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Mild to moderate infections common among IBD patients

Mild and moderate infections are common in inflammatory bowel disease patients, with women, smokers and those with multiple comorbidities having higher rates of infections, according to a study led by Dr. Ashkan Rezazadeh Ardabili of Maastricht University Medical Centre. The research, published in the Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, links certain medications such as glucocorticoids and JAK inhibitors to increased infection rates. Medscape (7/16) Learn More

Transfusion tied to better outcomes with upper GI bleeds

A study presented at Digestive Disease Week found that early blood transfusions were associated with better outcomes in patients with upper GI bleeding, even when endoscopy was delayed. Researchers reviewed data on nearly 15,000 hospitalizations, noting that delayed transfusion and endoscopy were linked to poorer outcomes, higher costs and longer hospital stays. Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News (7/10) Learn More

Nontargeted HCV screening in EDs may yield better detection

Nontargeted hepatitis C virus screening in emergency departments identifies more new infections than targeted screening based on risk factors, according to a study in JAMA. The study, involving Denver Health Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, shows that both methods have low rates of linking patients to care and achieving sustained virologic response. HCPLive Network (7/11) Learn More

Hospital mergers decline amid economic uncertainty

Hospital mergers and acquisitions have significantly declined in 2025, with just 13 deals in the first half of this year compared with 31 during the same period in 2024, according to Kaufman Hall data. The average deal size in the second quarter was $175 million, far below last year's average of $984 million. Economic uncertainty and changes in federal policy are major factors contributing to this trend. Chief Healthcare Executive (7/11) Learn More

Hospitals shift to digital for health data exchange

Hospitals are increasingly using digital methods for health information exchange, with the use of Direct rising from 61% to 74% for receiving data and from 49% to 66% for sending data between 2018 and 2023, according to the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. The use of national networks has also grown significantly, with 67% of hospitals sending and 62% receiving data through these networks in 2023. However, fax usage remains prevalent, with 67% of hospitals still using it, although this is down from 71% in 2018. TechTarget (7/15) Learn More

Apple studies AI for health prediction in wearables

Apple is exploring the use of artificial intelligence algorithms on behavioral data to enhance health functions on the Apple Watch, according to a research paper from the company's machine learning team that was published on the arXiv preprint server. The Wearable Behavior Model, trained on 2.5 billion hours of data from 162,000 participants in the Apple Heart and Movement Study, outperformed traditional photoplethysmography sensor data in predicting health conditions such as atrial fibrillation and sleep disturbances. PharmaPhorum (UK) (7/14) Learn More

Strategies support CV care equity for LGBTQIA+ patients

Cardiologists emphasize the importance of clinician training and equitable cardiovascular care for LGBTQIA+ patients, highlighting the need to collect useful, appropriate data. ACC webinar panelists note that low diversity in the workforce can lead to disparities, and they discuss challenges and solutions in cardiac catheterization care for gender-diverse patients. SmartBrief/Health Care (7/14) Learn More

Cardiovascular Quality and Research News

ACC CV Quality SmartBrief