The AAP's Recent Reversal On Peanut Allergies
The data on peanut allergies is often confusing. According to figures released in 2013 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), only 0.06 percent of people in the United States have peanut allergies. However, a 2008 study by Jaffe Food...
Pioneering Technologies in Ophthalmology
There are numerous developments in ophthalmology in 2015 but perhaps none is as promising as the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System which deals with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Retinitis pigmentosa is a degenerative eye disease that causes deterioration in the part of...
The (virtual) Doctor Will See You Now
With billions of people using the Internet as a major source of information and communication, no one should be surprised that there is a growing number of doctors going digital. Armed with the latest tablet computers, smartphones, and medtech apps, virtual doctors...
Can Healthcare Become Affordable?
It’s no secret that healthcare costs have been rising steadily for years and the numbers tell the story. Adjusted for inflation, Americans spent $75 billion for healthcare in 1970 and $2.6 trillion in 2010. And that number is expected to almost double by 2021,...
The Doctor Will See You Now
Your smartphone remembers all your phone numbers and email addys, keeps track of your photographs, and delivers your favorite music and videos on demand. And your smart phone can be even smarter with a new generation of medtech apps that stand in for some of the...
Sunshine Act Update
When the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, the law included a provision called the Physician Payment Sunshine Plan. However, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not release final regulations to implement the Sunshine Act until...
Can the Healthcare Industry Beat Ebola?
In August 2014, American missionary workers Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol returned to the United States after contracting Ebola in Liberia. Since that time, the healthcare industry has been at the forefront of Ebola management efforts. Brantly and Writebol were...
The Affordable Care Act's Medical Device Tax: Where Are We Now?
When the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, lawmakers included a 2.3% excise tax on gross sales of medical products. The tax, which went into effect in January 2013, was projected to raise about $30 billion over the coming decade to help pay for...
Survey Says – Run!
What if there was a miracle drug that could add years to your life and didn’t cost a thing? Well, it’s here and it’s called exercise, specifically running. According to a study of 55,000 adults in Dallas who were monitored from six to 24 years, those who ran as little...