Tag Archives: Evidence

HHS Has Only Two Pages of Scientific Evidence for ‘Gender-Affirming Care’

Dr. Rachel Levine, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), tweeted in 2023, “Accredited medical professional groups agree that gender-affirming care is medically necessary, safe, and effective for trans and non-binary youth. It is important that we lead with science, data, and compassion.”1 That science, however, is all… Read More »

CMS moves to scrap Medicare coverage of breakthrough devices due to clinical evidence concerns

Dive Brief: CMS is planning to scrap its contentious breakthrough payment rule after concluding it is not in the best interest of Medicare beneficiaries. The Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology (MCIT) pathway would have allowed medtech companies to secure near-automatic coverage for a period of four years with an FDA breakthrough device designation. However, after… Read More »

Large review finds some evidence that peer support is beneficial in HIV care

A review of the evidence for peer support has found that retention in care, antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and viral suppression may be improved for those involved in peer support programmes compared to those who were not. Dr Rigmor Berg of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health showed that peer support may be helpful for… Read More »

Scientists find evidence that novel coronavirus infects the mouth’s cells

An international team of scientists has found evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infects cells in the mouth. While it’s well known that the upper airways and lungs are primary sites of SARS-CoV-2 infection, there are clues the virus can infect cells in other parts of the body, such as the digestive system,… Read More »

Tech sites hype Apple Watch for COVID-19 prediction without providing the evidence

Milwaukee oncologist Michael Thompson, MD, wrote to me yesterday morning (February 10)  about an article – “New Study Suggests Apple Watch Heart Rate Sensor Can Predict COVID-19 Up to a Week Before a Swab Test” – promoted on Twitter by MacRumors.com. The story was about the so-called Warrior Watch Study at Mount Sinai Medical Center in… Read More »