Accessed through the Hayes Knowledge Center, the Evidence Analysis Solution addresses the following fundamental questions to help our clients determine coverage positions:
Purpose of Technology: Hydrogen breath testing (HBT) may be used to identify small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in predisposed patients by assessing changes in hydrogen (H2) expiration following administration of glucose, lactulose, or other compounds.
Rationale: When SIBO is present, fermentation by bacteria in the small intestine produces a …
Purpose of Technology: Uterine fibroids, also known as myomas or leiomyomas, are benign tumors originating in the myometrium. Laparoscopic electromechanical morcellation of uterine fibroids involves the use of mechanically powered cutting devices to break up fibroid tissue for removal during minimally invasive myomectomy or …
Purpose of Technology: Positron emission tomography (PET) is a 3-dimensional (3D) nuclear imaging technique that measures the level of physiologic and biochemical activity or other organic function in an organ or tissue by reflecting the distribution of a radiotracer that has been administered to the patient. PET has been proposed as a method for diagnosing and predicting deve…
Purpose of Technology: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a percutaneous treatment for chronic low back pain (LBP), including pain originating in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ), using radiowave-induced heat to create a lesion in a spinal sensory nerve. Following a diagnostic blockade to target the affected nerve(s), radiofrequency (RF) current is applied for several minutes via a ne…
Purpose of Technology:
Phototherapy is used to treat jaundice in newborns, and to prevent severe hyperbilirubinemia, and its complications. The lights in phototherapy units emit photons that alter the structure of the bilirubin molecule, which can then be excreted in bile or urine. Fiberoptic phototherapy (FPT) systems are light-emitting pads or blankets that are placed…
Approximately one-fifth of adults have varicose veins of the lower extremities, and up to 60% may have chronic venous disease that predisposes them to varicosities. Recently developed techniques such as liquid or foam sclerotherapy, endovenous laser ablation (EVLA), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) collapse and seal the vein, and are a…
Purpose of Technology: Dry needling (DN) is a skilled intervention by which thin filiform needles are used to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying trigger points, muscle, and connective tissues to manage neuromusculoskeletal pain and impaired movement.
The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) has been implicated as the primary source of pain in 15% to 30% of patients with chronic low back pain. Patients who experience pain for ≥ 6 months and do not respond adequately to nonsurgical, conservative management may be eligible for SIJ fusion.
Approximately one-third of strokes are cryptogenic (lack an identifiable and treatable cause). Undetected atrial fibrillation (AF) is one suspected cause of cryptogenic stroke. Inability to detect suspected AF after cryptogenic stroke presents a clinical management dilemma.
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Purpose of Technology: Hydrogen breath tests (HBTs) may be used to identify carbohydrate malabsorption by assessing changes in hydrogen expiration following the administration of lactose, fructose, or other carbohydrates. Carbohydrate malabsorption may be suspected in patients with symptoms suggestive of or a diagnosis of fu…