MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Patients at risk for rapid vision loss might soon see new diagnostic tools in 3 "advanced optical measures" that can help determine risk level, according to a study out of the University of Houston College of Optometry.
Dr. Darren Koenig found that the 3 measures – eye quality, optical light scatter and lens clouding – were good predictors of rapid vision loss at a 4 year follow-up in adults aged 50 to 80. The findings suggest that the condition may be caught before vision begins to seriously deteriorate, the authors wrote.
Boston’s Partners HealthCare will integrate patient data
Partners HealthCare in Boston said it will merge data from its remote patient monitoring devices into its larger electronic health record system, integrating the data directly from at-home devices.
The data integration, coordinated through the Center for Connected Healthcare, will provide patients online access to their metrics, like heart rate and glucose levels, and will grant doctors access to this information through a separate portal.
The Center has been working on this remote patient monitoring data project since 2005.
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Defibrillator patients who check in fare better after ICD surgery
A Heart Rhythm journal analysis of a large U.S. registry of patients with implanted defibrillator devices showed that those who made it to their follow-up appointments in the weeks following surgery had significantly better survival rates.
The analysis, led by Duke Clinical Research Institute’s Dr. Paul Hess, was the 1st to evaluate the relationship between early routine follow-ups and quality measures. The analysis, which adjusted for factors like age, race, insurance status, and other factors, showed that patients with early follow up had better survival at 12 months.
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HHS Secretary says the government will negotiate directly with insurers
For newly forming insurance exchanges
that are part of healthcare reform, Secretary of Health & Human Services Dept. Kathleen Sebelius said the federal government will negotiate directly with insurance companies over premiums. The department is reaching out to insurers whose rates are much higher or lower than average, and plans to actively run some or all of the insurance exchanges in 34 states.
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In clinical trials for children, a disconnect between parents and docs
There is a wide disconnect between parents considering enrolling their children in clinical trials and the primary investigators, according to a market research study conducted by clinical trial recruitment firm Blue Chip.
The study’s findings showed that many parents would be willing to enroll their children if informed of clinical trial opportunities and that physicians should focus on how the trial will benefit the child directly, as opposed to wider benefits to future children.
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