In 2020, in its annual revision of the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) made some significant changes in recommendations.
VA Initiative Reduced Staff Burn Out, Controlled HAIs During Pandemic
When the last Ebola epidemic in South Africa threatened to reach pandemic proportions, multidisciplinary staff at VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) formed the Serious Infectious Threat Response Initiative (SITRI).
OIG Calls for Update of 2008 VA Mental Health Services Handbook
VA’s mental health services handbook is almost a decade out of date, making consistent care more difficult to achieve and possibly putting veterans’ safety at risk, according to a report by the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
VA Renegotiates EHR Contract With Oracle, Seeking More Developer Accountability
VA has renegotiated its $10 billion contract with Oracle, the developer of its troubled new electronic health record (EHR) system, which is currently in use at only five sites across the VA healthcare system.
Early Surgical Intervention, Blood Product Use in Battlefield Casualties
In planning and preparing for the future possibility of large-scale combat operations, military medicine might have to decide which wounded warriors can have delayed evacuations. One issue is the need for blood products.
Repository Offers Clues About Young Adult Classical HL
Immune abnormalities persist in young adult classical Hodgkin lymphoma (YAcHL) patients long after cure. Yet, new research presented at the most recent Annual ASH Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans pointed out the difficulties in assessing whether those issues existed prior to diagnosis.
ICI Cancer Therapy, Chemo Linked to Similar VTE Rates
Is immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy associated with higher rate of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy (chemo) in patients with comparable cancer type, staging and comorbidities?
New Consensus Statement on Thyroid Eye Disease Focuses on the Latest Therapies and the Need for Multidisciplinary Care
Also known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy or Graves’ orbitopathy, thyroid eye disease (TED) affects up to a third of people with autoimmune thyroid disease, most commonly hyperthyroidism due to Grave’s disease.
Adherence to Diabetes Medications Remained High During COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, high-risk diabetes patients who were treated in the VA Healthcare System adhered to their diabetes medication regimens and maintained high primary care use, even though virtual care replaced in-person care, according to a recent study.
VHA Patients Didn’t Have Greater Mortality Rate Increases Early in the Pandemic
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, some concerns were raised about whether the VHA was experiencing a greater increase in mortality rates relative to the general population.
VA Makes Argument in Congress for Its Record-Setting $325.1B Budget Request
VA vociferously defended its proposed FY2024 budget before Congress in an effort to justify the record-setting $325.1 billion request—a 5.4% increase over last year’s enacted budget.
Opioid Use Increases Among Veterans Who Are Dual-System Users
Veterans who use dual systems (i.e., both VA and non-VA services, for medical care) are more likely to receive a new opioid prescription and to receive a diagnosis of opioid use disorder, according to a recent study.
The doctor of the future will give no medicine
I took a deep, cleansing breath and calmly explained to the Pentagon officer that pain was as complex and varied as human cancer. No one approach would solve the issue consistently for every patient without unwanted and occasionally severe consequences. Needless to say, this was not the answer these leaders were looking for. We all left the meeting disappointed.
No Increased Bladder Cancer Risk Seen With SGLT2 Inhibitors
For years, reports of higher risks of breast and bladder cancer with the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have raised concerns.
Microscopic Hematuria in Urine Rarely Raises Cancer Risk
The discovery of blood in the urine might be alarming, but do patients with microscopic hematuria (MH) and a negative initial evaluation have an elevated risk for urinary carcinoma?
Recurrence Risk Lower When Blue Light Cystoscopy Used for Detection
White light cystoscopy has been found less effective in detecting cases of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) than blue light cystoscopy.
Do Fungal Pathogens Cause ARI More Often Than Previously Suspected?
Fungal infections are known to be causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute respiratory illness (ARI), but it is not clear how their frequency compares with that of viral and bacterial causes of these conditions.
Folasade P. May Works to Remove Obstacles Keeping Minorities From CRC Screening
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable of cancers, despite being one of the most prevalent, ranking as the second-leading cause of cancer death in adults.
Paxlovid Reduces Likelihood of Long COVID in Patients at Severe Infection Risk
A recent study suggested, that Paxlovid, which is prescribed to patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, who are at risk for severe symptoms, also might help protect against the condition. Researchers found the antiviral also lowered the likelihood of post-acute death and hospitalization.
VA Battles Potentially Deadly Pressure Injuries; Veteran Patients at Higher Risk
Pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores, often can be deadlier than the condition that causes patients to be bed-bound.
Biopsies Show Surprising Rate of Aggressive Lesions in Small Renal Masses
A review of renal cell carcinoma surveillance in a four-state region found that veterans treated at the VA had a significant incidence of high-risk lesions and poor compliance with follow-up imaging.
HCC, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Cases Increase Dramatically in US
The incidence and mortality trends of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer in the United States had a dramatic increase from 1975 to 2017, according to data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment, Survival Varies Among VA Regions
Veterans have higher rates of cirrhosis, hepatitis C infection, obesity, high alcohol use and diabetes—all of which put them at greater risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Treatment is challenging, and a new study found that it tends to be inconsistent across regions within VA healthcare, with the West providing more interventions and having longer survival.
Telemedicine Increase During Pandemic Put Spotlight on Possible Disparities
The VA has long been a leader in the use of virtual healthcare to improve access to care. When the pandemic caused shutdowns in 2020, virtual care became even more important at the VA.
Does Sleep Deprivation Lower Military Vaccination Effectiveness?
The dangers of sleep deprivation in military personnel is well-documented; issues include a detrimental effect on readiness and a higher likelihood of errors and injuries.
GAO: Rural Veterans Have More Difficulties Accessing Mental Healthcare
Rural veterans with serious mental health issues face a disproportionate challenge when seeking mental healthcare services from VA, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Chronic Insomnia Plagues Active Duty Servicemembers, Affects Readiness
Sleep issues continue to torment military personnel, and the military is increasingly concerned, because insufficient sleep from chronic insomnia poses a direct threat to military operational readiness. Soldiers in the Army have been most effected. Still, a recent study pointed out that clinical guidelines on treating the issues aren’t always being followed.
Mental Health Disorders Identified in Deployed Soldiers, Higher Among Females
Active-duty servicemembers who have mental health disorders need continued support when they are deployed, according to a new study that underscored the need for in-theater healthcare providers. The Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences-led authors also found that women were more likely to report mental health issues, including serious types, such as bipolar disorder.
Social Determinants of Health Can Predict Schizophrenia in Veterans
Among the most complex patients treated in the VA healthcare system are those with serious mental illnesses, including the more than 120,000 diagnosed with schizophrenia. Those patients not only tend to have worse physical function as they age, but also are more likely to engage in suicidal behavior. To better understand what increases the risk of schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses, VA researchers are taking a close look at social determinants of health.
RSV in Older Adults Riskier Than Realized; Vaccine Could Help
A new model suggests that as many as 4.8 million symptomatic cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) occur in the United States among patients 65 and older. That burden is greater than previously recognized, according to another study, which looked at the U.S. and other high-income countries. Recently approved vaccines are likely to be game-changers.
