February 2019 Digital Edition
February 23, 20191 min
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Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital is now using Heartflow advanced 3D imaging to better diagnose coronary artery disease
February 15, 20194 min
Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are benefiting from an advanced technology that can accurately model blood flow to the heart and reduce the need for invasive procedures. The HeartFlow® Analysis uses data gathered during a routine CT scan to create a computerized, color-coded, 3D model of the patient’s heart and associated blood flow, giving physicians a detailed look at both the location of artery blockages and their exact impact on the heart. In the...
New technology reduces chemotherapy-related hair loss for patients at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
February 15, 20194 min
For patients undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer, hair loss can be a devastating side effect. But now a proven technology – available to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital patients – can help reduce or even eliminate the hair loss known as chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). The Paxman Scalp Cooling System was approved by the FDA in 2017 and is now cleared for use on patients who are undergoing chemotherapy to treat solid-tumor cancers such as ovarian,...
Complication rates and costs of invasive lung cancer diagnostic tests may be higher than anticipated
February 15, 20198 min
Complication rates following invasive diagnostic procedures for lung abnormalities were twice as high in the community setting compared to those reported in lung cancer screening trials, and associated downstream costs ranged from $6,320 to $56,845 on average, according to a new study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The researchers believe the findings, published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, reinforce the need for including these risks in the shared decision-making communication between...
MD Anderson study shows FGL2 protein may be an effective target for glioblastoma
February 15, 20195 min
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered an immune regulator that appears to dictate glioblastoma (GBM) progression by shutting down immune surveillance, indicating a potential new area of therapeutic investigation. “Classical wisdom is that brain tumor progression is linked to oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene inactivation; however genetic and epigenetic mutations are not the only cause of GBM progression,” said Shulin Li, Ph.D. “Some immune regulators can do the...
Healthy mothers and babies: It takes a village
February 15, 20196 min
Special to Medical Journal – Houston By TED SHAW, President/CEO, Texas Hospital Association Promoting the health of mothers and babies is a priority for everyone who works in health care. A healthy baby has a better chance of growing into a healthy child and a healthy and productive adult. Texas hospitals have a privileged and cherished role in this work. Beginning in 2018, nearly all Texas hospitals that offer labor and delivery services voluntarily participate...
I survived cancer, now what?
February 15, 20198 min
BY Victor S. Sierpina, MD, ABFM, ABIHM, Director, Medical Student Education Program, WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Family Professor of Integrative Medicine, Professor, Family Medicine University of Texas Distinguished Teaching Professor An excellent resource has just become available to answer that tough question. With more than 15 million cancer survivors in our country, those of us in primary care as well as in oncology have long needed guidance as to evidence-based methods to guide our...
Fifth Circuit upholds dismissal of due process claims by physician in peer review
February 15, 201910 min
By Beth Anne Jackson and Elizabeth Jepson, Brown & Fortunato, P.C. On January 14, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Fifth Circuit) affirmed a federal district court in Louisiana’s dismissal of a physician’s claims that his due process rights were denied in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the Louisiana Constitution. Although the case is from Louisiana, Texas falls within the Fifth Circuit’s jurisdiction, and the rationale behind the...
Using dialogues and online tools to gauge patient satisfaction
February 15, 20198 min
By Reed Tinsley, CPA, CVA, CFP, CHBC Get the most out of patient input by offering feedback options via several methods. Every medical practice wants to know how to serve their patients better, and many use the patient satisfaction survey to see how they’re doing. Though the pencil-and-paper (or digital) patient satisfaction survey is the tried-and-true method, it should only be one way in which you gauge patient satisfaction. My experience with standard patient surveys...
