Gastroenterology Physician Practice Management and Private Equity: Thriving in Uncertain Times 
(Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology )
Market forces continue to drive the consolidation wave, and these forces are highlighted by reimbursement pressures, payer negotiations, local competition, recruiting strength, and the desire to maintain practice independence.

No Overwhelming Surges, But Endo Center Traffic Is Returning (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
In a survey of endoscopy clinicians, conducted by the global clinical network SERMO, 79% of respondents said COVID-19 has significantly increased waiting times in endoscopy.

Statins underused in NAFLD patients with clear indications (Healio)
Only 56% of patients with NAFLD were taking guidelines-recommended statin therapy, according to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

COVID-19: Colorectal cancer endoscopic surveillance in IBD (The Lancet)
Data suggests that surveillance procedures, for high-risk populations such as those with inflammatory bowel disease—have been slower to recover.

Colonoscopy at 45 – Is This the Right Cut Point? (Medscape)
Lowering the starting age to 45 means about 475 additional lifetime colonoscopies per 1,000 people, and about one additional complication.

Large Study Examines Optimal Timing of Colonoscopy After Abnormal Stool-Based Test 
(Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
A delay of one year or longer in diagnostic colonoscopy after an abnormal stool-based screening test was significantly associated with the incidence of colorectal cancer.

How many gastroenterologists have $5M+ net worth? 5 stats (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Less than 5 percent of gastroenterologists have a net worth of at least $5 million, according to Medscape’s “Physician Wealth & Debt Report 2021.”

Physicians Warm to ‘Open’ Notes Over Time: Study (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
Physicians may have concerns prior to sharing their notes with patients, but most find the practice to be beneficial after the fact, a recent survey has found.

Apple wants to own the interface between you and your doctor (Fast Company)
At WWDC, the company has announced an array of features that will pit it against medical records giant Epic.

May top 7 in GI: ACG, colorectal cancer, Digestive Disease Week 2021 (Healio)
These stories include ACG guidelines for the preferred treatment of adults with Clostridioides difficile, updated recommendations for colorectal cancer screening, coverage from DDW and more.

Postoperative gastroenterology trends to know (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)
Telemedicine and other technological advancements have changed the way gastroenterologists approach postoperative care.

Inpatient endoscopy delay increases 30-day readmission rates (Healio)
Inpatient endoscopy delay occurred often in a tertiary center and was a risk factor for 30-day readmission, according to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Is ulcerative colitis an autoimmune disease? (Medical News Today)
An overactive immune response causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue in the gut, leading to inflammation of the large intestine.

Anal Cancer Rates in U.S. Rose From 2001 to 2016 (Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)
The incidence of anal cancer in the United States has increased since 2001 among people ages 50 years and older, yet declined in younger people.

New AMA policies attempt to revamp prior authorization process (Healio)
An AMA survey showed that 94% of physicians experienced care delays while waiting for a health insurance company to authorize necessary care.

UnitedHealth Group’s plan to drive more surgeries to ASCs (Becker’s ASC Review)
At-home test kits were mailed to 22,838 patients, who received follow-up reminders via text message and mailers.

New noninvasive biomarker can be used in the diagnosis of NAFLD (News Medical)
Researchers at Osaka University have identified a noninvasive biomarker that can identify patients at risk of NAFLD complications using a simple blood test.

FIT improves referral efficiency in primary care settings (Healio)
Fecal immunochemical test improved the efficiency of referrals in patients with new-onset lower gastrointestinal symptoms within a primary health care setting.

Non-Invasive Screening for Colorectal Cancer During COVID-19 Pandemic (Clinical Pain Advisor)
Stool-based screening methods for colorectal cancers helped screening rates recover to pre-pandemic levels after a drastic decline of invasive screening methods due to COVID-19.

Guidelines: Management of Moderate to Severe Crohn’s Disease (Medscape)
The AGA released guidelines for adult outpatients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease, recommending induction and maintenance therapy with anti-TNF-alpha agents.

More Hot headlines in GI

Giiant Pharma Inc Announced the Closing of US$11m in Seed Financing to Develop Its Precision Delivery Technology Platform in Gastroenterology (Business Wire)

What it will take for ASCs to thrive in 2021: 8 exec perspectives (Becker’s ASC Review)

Gastroenterologist proposes surgery center, medical office in Minnesota: 3 details (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

Aetna, Anthem and Cleveland Clinic back blockchain venture (Fierce Healthcare)

Mansour A. Parsi, MD, Named Chief of Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (UTHSC)

WSJ leaks Apple’s digital healthcare plan (Computerworld)

4 ways machine learning is fixing to fine tune clinical nutrition (AI in Healthcare)

10 gastroenterologists to know (Becker’s GI & Endoscopy)

Fewer Than 1 in 10 Americans Meeting Dietary Fiber Recommendations (Medscape)

Amazon vs. Traditional Healthcare: Who Will Win? (Managed Healthcare Executive)

Google Health VP talks combing consumer tech with clinical needs (Digital Health)

CDC reports rise in resistant Salmonella infections (Healio)

Mount Sinai launches health tech incubator (Fierce Healthcare)

Jonathan Bush launches new digital health, data-sharing platform: 4 details (Becker’s Health IT)

AMA survey: 96% of physicians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (Healio)

Videos: Interviews with GI Leaders  (NextServices)