Trending News Today: Multifaceted Intervention Triples HCV Screening Rates in Baby Boomers

A recent study showed that a multifaceted intervention tripled the rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening in the baby boomer population, MD Magazine reported. According to the article, the intervention program focused on 3 main components: provider and patient education, electronic medical records-enabled best practice alerts to providers, and increased HCV clinic capacity to reduce wait time. In the post-intervention study period, 34.6% of baby boomers were screened compared with 10.1% prior to the intervention, the article reported.

The number of measles cases in the United States this year has surpassed 800, The Associated Press reported. According to the article, a total of 839 cases were reported as of last week, which is the most since 1994 when 963 were reported for the entire year. Overall, 23 states have reported cases this year with the vast majority of illnesses in New York, the article noted.

Taking daily aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes may increase the risk of severe brain bleeding for individuals without heart disease, Reuters reported. According to the article, the study examined data from 13 clinical trials testing the effects of aspirin against a placebo or no treatment in more than 134,000 adults. Overall, the risk of intracranial hemorrhage was rare, but the bleeding risk was still 37% higher for those taking aspirin than those who did not take the drug, the article reported.