AGA

As part of the American Gastroenterological Association's Winter Postgraduate Course, William D. Chey, MD, AGAF, from the University of Michigan, and Michael Camilleri, MD, AGAF, from the Mayo Clinic, discussed the best treatment course for patients with gastroparesis.

In the past few months patients diagnosed with Hepatitis C have seen what had been terminal conditions be cured. The technology used to find these curative treatments can now be applied to other conditions.

As new rules and regulations are applied in the health care, doctors are having to learn and adapt to make their practice survive and thrive.

Patients with gastrointestinal conditions can benefit from psychological counseling as well. The question is how much it can help and what it will do to help them with their symptoms.

For many gastrointestinal issues testing may not be sufficient to identify potential issues for patients and there may not be necessary treatments to help them get better. Work continues to improve both potential problems.

As part of the American Gastroenterological Association's Winter Postgraduate Course, William D. Chey, MD, AGAF, from the University of Michigan, and Michael Camilleri, MD, AGAF, from the Mayo Clinic, discussed the best treatment course for patients with gastroparesis.

The treatment of gastrointestinal conditions requires not only physical attention, but, in some cases, addressing psychological concerns as well.

"We really have entered this new era of direct acting antivirals, and as of this fall, we've finally laid to rest interferon in the grave that we've all been wanting to put it in, for more than 2 decades," said Jacqueline G. O'Leary, MD, MPH, during her presentation at the 2015 AGA Clinical Congress of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

"How do you move a glacier?" asked Lawrence Kosinski, MD, MBA, AGAF, FACG, managing partner of Illinois Gastroenterology Group (IGG) at the 2015 AGA Clinical Congress of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Many patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease will respond to proton pump inhibitors, but for those who don't the treatment options can vary as much as the symptoms themselves.

For gastroenterologists, treating patients with esophageal issues is part of their daily practice. The introduction of high-resolution manometry could prove to be a useful took when treating these patients.

"There are only 2 or 3 things I know for sure. Only 2 or 3 things. That's right. Of course, it's never the same things, and I'm never as sure as I'd like to be," nuggets of wisdom (from the novel "Bastard Out of Carolina," by Dorothy Allison) that Thomas Murray, Senior Director of Quality Measurement & Improvement, AGA, shared at the 2015 AGA Clinical Congress of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

These days doctors are doing much more than just treating patients as they work through performance improvement measures as well as changes to their billing programs. The American Gastroenterological Association is working on ways to streamline the process to help doctors do their jobs more efficiently.

With so many changes in the health care industry, the days of doctors running solo practices in their hometowns seem to be ending as more physicians opt for employment with large health care systems.

For patients with chronic gastroenterological issues, the addition of psychological counseling can help with symptom management.

With prescription costs rising along with other fees in health care, the role of specialty pharmacy in gastroenterology (along with other options) has gained more attention in recent years.

The demand for gastroenterologists has grown in recent years while the number of doctors entering the field has remained steady. This has put even more of a burden on doctors as they work to provide the best care possible for their patients.

In part 2 of our interview, the effect Value-Based Payment has on patients is discussed.

When working with the value-based payment system, the size of the practice is just one factor doctors must consider when meeting the new requirements.

According to a new study published in Gastroenterology, research results showed that transoral fundoplication, an incision-less procedure allowing anti-reflux valve alteration, is an effective treatment for patients afflicted with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

There are several known risk factors and "red flags" that should prompt clinicians to suspect nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and conduct appropriate testing.

The recently approved antivirals boast improved rates of sustained virologic response and fewer, less-severe side effects compared with older treatments.

Clinicians should be familiar with all current testing options and assessment tools and be prepared to offer support and guidance to patients who may be embarrassed or unwilling to discuss this aspect of their health.

Despite many technological advances, better training and education are the most important factors to boost the detection of adenomas in the colon and reduce interval colorectal cancer.

Without proper assessment and treatment, a patient with mild colitis or Crohn's disease can easily transition into more severe disease.

With renewed attention on maximizing return on every dollar spent on health care, gastroenterologists need to take a thoughtful approach that takes cost and the overall patient experience into account when they make testing and treatment decisions with patients who have inflammatory bowel disease.

Polyethylene glycol in conjunction with fiber supplementation is an effective treatment for occasional constipation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

With fecal microbiota transplantation, patients with recurrent C. difficile infection can avoid prolonged, repeated courses of antibiotics. The procedure can also help to re-establish normal intestinal microbiome diversity, assisting patients in restoring colonization resistance.