Arizona

PHOENIX — A new Mayo Clinic study shows that the type of surgeon and the type of hospital have a significant influence on long-term outcomes for patients who undergo surgery for rectal cancer. The study, published in Cancer in May, looked at the characteristics of hospitals where people got their surgery, the surgeons who performed them and how those affect long-term survival. Most surgery for rectal cancer in the United States is performed by general surgeons. Only a minority of patients have their operation performed by a surgeon with subspecialty training in colorectal surgery. The study found that patients who had surgery from a colorectal specialist had better long-term survival compared with those who had their operation performed by a general surgeon. Those patients who had their operations performed at National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center also had significantly better outcomes.

Eye movement test detects concussions and possible 'silent' concussions PHOENIX — A rapid, easy-to-administer eye movement test is showing great promise as a sideline concussion test for youth sports, a Mayo Clinic study finds. In the study, Mayo Clinic researchers assessed high school hockey players using the King-Devick test. The test requires an athlete to read single-digit numbers displayed on cards. After suspected head trauma, the athlete is given the test, which takes about two minutes, and the results are compared to a baseline test administered previously. If the time needed to complete the test takes longer than the baseline test time, the athlete should be removed from play until evaluated by a medical professional. About 150 high school hockey players received preseason testing to establish a baseline time in the study. During the subsequent season, 20 athletes had a suspected concussion. All 20 had a prolonged King-Devick test, and all were later clinically diagnosed with a concussion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_CKo6l9Hss&feature=youtu.be   “Youth athletes are at a higher risk for concussion and a longer recovery time than adults,” says Amaal Starling, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist and a co-author of the study. “While the test has already been clinically validated for detecting concussion in collegiate and professional athletes, we wanted to ensure it was also validated in adolescents.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Apathy and agitation among otherwise healthy senior citizens may be an early sign of a condition leading to dementia, according to a study from Mayo Clinic published this month in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Mayo researchers conducted a five-year prospective study to estimate the effect of initial neuropsychiatric symptoms to develop mild cognitive impairment. MCI is the intermediate stage between normal aging and dementia. People with MCI can develop dementia at a rate of 10 to 15 percent per year compared with 1 to 2 percent in the general population. Researchers looked at data from the Mayo Clinic Study on Aging conducted in the early 2000s to compare behavioral symptoms to physiology from more than 10,000 people age 70 and above. Researchers studied psychiatric symptoms — agitation, apathy, anxiety, irritability and depression — at the baseline of the study and then again after five years to see if there were signs of MCI. It was determined that these baseline psychiatric symptoms are better predictors of increasing the risk of incident mild cognitive impairment than even physiological biomarkers, says study author Yonas Geda, M.D., a professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. http://youtu.be/MizMgO9f-KE Journalists: Soundbites of Dr. Geda discussing the research are available in the downloads.

PHOENIX — March 19, 2014 — A Mayo Clinic study reviewed data on more than 290,000 men with prostate cancer from the past 20 years ...

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — Mayo Clinic and Yampa Valley Medical Center officials announced today that the Steamboat Springs hospital is the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The network connects Mayo Clinic and health care providers who are interested in working together to enhance the delivery of locally provided high quality health care. Yampa Valley Medical Center is the second hospital in Colorado to be invited to join the network. "We are pleased to announce this collaboration with Mayo Clinic,” said Frank May, CEO, Yampa Valley Medical Center. “We share a common philosophy and commitment to improve the delivery of health care and now our relationship through the Mayo Clinic Care Network will allow our physicians and providers to have access to Mayo’s knowledge and expertise to best address the needs of our patients in northwest Colorado.”

MEDIA ADVISORY PHOENIX – Mayo Clinic will host a special sneak preview of the highly anticipated documentary, Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis. WHEN - Saturday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m. WHERE - the Phoenix campus of Mayo Clinic, 5777 East Mayo Boulevard. BACKGROUND – From the acclaimed director Steve James (Academy Award-nominated Hoop Dreams, Emmy Award-winning The Interrupters), Head Games: The Global Concussion Crisis is a revealing documentary featuring never-before-seen neurological findings related to rugby and soccer players that will serve as a wake-up call for people who think that the devastating chronic effects of repetitive head trauma are only an American football and boxing injury.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Feb. 26, 2014 — The future holds promise for multiple sclerosis research based on advancements of the past two decades according to a review from Mayo Clinic neurologists published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The paper states that many people with newly diagnosed or early stage MS are overwhelmed by the combination of uncertain prognosis and the often-unsettling prospect of starting preventive measures that are used indefinitely. However, the authors say that patients and physicians can benefit from an awareness of recent and emerging developments. “MS is the second most common disabling disease of young adults - it is a lifelong disease with an unpredictable clinical course for the most part,” said Dean Wingerchuk, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist and co-author of the review. “That means that people are challenged with making decisions about treatment. It’s important for both the patient and physicians to be aware of current and emerging therapies  to make appropriate decisions going forward.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDgap-v9yXE&feature=youtu.be Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Wingerchuk are available in the downloads. Dr. Wingerchuk said that MS research has been prolific and that scientific advances in understanding the relapsing form of the disease have led to the recent development of several new treatments.

PHOENIX — Jan. 16, 2014 — Researchers have found that using telemedicine to deliver stroke care, also known as telestroke, appears to be cost-effective for society. The research was recently published in the American Journal of Managed Care. In telestroke care, the use of a telestroke robot allows a patient with stroke to be examined in real time by a neurology specialist elsewhere who consults via computer with an emergency room physician at another site which may not have neurology specialists (typical rural hospitals). Mayo Clinic provides telestroke care by acting as a single source of specialized care – a hub – to connect a network of multiple hospitals – spokes. "This study shows that a hub-and-spoke telestroke network is not only cost-effective from the societal perspective, but it's cost-saving,” says neurologist Bart Demaerschalk, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Telestroke Program, and the lead investigator of the telestroke cost effectiveness study. “We can assess medical services, like telemedicine, in terms of the net costs to society for each year of life gained."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The perception that doctors who are based in hospitals burn out quicker than doctors in outpatient settings is just wrong – doctor burnout happens equally, according to a new Mayo Clinic study, published in the November issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video of Dr. Roberts is available for download from the Mayo Clinic News Network. Researchers at Mayo Clinic reviewed 54 burnout studies worldwide to see if there is any validity to the longstanding belief that practicing in the hospital incites greater burnout. The studies included data from more than 5,000 outpatient physicians and more than 1,300 inpatient physicians. Burnout is defined in the study as a syndrome affecting the entirety of work life and characterized by cynicism, detachment and inefficiency. The Mayo Clinic study looked at these factors to determine overall burnout. While there were slight differences in the effect of burnout of inpatient and outpatient doctors, overall burnout was equal. "Burnout is everywhere and if you look for it you'll find it," says Daniel Roberts, M.D., an Internal Medicine physician at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona and lead author of the study. "What this study tells us is that it is as much a problem for clinic-based doctors as it is for hospitalists and others who work in shifts. It's a little reassuring to find that hospitalists aren't particularly prone, but it's more concerning how burnout spans different specialties and practice locations." The studies reviewed in this research represented a board range of burnout related issues, various physician specialties and diverse inpatient and outpatient settings. Although the Mayo Clinic study focused on the difference between the two groups, past studies have suggested factors both leading to and avoiding burning.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — People with epilepsy may have a new high-tech way to manage hard-to-control seizures. A new implantable medical device that delivers responsive neurostimulation has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The technology is designed to detect abnormal activity in the brain and respond and deliver subtle levels of electrical stimulation to normalize brain activity before an individual experiences seizures. The treatment is available at all Mayo Clinic sites. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: For audio and video of Dr. Joseph Sirven talking about the device, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota were all involved in the clinical trials for the device (and have collectively enrolled the highest number of patients into the trials). The device is indicated for use as an adjunctive therapy in reducing the frequency and severity of seizures in people 18 years of age or older with partial onset seizures who have undergone diagnostic testing that localized no more than two epileptogenic foci, are refractory to two or more antiepileptic medications, and currently have frequent and disabling seizures (motor partial seizures, complex partial seizures and/or secondarily generalized seizures).

AVH becomes first member of Mayo Clinic Care Network in Colorado ASPEN, Colo. — Mayo Clinic and Aspen Valley Hospital officials announced today that the hospital was recently selected to be a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, which was established by Mayo to extend its knowledge and expertise to physicians and providers interested in working together to enhance the delivery of health care within their communities. Aspen Valley Hospital (AVH) is the first network member in Colorado. "AVH is honored to be the first hospital in Colorado selected to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network member," says John Sarpa, interim CEO at Aspen Valley Hospital. "Sharing a common philosophy, commitment and mission to improve the delivery of health care through the use of best practices and evidence-based medical care provides a solid foundation for this collaboration." Aspen Valley Hospital providers now have access to Mayo Clinic resources to enhance patient care, including the latest Mayo-vetted medical information through its AskMayoExpert database and electronic consulting that connects physicians with Mayo Clinic experts on questions of diagnosis, therapy or care management. "It's a pleasure to formalize this relationship with Aspen Valley Hospital," says Wyatt Decker, M.D., vice president of Mayo Clinic and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Arizona. "Collaborating with other medical providers to provide the best possible care for patients has always been part of Mayo Clinic's culture. The Mayo Clinic Care Network helps Mayo and community hospitals like Aspen Valley work closer together, in new ways, to enhance the lives of patients. We are delighted to welcome Aspen Valley Hospital as the first Colorado location." Chris Beck, M.D., president of the Aspen Valley Hospital medical staff is excited about the possibilities. "The challenges of medicine in this modern age demand that we seek and share vast amounts of knowledge, says Dr. Beck. "Things constantly and rapidly change — new protocols, new technology, new medications, etc. This collaboration with Mayo Clinic will enhance the outstanding care AVH physicians already provide." "This is one more step in Aspen Valley Hospital's evolution," says Barry Mink, M.D., president of the hospital board of directors and member of the medical staff for 40 years. "Our small-town hospital provides a level of care one would expect in a major medical center, and becoming a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network reflects our commitment to the highest standards of medical care for local residents and visitors to the area."

Award demonstrates Mayo Clinic's commitment to quality care for stroke patients PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic in Arizona has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association's ...