IMDA eNews 111423

The latest news affecting you and your customers…

from the Independent Medical Specialty Dealers Association

Rescue breathing needs improvement

Rescue breathing, commonly used during cardiopulmonary resuscitation for people with cardiac arrest, is often performed poorly by professional emergency responders, and this ineffective strategy is linked to significantly worse patient survival rates, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health. Ventilation involves administering breaths to a patient to provide life-sustaining oxygen and inflate the lungs when they stop breathing or during cardiac arrest. Among the nearly 2,000 people in the study who received CPR for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, those who were given a higher number of effective ventilations had survival rates three times greater than those who were given fewer ventilations.

Apple, insurer develop asthma management app

An experimental asthma management app developed by Apple and insurer Anthem (now Elevance Health) can keep people on Medicaid out of the emergency room, according to early findings from a large randomized trial of the technology, reports STAT. The intervention uses the Apple Watch and a sleep tracking mat, along with an app, to get people to better understand their symptoms and triggers so they can keep their asthma under control. Even though analyses of asthma outcomes and cost-savings are still forthcoming, some of the leaders behind the app are buzzing about the potential to help reach millions of low-income people.

Sutter Health is newest innovation incubator

Sutter Health is joining the ranks of health systems with built-in innovation incubators, reports HealthLeaders Media. The Sacramento, California-based 24-hospital health system is opening an innovation center “aimed at fostering creative solutions to some of today’s biggest healthcare challenges.” The center should be up and running in San Francisco in early 2024. The health system is one of at least a dozen major health systems, including UPMC, Houston Methodist, the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, and OSF Healthcare, that are looking to develop new technologies and ideas from within, with the goal of using their networks of hospitals and healthcare sites to test and validate—and then potentially market—those products

2024 Conference: Registration is open!

There’ll be plenty of learning inside and outside the meeting rooms at the 2024 IMDA/HIRA Conference in Orlando, Florida, March 4-6. In general sessions, you’ll receive updates on issues like how to deal with the threat of cyberattacks, how to navigate the world of contracts, and how to meet the clinical and financial needs of your customers. And outside the meeting rooms you’ll exchange ideas with peers during cocktails and shared meals, the Manufacturers Forum, and, of course, the golf course for those of that persuasion. Come to the 2024 IMDA/HIRA Conference. There’ll be a whole lot of learning going on. And it’s all for just $750 for IMDA members. Click here for registration information.