A new vaccine may soon be making its way to distribution sites around the country, but it’s not without some controversy. I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and we’ll put the spotlight on that and other big developments in this week’s Top Stories.
AstraZeneca now has a coronavirus vaccine of its own and it has just undergone a phase III trial in the U.S., demonstrating 79% efficacy at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 11% efficacy at preventing severe disease and hospitalization. Healthcare Finance News reports (https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/astrazeneca-vaccine-shows-79-efficacy-phase-iii-trial) that the vaccine was well tolerated, and an independent data safety monitoring board found no safety concerns. But there’s been some controversy (https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/astrazeneca-questioned-over-potential-use-outdated-information-its-covid-19-clinical-trial): AstraZeneca may have included outdated information in its clinical trial, possibly providing an incomplete view of the efficacy data. The company said it would review the data to ensure its accuracy.
Everlywell, a leader in the at-home diagnostic testing space, has acquired PWNHealth and its subsidiary Home Access Health to form a new parent company called Everly Health. In MobiHealth News (https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/everlywell-forms-new-home-lab-testing-subsidiary-through-pwnhealth-purchase) we see that PWNHealth and Home Access Health both have self-collected lab test services, and by combining the companies, Everly Health will support more than 20 million people annually in all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Puerto Rico. The market for at-home lab testing has grown substantially over the course of the pandemic, due in large part to demand for COVID-19 tests and people’s desire to stay away from onsite clinical locations.
Finally this week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it would be undertaking a strategic review of its Cerner electronic health record modernization program. According to HealthcareITNews (https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/va-undertake-strategic-review-ehr-modernization-program), the VA's EHR modernization project has faced numerous delays since its official sign-on with Cerner in 2018. It has received a number of complaints, such as veterans not receiving their prescriptions when needed, or getting the wrong ones entirely. The VA said the review would not go on no longer than 12 weeks.
I’m Jeff Lagasse with Healthcare Finance News, and this has been Top Stories.