published this week claimed that more than a tenth of fecal immunochemical tests used for routine colorectal cancer screening could not be processed by labs.
Governor Kathy Hochul proposed this week that New York become the first state to require health systems to implement cyber defenses, like preparing response plans for a potential attack, according to Axios. This would require all New York hospitals to have a cybersecurity program, designate a chief information security officer, perform risk assessments, and utilize multifactor authentication; if the proposal goes into effect, hospitals would have 1 year to comply. The proposal demonstrates the shift of viewing health care cyber attacks as a privacy issue to a patient safety issue since they disrupt how and where health systems provide care. Experts told Axios they expect this proposal to be the first of more hospital cyber mandates nationwide.
A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC identifies a staggering rise in measles cases and deaths in 2022, according to Reuters. The health agencies found that cases jumped 18% to about 9 million, and there were 136,000 deaths, mostly among children. The outbreaks occurred in 37 countries, most in Africa; in comparison, measles outbreaks occurred in 22 countries in 2021. The health agencies attributed this uptick in cases to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting routine immunization efforts as 22 million children worldwide missed their first dose in 2022, and an additional 11 million children missed their second dose. Kate O’Brien, WHO’s director of immunization, said this should be an “alarm bell for action” for countries and global health stakeholders.
A study published this week in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention claimed that more than a tenth of fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) used for routine colorectal cancer screening contained samples that could not be processed by labs, according to Stat. The study analyzed the Dallas-based Parkland Health System's electronic health records of 56,980 patients aged 50 to 74 years who got a FIT screening between 2010 and 2019 either in a clinic or through the mail. Of the 5819 patients with an unsatisfactory test, a little above half had an inadequate specimen, 27% had incomplete labeling, 13% had an old sample, and 8% involved a broken or leaking container. The proportion of returned and unprocessed samples is over twice the amount recommended by the US Multi-Society Task Force, which recommended that no more than 5% should go unprocessed.
Patients With HFrEF, HFpEF See Different Functional Capacity Benefits With Dapagliflozin
December 7th 2023The DETERMINE-Reduced and DETERMINE-Preserved trials demonstrated varying benefits of dapagliflozin on Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Total Symptom Score and Physical Limitation Scale as well as 6-minute walk distance.
Read More
Black Patients With Ulcerative Colitis Less Likely to Undergo IPAA Than White Patients
December 7th 2023Overall, the number of patients discharged from hospitals with an ulcerative colitis diagnosis increased between 2009 and 2018, but the number of patients opting for ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) decreased.
Read More
Examining Telehealth Uptake to Increase Equitable Care Access
January 26th 2023To mark the publication of The American Journal of Managed Care®’s 12th annual health IT issue, on this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Christopher M. Whaley, PhD, health care economist at the RAND Corporation, who focuses on health economics issues, including the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care delivery.
Listen
Negotiations to extend US global HIV/AIDS relief work are deadlocked; the Biden administration delayed its rule on the proposed menthol cigarette ban until March 2024 after lobbying by civil rights groups; federal agencies have partnered with a digital health company to create an at-home test-to-treat program for flu and COVID-19.
Read More