Individuals who self-order colorectal cancer screening kit more likely to complete it (Healio)
People who ordered a colorectal cancer screening kit through a patient portal were nearly four times more likely to complete it than those who received a kit automatically in the mail.

Scope Forward podcast – Dr. Michael Weinstein, President at Capital Digestive Care: (Part 2) (Episode 15)
Listen to the interviews while on the move! Praveen Suthrum’s conversations with GI leaders are now available via the Scope Forward podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and elsewhere.

3 takeaways on PE in 2021 (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Despite COVID-19-related disruptions, a return to pre-pandemic patient volumes in many specialties reinforced investor confidence and increased expectations for market activity in 2021.

For sale — Audax expects to sell Gastro Health in 2021 (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
In what’s shaping up to be a banner year of private equity investment in gastroenterology, it is reported that Audax Private Equity will sell Miami-based Gastro Health in 2021.

High rate of COVID-19 vaccination intent among IBD populations (Healio)
A relatively high rate of COVID-19 vaccination intent was observed among inflammatory bowel disease populations; however, long-term safety concerns were common.

CRH Medical could be acquired for $369M+ (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Well Health reached an arrangement agreement to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of CRH Medical at $4 per share.

Digestive Health Institute merges with Pinnacle GI Partners  (PE Hub)
The combination creates the largest provider of gastroenterology and related services in Michigan, with 24 physicians serving 20 locations.

Study Aims to Settle Bidirectional Endo Debate  (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
Gastroscopy should precede colonoscopy using carbon dioxide insufflation in same-day bidirectional endoscopies, according to a team of Canadian researchers.

Physicians Face Potential Peril With Leftover Vaccine Doses  (Medscape)
“If these doctors are going to get criminally prosecuted for trying to use leftover vaccines, there’s going to be more and more waste than there already is.”

Defining Wellness in IBD (Medscape)
Physicians treating patients with IBD typically focus on disease and symptom management along with quality of life measures, but the latter are not the final word on patient well-being.

Seed Health Announces Acquisition of Digital Health Company Auggi  (PRNewswire)
Seed Health announced today the acquisition of Auggi with a suite of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to track and analyze digestive health.

Tennessee hospital using AI-assisted device for polyp detection in clinical trial (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System began a clinical trial to test an artificial intelligence device used to increase polyp detection during colonoscopy.

Reaching herd immunity will be ‘very difficult’ before end of summer, Biden says (Becker’s ASC Review)
The COVID-19 vaccine roll-out has been slower than anticipated and President Biden said his administration is looking at ways to speed up vaccine administration.

Most Americans say they will continue preventive measures after COVID-19 pandemic ends (Healio)
Most adults in the United States intend to continue to adhere to preventive measures — such as hand washing, masking and physical distancing — even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

1Fact/1 Myth: Dispelling Misinformation on COVID-19 Vaccines  (ACG)
An ACG Handout to help dispel myths and misconceptions using facts about COVID-19 vaccines.

Telehealth in Congress; Smartwatch Parkinson’s Sensors; Who Used Telemed Most? (MedPage Today)
Here’s the Telehealth Roundup, highlighting news and features about emerging trends in telemedicine and telehealth.

Video: How Do Gut Bacteria Affect COVID-19 Severity?  (Medscape)
COVID-19 patients have been found to have poorer gut microbiome compositions compared with those without the disease.

6 recent updates on colonoscopy  (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Gastroenterology’s mainstay procedure has seen a flurry of recent developments, and the largest was the closure of the colonoscopy loophole.

Video: Highlights From ASCO GI: Data That Will ‘Advance Care’ (Medscape)
A commentary by Dr. Mark Lewis, the weekend after the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.

Treating Patients + Research = Dream Job (next up is ending the obesity epidemic) (Gastro Broadcast)
Dr. Gunaratnam talks about his favorite podcasts, and why he thinks it’s a great forum to break down the silos of knowledge that exist in GI practices across the nation.

More Hot headlines in GI

Podcast: 20+ insights to improve your IBD patient care (AGA)

Gastro Health could be for sale & more (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

Meet the new president of the GI Quality Improvement Consortium: Dr. Costas Kefalas (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

FDA Approves Enhertu for Gastric and GEJ Adenocarcinomas (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)

Does Surgery for Colorectal Liver Metastases Release Tumor Cells? (Medscape)

CRH Medical acquires Oak Tree Anesthesia Associates in first transaction of 2021 (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

AGA reveals awards recipients, new honor for achievements in diversity (Healio)

Op- Ed: It’s Deja Vu All Over Again for Healthcare (MedPage Today)

Is Amazon’s Healthcare Strategy Clear? (The Motley Fool)

Top in GI: Sweat sensor for IBD, diagnostic tool for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (Healio)

Avoiding Biopsy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)

The future of gastroenterology and other excerpts on industry-changing trends (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

1st risk factors for early-onset CRC identified, study says (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

Walmart Could Magnify Americans’ Access to Healthcare — With the Help of Key Startups (StartUp Health)

Videos: Interviews with GI Leaders  (NextServices)