One day after a 5½-year-old boy was released from the hospital for a routine tonsillectomy, he was comatose in the ER. The boy had undergone surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids to treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, a potentially serious sleep disorder that causes pauses in breathing and a blocked airway. The surgery was successful, and he was sent … Read More
Cyberattack may affect 11 million Premera insurance customers
A cyberattack may have compromised the personal information of approximately 11 million customers insured by Premera Blue Cross. On January 29, 2015, Premera discovered that attackers may have gained access to customer’s information dating as far back as 2002, including names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, addresses, bank-account information, and claim information, including clinical information, according to statement issued by … Read More
Precision Medicine: The Future is Now
By John C. Nelson, MD, MPH The Affordable Care Act provides a blueprint for health system reform in America. While increasing access to care, the quality of that care must be maintained or improved; and, costs must decrease. Innovation will be a key factor to bring about change. Personalized Medicine based on genetic information (or Precision Medicine as President Obama … Read More
March: Time to get in the know about colorectal cancer
By Karina Mazhukhina March is national colorectal cancer awareness month. This means if you or someone you love is 50 or older, now’s a perfect time to discuss screening with your physician. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S., of cancers that affect both men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention … Read More
‘Roadmap’ for nationwide health care IT interoperability released
Can nationwide interoperability across health care information technology systems be achieved by 2017? The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) hopes so, and has released a roadmap for how to get there. The ONC, the federal agency at the forefront of promoting health care IT, has published a draft of their “interoperability roadmap,” which members of … Read More
Genelex executive to speak on 2015 SXSW discussion panel
Genelex will have a face at this year’s SXSW Interactive Festival, one of the world’s most well-known global technology conferences, in Austin, Texas, on March 16. Kristine Ashcraft, Genelex’s Chief Operation Officer, will be part of a four-person panel discussion titled “Personalized Medicine: From a Vision Into a Plan”. The hour-long discussion will focus on how long it might take … Read More
Obamacare special enrollment period begins March 15
By Karina Mazhukhina To help consumers avoid tax penalties for not obtaining health insurance coverage this year, a special enrollment period will begin March 15 and end April 30. To qualify, people are expected to confirm: they had to pay a penalty in 2014; cannot claim their income tax forms were the first to inform them of their penalty; and … Read More
Large study links DPYD genetic variations and toxicity of cancer drug
The association between variants of the DPYD gene and serious side effects from the cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5–FU) in colon cancer patients has been bolstered by the results of recent large-scale study. The largest study to date investigating the association between DPYD variants and 5-FU adverse drug events has found a statistically significant association between two variants that decrease DPYD … Read More
Mixing old and new: House-call doctor uses cutting-edge technology in patient care
As a physician whose sole business is house calls, Devang Patel, DO, racks up quite a few miles seeing patients in the Plainfield area of Illinois. Dr. Patel begins every morning with a paper printout of his patient roster for the day, and more than a little technology. With his laptop and medical supplies in his car and the morning’s … Read More
Supplements, smoking could have effect on drug metabolism
Much has been written about the ability of both medications and individual genetics to affect how people metabolize drugs. But did you know things like herbal supplements, smoking cigarettes and even grapefruit juice could have the same effect? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned, for example, that certain dietary supplements can boost the effects of other medications as … Read More