The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted premarket approval to Thermo Fisher Scientific for the first next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based test  that simultaneously screens tumor samples for biomarkers associated with three FDA-approved therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S., with NSCLC accounting for 85 percent of all lung cancers

As obesity rates continue to rise, researchers are searching for ways to assist people in managing their weight. A study published in JMIR examines how mobile health technology can help overweight patients manage the chronic disease with improved access to care at a low cost.

Availity, the nation’s largest real-time health information network, announced the launch of its automated prior authorization platform, which eliminates the cost, time, and administrative burdens associated with manual authorization processes.

Telehealth is the future in accessing care, yet many physicians are hesitant to implement the technology. A survey conducted by Advisory Board found over 70 percent of respondents were interested in virtual doctor’s office visits. Researchers hope this survey, titled the “Virtual Visits Consumer Choice Survey,” will urge healthcare providers to embrace telehealth and incorporate it into their practices.

Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, have introduced a bill to expand access to rural telehealth services. The “Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead on Telehealth Act," or RURAL, would allow non-rural hospitals severing rural areas to qualify for support from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF).

Researchers at the University of Texas have developed a diagnostic wearable device capable of measuring three compounds related to diabetes through the sweat of the user. Findings were published in Scientific Reports.

Providers and payors want to work together on transitioning to value-based care. What gets in the way is poor communication and time wasted on redundant administrative tasks, according to a Availity survey released at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) conference in Orlando.

Wearable technology simplifies keeping up with a healthy life by providing information on cardiac health, illnesses and emergency alerts. While most users of wearables are younger, researchers believe the technology could reach its full potential for elderly patients who could benefit the most from multiple uses of the devices. In an article published in Ergonomics in Design, researchers outlined the framework for personalizing the wearable experience for older patients.