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The National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital) in Hanoi is hosting the ‘Best of ASCO 2024’ event. Credit: Chau Doan / Getty. Leaders from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) alliance of US cancer centres are in Vietnam today (1 November) as part of a continuing collaboration to improve cancer care standards throughout the country. The partnership with the Vietnam National Cancer Hospital and the Vietnam Cancer Association is focused on developing a version of the NCCN Harmonized Guidelines – a framework for improving and standardising cancer care – for use in Vietnam. As part of the visit, NCCN chief executive Crystal S Denlinger will be presenting on the development and implementation of NCCN resources in Vietnam and worldwide at the ‘Best of ASCO 2024: Multimodality Treatment of Cancer and Hospital Management in the Digital Era’ event, hosted by Vietnam National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital). Denlinger explained: “By tailoring the NCCN Guidelines to fit local needs, we can make significant strides in improving patient outcomes and ensuring that all people facing cancer in Vietnam receive the highest quality of care.” A particular issue in the Vietnamese healthcare system is chronic overcrowding in urban hospitals. In January, the US International Trade Administration (ITA) reported that hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City were receiving up to 60% of the country’s patients and operating at a 200% capacity. Other stumbling blocks to providing effective oncological care in Vietnam include a shortage of qualified medical professionals, with potential new staff deterred by relatively low wages. Most public hospitals in the country also struggle with the lack of up-to-date equipment, which slows down diagnoses and limits treatment options. Equipping Vietnamese hospitals Hospitals rely on the state budget to upgrade facilities, but financial constraints delay progress. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) reported that, in 2022, Vietnam’s healthcare expenditure was approximately $18.5bn, representing 4.6% of the country’s GDP – half of the OECD average of 9.2%. However, a growing demand for healthcare services has increased pressure, and the government has worked to encourage the importation of medical equipment where local production cannot meet demand. In 2022, Vietnam’s medical device market was valued at $1.5bn, and the ITA forecasts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7% from then through 2026, with the value to reach $2.1bn . As a result of low import duties and no quota restrictions, more than 90% of the country’s medical equipment is imported. GlobalData’s 2022 ‘ Vietnam Healthcare Market ‘ report said of increased demand from the country: “The medical device industry in Vietnam has emerged as one of the most promising industries for international investment as demand for medical equipment continues to rise. To support business, the local government has provided tax concessions such as corporate income tax incentives, import duty reductions, quota exemptions and land leasing fee exemptions or reductions.” GlobalData is Hospital Management’s parent company. Cancer in Vietnam The most common cancer in Vietnam is breast cancer, which accounted for 24,563 (13.6%) of cases in 2022. It is closely followed by liver cancer, which accounted for 24,502 cases (also 13.6%), and lung cancer, which comprised 24,426 (13.5%). The first set of NCCN Harmonised Guidelines for Vietnam is already available , and they focus on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Current efforts are focussed on the development of Harmonsed Guidelines for breast cancer and liver cancer, with more cancer types to follow. K Hospital director Prof Le Van Quang commented: “These guidelines represent a significant resource for ensuring that cancer care in Vietnam is aligned with global best practices while also reflecting the realities of our local healthcare settings.” The NCCN Harmonized Guidelines will eventually span the ten most common cancer types in Vietnam. According to 2022 data from the Global Cancer Observatory, the ten most common cancers in the country were breast, colorectum, liver, lung, stomach, thyroid, prostate, leukaemia, nasopharynx and corpus uteri.

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid rising costs in the U.S., the XRP Healthcare Prescription Savings Card is providing Americans with much-needed relief on medication expenses. Accepted at over 68,000 pharmacies, including major chains like Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS, the card offers savings of up to 80% on prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, free to download on the XRPH app with no hidden fees or subscription costs. Continue Reading Amid Rising Costs, XRP Healthcare Prescription Savings Card Making a Difference at 68,000 Pharmacies Across America: A Game-Changer for Individuals and Organizations Alike While not a complete solution for financial pressures, the card delivers meaningful savings on repeat medications, especially for those managing chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and mental health. "With financial pressures mounting, our Prescription Savings Card offers a simple, no-cost solution to help families reduce their prescription expenses," says Kain Roomes, CEO of XRP Healthcare. Supported by AI-driven guidance through the XRPH app, users can access reliable healthcare information and personalized insights. This digital platform ensures access to trusted advice on managing health concerns affordably, bridging a critical gap in healthcare. Since launching in 2022, XRP Healthcare has successfully delivered on each phase of its growth roadmap, making significant strides in enhancing healthcare access. Entering the final quarter of 2024 with strong momentum, XRP Healthcare is set to close the year with impactful mergers and acquisitions in underserved markets like Uganda, furthering its mission to improve healthcare access in emerging regions. This growth positions the company as a leader in delivering cost-effective healthcare solutions to both established and developing markets. "Expanding into Uganda represents a pivotal step toward our vision of a truly global healthcare ecosystem," adds COO Laban Roomes, with a focus on strengthening affordable healthcare options in underserved markets. About XRP Healthcare XRP Healthcare is the first pharma and healthcare platform built on the XRP Ledger, leveraging blockchain and AI to transform access to affordable healthcare globally. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, and Uganda, XRP Healthcare offers solutions like the Prescription Savings Card and an AI-powered chatbot, aimed at making healthcare accessible worldwide. The company's token, XRPH, is paired with USDT and listed on multiple reputable CEX exchanges, driving innovation in the digital and healthcare sectors. Photo - Logo - SOURCE XRP Healthcare WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

In a suit filed against CVS, Walgreens, GE Healthcare and many other medical technology companies and sellers of pulse oximeters – devices that use light to measure oxygen saturation in the blood – Medtronic has been dismissed, the company said in a statement Monday. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been working to update its 2013 guidance on pulse oximetry submissions; publication and public comment have been pushed to fiscal year 2025. WHY IT MATTERS Medtronic, a medical device and technology company, was one of many defendants named in a lawsuit the Roots Community Health Center filed in Alameda County Superior Court last year. Slammed during the COVID-19 epidemic, when the death rate among Black Americans was disproportionately high, Roots said in its announcement about the lawsuit that it had relied on pulse oximeters in its decisions to provide oxygen therapy to the swelling lines of patients coming to it for medical care. Roots asked the court to halt sales of "unreliable pulse oximeters or require manufacturers and distributors of the flawed devices to warn purchasers of their products’ dangerous shortcomings." "At least one of Medtronic/Covidien’s pulse oximeters that is cleared by the FDA notes in the manual that accompanies the pulse oximeter that dark skin pigment can cause inaccurate measurements," Roots said in the filing . "The manual does not explain that measurements in people with darker skin are skewed towards showing that people with darker skin have more oxygen than they do in reality, nor that dark skin pigmentation can interact with other conditions to cause or exacerbate inaccurate measurements." While Roots also alleged that Medtronic and other companies "knew or should have known" that statements not cleared by the FDA "are untrue or misleading and would deceive or would be likely to deceive consumers," at this time, "Roots agreed to dismiss claims against Medtronic," a spokesperson for the company told Healthcare IT News by email. The spokesperson said that Medtronic has been recruiting more "diverse participants" for its clinical studies, is educating medical providers on the proper use of pulse oximetry and has invested in technology improvements over the last two years. THE LARGER TREND Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine in late 2020 found pulse oximeters could be less accurate for Black patients and since that time many pulse oximeter critics say speed to market led to the medical community and regulators overlooking how skin tone can affect a pulse ox reading. According to critics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School, FDA's standards for pulse oximeters "essentially ignored" the functional racial disparity found to be ubiquitous among light-sensing devices. The health policy academics argued in magazine articles and in its podcast series earlier this year that eliminating pulse oximetry bias requires decisive regulatory action . The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health told Healthcare IT News in July that revising its 2013 pulse oximeter guidance is listed on the CDRH Guidance Agenda as a priority with the intent to publish in FY 2024, which ended September 30. "The FDA has been engaging stakeholders, gathering input from ongoing clinical research to help inform our decisions and evaluating all available information pertaining to factors that may affect pulse oximeter accuracy and performance," the spokesperson said at the time. However, two months after being grilled by Congress over medical device missteps along with his colleagues, CDRH director Dr. Jeff Shuren stepped down in late July. Then last week, the FDA announced that Dr. Michelle Tarver, an ophthalmologist with a doctorate in epidemiology who has held various leadership positions at the FDA as a medical device regulator, would replace Shuren as permanent CDRH director. We reached out to FDA for an update on the dangling status of updated pulse oximeter guidance and asked for Tarver's POV on pulse oximeters. "The 2024 CDRH guidance agenda included guidance documents CDRH intended to publish in fiscal year 2024," FDA's spokesperson explained by email Wednesday. "However, the center is neither bound by this list of topics nor required to issue every guidance document on the list." The spokesperson added, "The FDA has been working diligently to update its 2013 final guidance on pulse oximeters and is committed to issuing these new draft recommendations as expeditiously as possible." "Updating this guidance is a priority for CDRH." We've reached out to Roots about the agreement with Medtronic and the status of FDA's pulse oximeter submission guidance and will update this story if there is a statement. ON THE RECORD "Medtronic is pleased to announce that Roots Community Health has agreed to dismiss claims against the company related to pulse oximeters," Medtronic said in a statement. "Medtronic looks forward to working with Roots, the FDA and other key stakeholders to ensure health equity can be achieved through technology, educational efforts and partnerships." Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News. Email: afox@himss.org Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.