Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Nov. 25, 2024–Nov. 29, 2024.
Number of deaths caused by alcohol-related diseases have more than doubled among Americans, research finds
The New York Times (11/22, Rabin) reported, “The number of deaths caused by alcohol-related diseases more than doubled among Americans between 1999 and 2020, according to new research.” The study found that “alcohol was involved in nearly 50,000 deaths among adults ages 25 to 85 in 2020, up from just under 20,000 in 1999.” Investigators found that “the increases were in all age groups.” The largest “spike was observed among adults ages 25 to 34, whose fatality rate increased nearly fourfold between 1999 and 2020.” The findings were published in The American Journal of Medicine.
CDC confirms bird flu in child for first time in U.S.
The Hill (11/22) reported that the CDC has “confirmed that bird flu was found in a child in California, according to a press release issued Friday.” This “case is the first reported such infection in a child in the U.S., according to the release.”
The AP (11/22, Stobbe, Aleccia) reported, “The child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering..." said the CDC.
Lack of control over work environment fosters burnout among physicians
MedPage Today (11/25, DePeau-Wilson) reports, “Lack of control over their work environment fostered burnout among physicians, along with an increased desire to bail out of the organization, according to a multi-institutional study.” An “analysis of data from 2,339 physicians revealed that those who reported having poor control over their workload had higher levels of burnout (OR 3.83, 95% CI 2.99-4.90),” according to investigators. The findings were published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
You may also be interested in: In 6 specialties, desire to step away or scale back is common.
Proposed rule aims to tighten prior authorization restrictions for Medicare managed care plans
Bloomberg Law (11/26, Pugh, Subscription Publication) reports, “Medicare managed care plans would face tighter restrictions and increased scrutiny of their prior authorization activity in 2026 under a proposed rule released Tuesday by the Biden administration.” The “Contract Year 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D proposed rule would clarify when private MA plans can apply prior authorization and other utilization management techniques by defining the meaning of ‘internal coverage criteria,’ the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced.”
You may also be interested in: Prior authorization fixes earn majority support in Congress.
Breast arterial calcification on mammograms associated with increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes
Healio (11/26, Schaffer) reports, “Breast arterial calcification seen on routine mammograms, especially among younger women, is associated with increased risk for death and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including heart failure, myocardial infarction and stroke, data show.” Investigators came to this conclusion after analyzing “data from 18,092 women with a mean age of 57 years who received a mammogram between 2007 and 2016.” The research was published in JACC: Advances.
AMA Morning Rounds news coverage is developed in affiliation with Bulletin Healthcare LLC. Subscribe to Morning Rounds Daily.
Table of Contents
- Number of deaths caused by alcohol-related diseases have more than doubled among Americans, research finds
- CDC confirms bird flu in child for first time in U.S.
- Lack of control over work environment fosters burnout among physicians
- Proposed rule aims to tighten prior authorization restrictions for Medicare managed care plans
- Breast arterial calcification on mammograms associated with increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes
