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Cleveland Clinic: The Top 10 Innovations for 2018
4. The Unprecedented Reduction of LDL Cholesterol
Low-density lipoprotein (“LDL”) cholesterol is known as bad cholesterol, bringing about fatty deposits that can clog arteries. With certain new drug combinations, LDL levels are reduced by 75%. While this stat is remarkable, many patients and doctors wonder how low is too low? A number of trials have been in progress recently testing this theory. So far, the floor has yet to be found. New studies reported a 20 percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke for patients who took statins combined with a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs (PCSK9 inhibitors) to reach ultra-low LDL levels.
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https://youtu.be/yHNl4hY7n-I
5. The Emergence of Distance Health
Extending the healthcare environment to the patient’s home has been a goal for decades. Removing geographic barriers to care can result in timelier, more efficient, optimal outcomes as well as significant cost savings. Due to an increase in connectivity through mobile technology and consumer demand, hospitals are getting ready for widespread adoption in 2018. These technologies are also expanding beyond the simple two-way video platform. More patients are now equipped with attachable devices that record and report medical information to doctors to monitor their condition. Over 19 million patients are projected to use these remote monitoring devices in 2018.
https://youtu.be/fe0pYUXvM5Y
6. Next Generation Vaccine Platforms
Developing just one vaccine is estimated to cost $200 million and take at least 10 years. The toughest challenges, however, often lie in timing and delivery. With the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks, it was clear that the process needs to be expedited. In 2018, innovators will be upgrading the entire vaccine infrastructure to support the rapid development of new vaccines, as well as breaking ground on novel mechanisms to deliver new and existing vaccines to vast populations. For example, innovators are perfecting the use of freeze drying vaccines which can allow shipment to more remote locations. Companies are finding faster ways to develop flu vaccines using tobacco plants, insects and nanoparticles. At the point-of-care, innovators are thinking outside the syringe. Oral, edible and mucosally delivered vaccines, intranasal vaccines, and vaccine chips are all under development. In 2018, a Band-Aid-sized patch for the flu vaccine is expected to be on the market. These new ways of developing, shipping, storing and vaccinating are being swiftly connected to stave off current and future diseases and epidemics.
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PARTICIPATE AND GET THE FULL RESULTS! HOW ARE YOU DOING $ALARY-WISE? We know this is a question most people ask themselves all the time, and we’re happy to provide you an answer by participating in our 2017 Compensation and Hiring Survey.
We are pleased to open our yearly survey where we poll key people in the medical device, pharmaceutical, and biotech sectors of the industry to determine compensation trends. The survey is completed in conjunction with Jacobs Management Group, Inc., a leader in executive search for the healthcare industry and all participants receive a survey summary so that you can see how you compare. Please click here to be taken directly to the five-minute survey. The 2017 Compensation and Hiring Survey builds on the feedback from 2016 Survey, highlights of which were published in the FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 ISSUE issue of HS&M. Companies ranged in size from over $100B to over $10M, and over 80% of the respondents had titles of manager or above. “We continue to receive accolades for this targeted industry report” says Jacobs Management Group, Inc. President, Cari Kraft. “Our results have become one of the key inputs into compensation benchmarks.” All specific survey information and your contact information will be held in strictest confidence. We will email you with the results as soon as they are published.
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For assistance building your team, please reach out to Cari Kraftckraft@jacobsmgt.com or call Cari at (215) 383-3001.
7. Arsenal of Targeted Breast Cancer Therapies
The most full-scale attack on breast cancer is currently underway. The tried-and-true treatment mechanisms—via hormone therapy, chemotherapy and radiation—are still valuable options for prolonging life. But these treatments are often not enough to keep cancer at bay, and can also
lead to the collateral damage of healthy cells. 2018 marks the year that targeted therapies are most widely used to treat breast cancer. A variety of new targeted treatments, such as PARP inhibitors for patients with specific mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2, and novel CD K 4/6 inhibitors for ER-Positive/HER-2-negative breast cancer are having positive outcomes in clinical trials. Additionally, HER-2 targeted agents continue to show benefit in this subgroup of HER-2-positive patients. Experts believe the results from these studies are pointing to an increasing survival rate, and perhaps the eventual end of chemotherapy for a significant population of breast cancer patients.
https://youtu.be/vlZy7aMVamU
8. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
For decades, the pre-and post-surgery routine has been standard for nearly all procedures: no eating before surgery; use pain medications; and stay in bed during recovery. After substantial growth in hospital readmissions and an opioid epidemic, innovators are overhauling post-sur
gery strategies, and delivering impressive results. Several centers have been developing the concept of “fast-track” or “enhanced” recovery after surgery. Research indicates that ERAS (“Enhanced Recovery After Surgery”) protocol that permits patients to eat before surgery, limits opioids by prescribing alternate medications, and encourages regular walking reduces complication rates and speeds recovery. These protocols can reduce blood clots, nausea, infection, muscle atrophy, hospital stay and more.
https://youtu.be/2B9WrtZFePw
9. Centralized Monitoring of Hospital Patients
Hospitals have long struggled with “alarm fatigue,” when busy caregivers become desensitized to the constant noise emanating from cardiac telemetry monitoring systems. Reports indicate that up to 44 percent of inpatient cardiac arrests are not detected appropriately. Centralized monitoring has emerged as the answer, as part of a “mission control” operation in which off-site personnel use advanced equipment, including sensors and high-definition cameras to monitor blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and more. Complex data are assimilated to trigger on-site intervention when appropriate while filtering out unimportant alarms. In 2016, results from the CMU’s first 13 months of using the standardized criteria were published showing that there’s real hope of reducing rates of redundant or less significant alarms while improving clinical outcomes. Since then, further innovation has yielded a system that can double the number of monitored patients per technician, improve clinical outcomes, and decrease communication transit times.
https://youtu.be/AyJMK3hSU5w
10. Scalp Cooling for Reducing Chemotherapy Hair Loss
Newly diagnosed cancer patients have a lot to process. For women, the inevitable loss of hair is often one of the hardest. There is a new technology making its way to the U.S. that is looking to eliminate this problem from some
patients’ lists of worries. “Scalp cooling”—which works by reducing the temperature of the scalp a few degrees immediately before, during and after chemotherapy—has been shown to be effective for preserving hair in women receiving chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. The scalp cooling system was FDA approved in May 2017.
https://youtu.be/CC8Z7ONcwrA
