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Patients who used Web-based portals for EHR systems visited physician’s offices more often and made more phone calls to providers than nonusers, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Increased after-hours clinic visits, emergency department utilization and hospitalizations were also associated with EHR portal use among patients, researchers said. They speculated that the portals might help uncover health issues or patients more likely to utilize health care were more inclined to sign up for the portal. Modern Healthcare (subscription required) (11/20)

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The number of patients hospitalized for Clostridium difficile infections likely doubled between 2001 and 2012, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says. Researchers found regional differences in hospitalizations, possibly due to differences in antibiotics usage, diagnosing and coding, or hospitalization thresholds. The study included only small, community hospitals and results might underestimate national C. diff hospitalization rates, experts said. Anesthesiology News (free registration) (11/2012)

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Dr. Ryan Madanick, who has thousands of followers on Twitter, says the social media outlet is a valuable tool for physicians, but he steers clear of any information that could violate patient confidentiality. Although GI physicians are not the most visible specialists on social media, a number of doctors see benefits to engaging online. “We cannot work in a very isolated way, in little silos,” said pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Bryan Vartabedian. “We need to be part of a broader conversation, a broader knowledge base, for us to remain relevant as a profession.” Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News (11/2012)

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Physicians who do not report Medicare quality measures or use e-prescribing and EHRs next year will take a financial hit of $19,000, experts said. Dr. Bruce Bagley of the American Academy of Family Physicians said it is wise for physicians to participate in these initiatives because penalties could go up and commercial payers could also decide to require them. American Medical News (free content) (11/12)

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Gastroenterologists are seeing more cases of a new type of gastroesophageal reflux that does not respond to proton pump inhibitors nor does it correlate with clear evidence of acid erosion in the esophagus. The condition is known as non-erosive reflux disease, and some suggest bile from the liver or psychological stress could be the culprit. The Wall Street Journal (11/12)

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An analysis of 20 clinical trials showed a 66% decline in antibiotic-related Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea among patients using probiotics. Researchers from the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute in Toronto said because probiotics are not expensive and do not lead to adverse effects, “there seems little reason not to encourage the use of probiotics in patients receiving antibiotics who are at appreciable risk for CDAD.” Medscape (free registration) (11/12)

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The Fodmaps diet created to help people relieve celiac disease symptoms has grown into an $8.3 billion market and is influencing how physicians treat irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. The diet, created by an Australian dietitian, focuses on avoiding foods that contain molecules that are difficult for the small intestine to absorb. Bloomberg Businessweek (10/29)

Latest Related Research from The American Journal of Gastroenterology
Food Choice as a Key Management Strategy for Functional Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Professor Peter Gibson of Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia on dietary therapy of IBS and the role of poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates, known as FODMAPs, in functional gut symptoms. Professor Gibson delivered the AJG Lecture on this topic last fall at the ACG 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting.

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A new meta-analysis published in the journal Nature by U.K. researchers reports that 163 genetic loci are linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and some also are involved with other immune system diseases. This review of genome-wide association studies in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis found that the loci associated with susceptibility to IBD also overlapped with loci associated with the response to mycobacterial infection. “Most of the evidence relating to possible causal genes points to an essential role for host defense against infection in inflammatory bowel disease,” the researchers said. PhysiciansBriefing.com/HealthDay News (11/2)

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Researchers have known that first-degree relatives of colorectal cancer patients are at higher risk of the disease, but a new study shows second- and third-degree relatives also are more likely to develop cancer or polyps. Researchers presenting at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting said the findings also suggest a need to expand screening recommendations for first-degree relatives. Medscape (free registration) (10/29)

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Women who were diagnosed with endometrial cancer at 50 or younger were four times more likely to develop colorectal cancer, a retrospective analysis found. Diagnosis of endometrial cancer after age 65 was not associated with an increased risk of right-sided colorectal cancer. The findings were presented at the American College of Gastroenterology meeting. MedPage Today (free registration) (10/24)

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