Breast Cancer Screening Tool Avoids Radiation, Compression, Contrast
QT Imaging introduced a 3‑D ultrasound breast‑cancer screening tool that eliminates compression, radiation, and contrast agents. Early head‑to‑head trials with Mayo Clinic suggest detection rates comparable to MRI while potentially reducing unnecessary biopsies. The scanner automatically measures breast density and can be operated by medical assistants, expanding access for women with dense tissue. Priced at $600‑$700 per scan, the technology currently relies on out‑of‑pocket payment, but a Category III reimbursement code takes effect on Jan 1 2027, signaling a path toward insurance coverage.
Registration Is Open for the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Camps
Registration is now open for the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 camp season, which will host more than 40 camps in 28 states. The program serves children, teens and adults living with diabetes, offering weekend or week‑long day and overnight sessions...
A Political History of Australian Health Policy, Part 2: Health in Hard Times, 1934-1943
The article examines how Australia’s health policy transformed between 1934 and 1943 as the Great Depression and World War II reframed sickness from a public‑health issue to a socioeconomic risk. Election rhetoric during this period increasingly portrayed illness as a threat...
Steam Trap Surveys Boost Hospital Efficiency, Safety
American Plant Maintenance (APM Steam) conducted a comprehensive steam‑trap survey across Northwell Health’s hospital network, inspecting 9,817 traps. The audit uncovered over $2.4 million in gas and electric savings, 946,500 natural‑gas therms conserved, and nearly $1.2 million in utility incentives. A detailed...
STAT+: Erasca Touts Strong, Though Preliminary, Results in Trial of Pancreatic and Lung Cancer Therapy
Erasca announced that its oral RAS‑targeting drug ERAS‑0015 produced tumor shrinkage in 40% of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and 62% of those with advanced non‑small‑cell lung cancer. The early‑stage data, gathered from trials in the United States and China,...
Health Systems Can Get Started With Microsoft Dragon Copilot Today to Improve Clinical Workflows
Microsoft’s Dragon Copilot, an AI‑driven clinical assistant, is now generally available for health systems. The platform automates documentation, pulls data from electronic health records, and offers role‑specific workflows for physicians, nurses and radiologists. More than 100,000 clinicians have adopted the...
A Treatment for Pre-Eclampsia May Be on the Horizon
Researchers have unveiled a blood‑filtering therapy that shows promise in treating pre‑eclampsia, a life‑threatening pregnancy complication. Early‑stage trials reported significant reductions in maternal blood pressure and improved organ function without harming the fetus. The approach works by extracorporeally removing circulating...
Federal Circuit Clarifies Written Description and Enablement Standards for Method-of-Treatment Patent Claims Using a Well-Known Antibody Genus
On April 16, 2026, the Federal Circuit reversed a district‑court ruling and held that Teva’s method‑of‑treatment patents for treating headache with anti‑CGRP antagonist antibodies met the written‑description and enablement requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112. The court distinguished the Supreme Court’s Amgen decision,...
Large Study Looks At Benefits Of Doula Care On Postpartum Outcomes
A new JAMA Network Open meta‑analysis of 22 studies confirms that birth doulas lower maternal anxiety, boost early breastfeeding rates, and improve postpartum follow‑up, though they do not significantly affect cesarean rates or labor pain. Medicaid coverage for doula services...
(Re)Designing Care Delivery and Operating Models for the Future at the AHA Leadership Summit
The American Hospital Association’s Leadership Summit will convene July 12‑14 in Denver, gathering more than 125 speakers from over 60 hospitals and health systems. The three‑day program tackles the most pressing challenges in health care, including value‑based care, workforce redesign, AI,...
FY 2027 IPPS/LTCH PPS Proposed Rule Summary
On April 10, 2026 CMS issued a proposed rule outlining FY 2027 payment rates and policies for Medicare’s inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long‑term care hospital (LTCH) PPS, with a public comment deadline of June 9, 2026. The rule sets operating and...
Boston Scientific Pacemakers Recalled Again—Software Update Now Available
The FDA issued a Class I recall affecting more than 1.4 million Boston Scientific pacemakers after reports that a battery‑related flaw could force devices into a permanent safety mode, resulting in over 800 injuries and two deaths. Boston Scientific has released a...
Nervonik Announces $52.5M Series B Financing
Nervonik, a clinical‑stage medical‑device firm focused on peripheral nerve stimulation, announced the close of a $52.5 million Series B round. The financing was led by Amzak Health and attracted participation from Elevage Medical Technologies, U.S. Venture Partners, Lumira Ventures, Foothill Ventures, and...
Early Detection of Bowel Cancer in the UK Represents Success of Screening Program
The UK’s bowel‑cancer screening programme, launched in 2006, is delivering measurable gains. NHS data show 7 million people screened in 2025, up from 4.7 million in 2015, and 70,000 cancers detected among 85 million tests. The rollout of home‑based faecal immunochemical kits and...
Medtronic Reports Data Breach on Corporate IT Systems
Medtronic disclosed an unauthorized access to its corporate IT systems but said the breach did not affect product, manufacturing or patient‑care networks. The company activated its incident‑response plan, engaged external cybersecurity experts, and is reviewing whether personal data was exposed....
Court Rejects Wrongful Termination Claim Against UC Health After HIPAA Report
An Ohio appellate court affirmed UC Health's decision to fire social worker Danielle Drake after she accessed a patient’s protected health information to report a suspected HIPAA breach. The court found the employer had a legitimate business justification, noting Drake’s...
DeviceTalks Minnesota 2026 Show Preview: Speakers, Exhibitors and More
DeviceTalks Minnesota will convene on May 4, 2026 at the University of Minnesota’s McNamara Alumni Center. The agenda features keynotes from Abbott’s Lisa Earnhardt, Solventum’s Heather Knight, HistoSonics’ Mike Blue and Medical 21’s Manny Villafaña, plus panels of med‑tech OEMs. Exhibitors such as...
Radiation Therapist Vacancy Rates on the Decline, New Data Reveal
New data from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists show radiation‑therapy staffing shortages easing. Vacancy rates for radiation therapists fell from 13.6% in 2025 to 11.4% in 2026, while dosimetrist openings dropped from 9.6% to 6.8% over the same period....
Serif Biomedicines Raises $50 Million
Flagship Pioneering announced the creation of Serif Biomedicines, a new biotech focused on Modified DNA therapeutics. The company emerges after five years of platform development. Flagship pledged an initial $50 million to fund the launch. The venture positions Serif to pursue...
Radiation Oncology Community Seeking Relief From an Emerging Crisis Under 2026 Changes to Medicare Coding and Reimbursement
Radiation oncology providers are experiencing sharp reimbursement declines after CMS implemented new 2026 Medicare coding and payment rules that redefined CPT 77402, 77407 and 77412. A March ASTRO survey shows many practices losing more than 10% of revenue, with some...
FDA May Be Poised To Collaborate With Paradigm On AI Model
The FDA is reportedly preparing an announcement on real‑world evidence (RWE) that could involve a partnership with Paradigm on its new SPIRAL artificial‑intelligence model. SPIRAL is designed to generate RWE for post‑approval and late‑stage clinical studies, leveraging large‑scale health‑data sources....
AI Learning Model Predicted Cognitive Status in Patients With MS
A multimodal artificial‑intelligence model achieved 90% validation accuracy in forecasting cognitive decline among multiple sclerosis patients. The study followed 224 MS patients for a median of 3.4 years, finding that 12% experienced worsening neurocognitive status. Explainable AI pinpointed brain regions...
Age, Education Predict Effective Cataract Surgery Coverage
A study of 8,211 adults in Fujian, China, found that only 34.7% achieved effective cataract surgery coverage—defined as post‑operative visual acuity of 6/12 or better. When the outcome threshold was relaxed to 6/18 and 6/60, coverage rose to 51% and...
Internet Pharmacy Warning Letters
The FDA has intensified its crackdown on unsafe online pharmacies, issuing more than 40 warning letters between 2023 and early 2026 to sites such as Beauty of Aztlan, RxGoodUSA and OnlineRxMedz. The letters cite violations like selling unapproved drugs without...
Thanks to GLP-1s, Obesity Experts Are Trying to Understand ‘Food Noise’
New GLP-1 obesity drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound have been found to silence the internal “food noise” that drives constant thoughts about eating. Patients describe a dramatic reduction in cravings and mental chatter about food after starting...
Canon Medical Systems USA: Made for Every Life: Canon Medical’s Humane, High-Impact Imaging
Canon Medical Systems USA is expanding its high‑impact imaging portfolio with AI‑driven CT, 4D CT, and vendor‑neutral interoperability to tackle staffing shortages and cost pressures in U.S. healthcare. The company’s AI‑enabled workflow tools have cut scan steps by 40% and...
Maine Health Care Transactions: New State Approvals Involving Some Private Equity, Hedge Funds, and MSOs
On April 13, 2026 Governor Janet Mills signed Act H.P. 1480/L.D. 2201, granting Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services authority to review health‑care transactions involving private‑equity firms, hedge funds, and related management‑services organizations (MSOs). The law creates a 180‑day pre‑closing notice requirement, annual reporting,...
The Real Cost of Ozempic, Wegovy and Other GLP-1 Drugs — With and Without Insurance
GLP‑1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound command list prices north of $1,000 per month, making them among the most expensive outpatient medications. Insurance can dramatically lower out‑of‑pocket costs, with copays ranging from $25 to $50 for many enrollees,...
Oncology Care Model Tied to Reduced Chemotherapy, Lower Medicare Spending in Poor-Prognosis Cancers
The CMS Oncology Care Model (OCM) was linked to reduced chemotherapy initiation and lower Medicare spending for poor‑prognosis cancers, according to a JAMA Internal Medicine study. Participants received a $160 per‑patient‑per‑month care‑coordination payment, and episode savings grew from $297 after...
Primary Care-Focused QI Effort Didn’t Improve Secondary CV Prevention: QUEL
The QUEL randomized cluster trial evaluated a 12‑month data‑driven quality‑improvement program across 51 Australian primary‑care practices caring for 7,864 patients with coronary heart disease. The intervention, which included benchmarking, monthly reporting and improvement planning, failed to lower unplanned cardiovascular hospitalizations...
AI Innovation Series 2026 — Daniel Zhu, VP of Product Management, Data and AI/ML, MatrixCare
In an AI Innovation Series interview, MatrixCare’s VP of Product Management Daniel Zhu outlines how artificial intelligence can personalize hospice care at scale, act as an early‑warning companion for pain, symptom and caregiver‑stress changes, and alleviate clinicians’ documentation burden. He...
HRS Program Modestly Boosts Early Rhythm Control for AF
The Heart Rhythm Society’s COMPASS quality‑improvement initiative modestly raised early rhythm‑control use in newly diagnosed atrial‑fibrillation patients from 29% to 33% across three U.S. health systems. The gain was driven primarily by increased catheter‑ablation referrals, alongside higher rates of electrophysiology...
AI Innovation Series 2026 — Sarah Williams, Director of Administrative Services, Hospice in the Pines
Hospice in the Pines’ director Sarah Williams discussed how AI can act as an assistant, automating documentation and surfacing clinical patterns so clinicians spend more time at the bedside. She emphasized AI’s role in predictive analytics for pain, symptom changes, and...
Withdrawn | Cancer Accelerated Approvals
The FDA has withdrawn 31 cancer drugs that were granted accelerated approval, spanning indications from lung and breast cancer to rare lymphomas. The most recent removal was Trodelvy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma on November 22, 2024. Withdrawals typically follow failed...
Exercise, Ibuprofen Reduce Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment
A phase‑2 randomized trial of 86 chemotherapy patients found that a six‑week home‑based exercise program markedly improved cognitive performance, cutting Trail Making Test times by over 21 seconds compared with placebo. Low‑dose ibuprofen (200 mg twice daily) also yielded modest gains,...
The UK Is Getting Sicker Younger, While Future Policy Threatens to Undermine Progress
New research from The Health Foundation shows the UK’s healthy life expectancy (HLE) has dropped by about two years over the past decade, falling to just under 61 years for both sexes. The decline is evident across England, Scotland and...
A Brain Implant for Depression Is About to Be Tested in Humans
Motif Neurotech received FDA approval to begin a first‑in‑human study of its blueberry‑sized brain implant designed to treat severe depression. The device sits just above the dura and delivers wireless electrical stimulation to the central executive network, aiming to restore...
Non-Traditional Rehabilitation Activities That Improve Recovery Outcomes
Non-traditional rehabilitation activities are reshaping recovery by emphasizing functional, enjoyable movement rather than repetitive clinical drills. Therapists are adding aquatic therapy, dance, gardening, art, virtual‑reality games, yoga, and Tai Chi to address strength, balance, coordination, and mental health. These approaches boost...
Top Trends For Health Insurers And Healthcare Providers: Too Many Spinning Plates, No Room For Failure
At HIMSS26, health insurers and providers shifted focus from AI hype to operational readiness. They confront five intertwined challenges—trust, AI scaling, volatility, access/affordability, and AI‑powered navigation—where a single misstep can destabilize operations. Success in 2026 will depend on prioritizing resilient...
Why Lifestyle Medicine Is Turning to Skill-Based Physical Activities
Lifestyle medicine is moving beyond basic prescriptions of walking and diet toward skill‑based physical activities such as tennis, swimming, martial arts, and dance. Practitioners argue that activities requiring learning, coordination, and progression keep participants mentally engaged and improve adherence, the...
Acupuncture May Improve Pain, Reduce Opioid Use After THA
A triple‑blind randomized trial of 484 total hip arthroplasty patients found intraoperative acupuncture lowered pain scores and opioid consumption on postoperative days 0 and 1. In the acupuncture arm, 14% of patients required no opioids during their hospital stay versus...
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill for a Smoke-Free Generation: Bold Vision, Fragile Foundations
The UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill will prohibit anyone born after 1 January 2009 from purchasing tobacco or vaping products starting 1 January 2027. While the legislation aims to create a smoke‑free generation, a 2024 sting in Lancashire revealed that 20 of 56 retailers...
Utah Medical Board Pushes to Stop AI Prescription Renewals
The Utah Medical Licensing Board has formally requested the suspension of the state’s AI‑driven prescription renewal pilot, arguing that the program was launched without proper board input and poses patient‑safety risks. Launched in January, the Doctronic platform allows an autonomous...
Allo-HCT Achieves Durable Remission in Complex Multiple Myeloma Case
A recent eJHaem case report details an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo‑HCT) that achieved durable remission in a patient with highly refractory multiple myeloma (MM) complicated by therapy‑related myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML). The transplant used umbilical cord...
Violet Light Filtering IOL Shows Tolerance to Induced Astigmatism
Johnson & Johnson’s Tecnis Odyssey violet‑light‑filtering intraocular lens demonstrated strong tolerance to induced astigmatism in a prospective study of 30 cataract patients. More than 96 % of participants achieved spectacle independence, and over 90 % reached 20/40 vision or better with up...
In the Age of AI, Interoperability Becomes Core Operating Infrastructure
Healthcare interoperability has advanced markedly, with API‑based patient access now mainstream and TEFCA evolving into a live exchange framework. Yet true plug‑and‑play remains elusive as hospitals wrestle with proprietary interfaces, manual workarounds, and fragmented workflow integration. Standards such as FHIR...
TrumpRx Has Signed Deals With Nearly Every Major Drugmaker. Are Prices Actually Falling?
President Trump launched TrumpRx, a direct‑to‑consumer portal that leverages most‑favored‑nation (MFN) pricing agreements with drugmakers. The administration has signed 17 MFN deals covering about 86% of the branded market, granting tariff exemptions to participants. Discounts are steep—Pfizer’s cuts range from...
America Can’t Lower Healthcare Costs Without A Moonshot
The United States spends over $5.6 trillion on health care—about 19 % of GDP—while family premiums approach $27,000 and workers pay roughly $7,000 out of pocket. Fee‑for‑service and pay‑for‑value payment models both fail to curb costs, with fee‑for‑service incentivizing volume and value‑based...
Community Oncology Is Fighting Back, and Winning: Nicolas Ferreyros
Community oncology clinics, responsible for about 60% of U.S. chemotherapy infusions, are confronting pressure from pharmacy‑benefit managers and health‑system consolidation that threaten their independent, patient‑centric model. The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) has partnered with Flatiron Health to benchmark care quality,...
Diaceutics, Experian Partner to Push Diagnostic Data Into Pharma Ad Targeting
Diaceutics and Experian have teamed up to embed AI‑driven diagnostic audiences into Experian Marketing Services, letting pharma marketers tap real‑time clinical data within their existing media‑buying platforms. The integration delivers daily‑updated lab and biomarker signals, enabling clinicians to be reached...