IMDA eNews 082223
The latest news affecting you and your customers…
from the Independent Medical Specialty Dealers Association
IMDA to participate in AdvaMed Conference
IMDA President Bill Carmouche and Executive Director Don Sizemore will participate in a panel discussion about specialty distribution at the AdvaMed MedTech Conference in Anaheim, California, Oct. 9-11. AdvaMed has a division called AdvaMed Accel, with nearly 300 small and mid-sized medical device, diagnostic, and digital health company members. Accel is intended to provide members with opportunities for strategic networking and business development and provide a voice for startups and growth-stage companies on policy and advocacy issues impacting innovation in medical technology.
Stay masked in healthcare settings: Commentary
Patients and healthcare professionals should continue to mask up in the healthcare setting, according to public health experts from several universities in an Annals of Internal Medicine commentary. Authors from Public Health – Seattle & King County and the University of Washington highlight that many patients in healthcare facilities are at higher risk of mortality and morbidity from COVID-19, and that facilities have a responsibility to promote widespread safety measures to limit the spread of hospital-acquired infections. They also argue that many healthcare workers still come into work with COVID-19, both symptomatic and asymptomatic.
A long road to Medicare coverage for novel technologies
How long does it take to establish Medicare coverage for novel medical technologies? A long time, according to a study in JAMA Network. In the study, 64 medical devices and diagnostics among 281 technologies authorized by the FDA from 2016 to 2019 required new Medicare coverage. The median time to gain at least nominal coverage was 5.7 years. These data highlight the need for a more efficient and timely reimbursement process for novel FDA-authorized medical devices and diagnostics, according to the authors.
AARC Congress Nov. 5-8
Registration is open for the American Association for Respiratory Care Congress, Nov. 5-8, in Nashville. Spread across four days, Congress includes 139 sessions filled with specially designed lectures, symposiums, networking events, research presentations, and exhibit hall browsing. Click here to register.
FDA approves STERIS system for 3D-printed medical devices
The FDA cleared the V-PRO maX 2 Low Temperature Sterilization System from STERIS for the sterilization of 3D-printed devices in healthcare facilities. This is the first FDA-cleared sterilization system with a specialty cycle that can effectively sterilize surgical instruments such as patient-specific surgical guides (e.g., osteotomy, shoulder, hip, knee, and spine) and anatomical models that are fabricated via 3D printing processes and that are intended for single-use during operative procedures.
Most infants receiving ICU care for RSV had no underlying medical condition
Most infants admitted to the intensive care or high acuity unit for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections during fall 2022 were previously healthy and born at term, according to a new study reported in JAMA Network Open, reports Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The study supports the use of preventative interventions in all infants to protect them from RSV, the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and hospitalizations worldwide. RSV accounts for about 57,000-80,000 hospitalizations in children younger than 5 years, with one in five RSV-positive hospitalized children being admitted to intensive care units.
FDA warns consumers against UV disinfection wands
The FDA has warned consumers against the use of specific wands with ultraviolet (UV) radiation to disinfect different types of surfaces to kill germs, pointing out that the use of such devices might lead to the exposure of the user or individuals in close proximity to hazardous amounts of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation, reports HCP Live. UV-C radiation can lead to risk of skin or eye injury, which could take place within a matter of seconds of operation of such devices.
Lung cancer screening rates remain low
Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in the U.S., with over 350 people dying from it every day, reports STAT. Early detection can help, but the lung cancer screening rate is just 5.7%, compared to 70% to 75% for other tests like mammograms, colonoscopies, and Pap smears. One reason, according to several doctors interviewed by STAT, is that the screening criteria are burdensome to implement and accompanied by unprecedented insurance requirements. While other cancers require you to reach a certain age to be screened, for lung cancer, patients must currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years and have a 20-pack-year smoking history (a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years, or the like).
It's Orlando in March for 2023-2024 conference!
Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida, will be the site of the 2024 IMDA/HIRA Conference. Golfers will tee off Monday morning, March 4, and the conference will begin that afternoon. We’ll finish at noon on Wednesday, March 6th