Before You Send Your Spit To 23andMe, What You Need To Know
The genetic testing company 23andMe received approval this week from regulators to sell individuals’ reports on their genetic risk for 10 diseases, most prominently Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. (Alex Hogan/Stat)
Diabetes Is Even Deadlier Than We Thought, Study Suggests
Nearly four times as many Americans may die of diabetes as indicated on death certificates, a rate that would bump the disease up from the seventh-leading cause of death to number 3, according to estimates in a recent study. (Arlene Karidis/Washington Post)
FDA, Industry Fear Wave of Medical-Device Hacks
Regulators and medical-device-makers are bracing for an expected barrage of hacking attacks even as legal and technical uncertainties leave them in uncharted territory. (Casey Harper/The Hill)
Should You Get Screened for Prostate Cancer? We Break Down the Latest Advice
What was emphatic before is wishy-washy now. The last time the US Preventive Services Task Force weighed in on prostate cancer screening via blood tests, in 2012, it issued unambiguous advice to physicians: discourage men of all ages from getting tested for levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). That’s still the advice for men older than 70 or younger than 55. (Sharon Begley/Stat)
How Private Duty is Leveraging Patient Satisfaction
Once upon a time, a home care company could show its lower readmission rates among recently discharged patients and prove its value as a post-acute partner. Fast forward a few years later and readmission rates aren’t the only data point health care providers care about in the referral relationship fantasy. (Amy Baxter/Home Health Care News)
