Category: Health

On the ice, twin hockey players Austin and Owen Plumert constitute a double threat.

Eager to practice. Eager to play. Eager to excel and do their best for their team as they skate into challenges head-on, with fearless determination.

Alas, one day they each met a foe they could not dodge: hip pain.

The sharp, throbbing pain became so great, it forced both brothers to take a break from the sport they love.

But their timeout was not permanent.

Thanks to minimally invasive hip surgery to reshape the femoral head of their hip joint, the 17-year-old Hudsonville, Michigan, twins returned to the ice rink to skate, pass, check and score goals.

“When I got to my first game (post-surgery), I finally realized I didn’t have any pain anymore,” Owen said. “That was when I really knew that it had worked.”

At home on the ice

Identical twins, Austin and Owen share an identical passion for hockey.

They began to play hockey at age 5 and now play on a travel team and on the Hudsonville High School team. Their 19-year-old brother, Jaden, plays, too.

Their parents, Becky and Dan, are their biggest fans.

“The rink is like my second home,” Owen said. “I am always there. When I get done with school, that’s always something to look forward to—playing hockey.”

They have played soccer and baseball and they still play lacrosse. But hockey ranks No. 1 for both teens.

“I like the physicality of it,” Austin said. “It’s fast and you have to be worried about so many other things—like passing, where people are. You constantly have in the back of your head that you are going to get hit at some point, so you have to be quick in your movements, so you don’t get hit.”

Hockey is the center of their social life, as well. They have formed close friendships with teammates. And through travel teams, they have become friends with players from high school rivals.

The hockey community is like a family, Becky said.

For Owen and Austin, giving up the sport was unthinkable.

Hip pain struck Owen first.

Two years ago, as he went from cross country practice to hockey practice, he noticed a sharp pain in his hips. It hurt to walk upstairs.

On the ice, with adrenaline pumping, he didn’t notice the pain. But his parents could tell it affected his skating.

At first, Owen thought he had pulled a groin muscle. But when the pain persisted, his parents brought him to the Spectrum Health sports medicine team.

After conservative treatments, such as anti-inflammatories, failed to fix the problem, Owen saw Travis Menge, MD, a sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip arthroscopy and joint preservation.

Scans showed a structural abnormality of Owen’s hip joint.

“The femoral head is normally shaped like a nice round ball, like a basketball or marble,” Dr. Menge said.

In Owen’s hips, extra bone growth caused the femoral head to be oblong-shaped, like a watermelon.

That caused impingement on the labrum, which is a ring- or gasket-like structure around the socket. Tears in the labrum caused pain and limited the mobility of his hip joints.

“Impingement typically develops in the teen years, when growth plates are growing and then closing,” Dr. Menge said. “The structural abnormality leads to increased damage in the joint.”

Genetics and activity levels play a role in causing a misshapen ball in the hip joint, Dr. Menge said. It’s more common in teens who do a lot of running, skating or other repetitive motions—but not all active teens develop the condition.

Twenty years ago, a hip surgery would have required a large incision, several days in the hospital and at least a year of recovery.

“The good news is that advances in technology and surgical techniques have allowed us to address these structural abnormalities and damage in the hip through an arthroscopic, minimally invasive approach,” Dr. Menge said.

“We can address all of the damage and correct the structural problems through a few small poke holes.”

Headed to surgery

At the age of 15, in April 2021, Owen underwent his first surgery, on his left hip.

Dr. Menge shaved down the extra bone on the hip joint’s femoral head, creating a round shape. He also repaired tears to the labrum and damage to the cartilage.

Three months later, Owen underwent the same surgery on his right hip.

In November, after much physical therapy, strengthening and mobility exercises, Owen began to practice with his high school hockey team.

Austin did not experience the same hip pain as his brother. At least, not at first.

He noticed a popping sound in his left hip. And he could tell something interfered with the mobility of his hip joint.

One day playing hockey, he took a hit.

“I landed on it wrong and I think that finally was the tearing point,” Austin said. “I could barely walk after. It was severe pain.”

In April 2022, after hockey season wrapped up, he underwent the same arthroscopic surgery as his brother.

He worked for three months in rehab. In July, Dr. Menge told him he could return gradually to hockey practice.

Back on the ice

After several months away from hockey, Owen and Austin worked hard to get back in shape.

The first practices left them with sore muscles and out of breath, but that felt much better than the hip pain they had experienced before.

“I think the surgery is great,” Owen said. “Dr. Menge obviously did really good work.”

The teens credited their rehab team, as well.

“They definitely did a good job,” Austin said. “I got my mobility back and my strength back, so I could get back (to hockey) as (quick as I could.)”

Their parents could see the joy in their sons’ faces when they put on their ice skates, gloves and helmet and picked up their hockey sticks.

“You could see the light come back in their eyes. It was, ‘Yes, I can do this again,’” Becky said.

“I’m glad they can do it without pain,” Dan, their dad, said.

Over the years, Dan has seen how much hockey means to Owen and Austin—and how much they have gained from the sport.

“They have been able to learn what individual contributions are and also how it has to be a team effort,” Dan said. “They learn a lot of life lessons about winning and about losing and about doing your best.”

Long-term benefits

Helping Owen and Austin return to hockey has been very rewarding, Dr. Menge said. He is the senior academic advisor and the leader for research and innovation at Spectrum Health orthopedics.

“That’s the reason I do what I do,” he said. “I enjoy seeing people get back to what they love doing—without pain or other limitations.”

The benefits may extend beyond their high school hockey days, he added.

“Another major advantage of correcting the structural abnormalities is that we reduce the likelihood of further hip issues later in life and reduce the need for total hip replacement,” he said.

Dr. Menge credited the teens with diligently following the post-surgery rehabilitation.

“They are very hard-working, dedicated kids,” said Tarra Geertman, an athletic trainer in the orthopedics department who worked with the twins. “These guys did their part. They seemed to have a good attitude throughout the whole recovery process.”

Hip pain is common in active people and, in many cases, surgery is not necessary, Dr. Menge said.

He advises people to first try rest, anti-inflammatory medication and reducing or modifying activity. If the condition does not improve after four to six weeks, he recommends seeing a sports medicine specialist.

And if considering surgery, he advises consulting a surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and joint preservation—and who will perform a minimally invasive, arthroscopic surgery.

What’s next for Owen and Austin’s hockey career?

They both hope to play junior hockey after high school, and then play on a college team.

“I just love hockey,” Owen said. “I just want to keep playing hockey and get as good as I can.”

Bass fishing, shaved ice, bounce houses, magicians and chalk drawings would make any afternoon unforgettable.

But add in children, siblings, parents and health care team members who all share a truly special connection, and you’ve got just the right ingredients for a celebration to remember.

The memory-making was on full display Saturday afternoon, when families from across Michigan reunited with the doctors, nurses and other NICU team members who once provided care to their children at Gerber Foundation Neonatal Center at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

“Today is a day where families can come back to show off their graduates to friends from the hospital,” said Amy Nyberg, March of Dimes NICU family support program coordinator at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “It’s wonderful to see past patients reconnecting with fellow families and saying thank you to the care team that once was at their bedside.”

The children at Saturday’s gathering had a vast array of exciting activities to enjoy.

They wore animal-themed headbands and got temporary tattoos. They had their faces painted. They cuddled with dogs from West Michigan Therapy Dogs. They took goofy pictures in a photo booth. They fished in a pond.

It was a luau-themed event, too, which inspired many to wear a lei or colorful Hawaiian gear.

Nyberg said she loved seeing the joy on the many faces at the event.

“It’s great to see how the children have grown into happy and healthy adults,” she said.

Brittany Roberts, a NICU nurse at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, worked the welcome desk as she greeted families.

“It’s my first time working the event this year, and it’s pretty neat,” Roberts said. “I love seeing all the grads that I have taken care of. And the turnout is abundant.”

Holly and Nate Kroeze attended with their three children. Their daughter, Scottie, 2, spent two months in the NICU after she was born.

“It’s a great space to see nurses and providers,” Holly said. “We have run into so many people we know.”

It was the first NICU reunion for Daphne Greve, 6, who attended with her mother. They got to interact with Charlie, a therapy dog.

Caleb Bell, 1, who had spent two months in the NICU, attended with his brother, Elijah, and their mother, Keturah. They all enjoyed getting to know Coco, a Yorkshire terrier.

And while the bounce house, therapy dogs and fishing were a big hit for all, one of the more simple activities drew plenty of smiles: sidewalk chalk.

Ellie Robinson, 2, played with bubbles as she chalked on the sidewalk. Ellie’s big sister had spent more than 10 months in the NICU.

Nearby, Aaliyah France, 1, played with the chalk. Aaliyah spent 51 days in the NICU at birth. Her mother, Breonna France, said Saturday’s event was simply awesome.

“We saw one of her NICU nurses and some of the Child Life team today,” Breonna said. “And it was great to reconnect.”

The event also had an ice cream truck on hand, allowing guests to enjoy cupfuls of flavored ice shavings.

Sienna Baas, 14, and her mom, Kelly Baas, nibbled on the shaved ice as they watched a magician perform tricks.

It was a big day for Sienna. She didn’t just celebrate her graduation from the NICU—she also planned to attend her first homecoming dance later in the evening.

The two met with Benedict “Ben” Doctor, MD, the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital neonatologist who treated Sienna at the NICU nearly 14 years ago. They exchanged hugs and well wishes.

Dr. Doctor also met with Vicky Richardson, 12, who’d spent six months and eight days in the NICU.

Vicky’s mom, Tomarra, felt grateful for the opportunity to connect with the care team outside the children’s hospital.

“It’s really nice for the doctors to be able to see her now,” Tomarra said. “We talked to the nurses, and they love seeing the patients as adult children. And to see how well she’s doing now.”

Down the path a stretch, families spent time fishing for bass in a pond.

Ralph Nyberg, fishing manager and a volunteer, brought half a dozen fishing poles for the kids to use. He helped several reel in their catches.

Teagan Boeve, 6, had several near catches—and he planned to keep at it until he could reel one in himself.

“Today is just so much fun,” Amy Nyberg said. “These families have so much to celebrate and we are so happy to be here to spend time with them in this special space where everyone has something in common.”

In these golden days of late summer and early fall, garden vines are bursting with ripe tomatoes.

There are a lot of good, nutritional reasons to indulge in this harvest bounty, Sarah VanEerden, RD, a Spectrum Health dietitian who works in preventive cardiology and cardiovascular rehabilitation, said.

“One reason I love tomatoes is they are so versatile,” she said. “You can eat them cold or chopped just by themselves, as a condiment or as a feature of a meal. And they bring color to the plate, as well.”

She offered diverse ways to add tomatoes to your diet—and reasons to do so.

But first: Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

“Botanically, tomatoes are a fruit,” VanEerden said. “A fruit is any vegetable with seeds inside.”

That includes cucumbers, peppers and zucchinis.

“However, nutritionally, we consider them a non-starchy vegetable,” she added. “They bring fiber and antioxidants to the plate.

“They are not considered a carbohydrate like a fruit such as a banana would be. They don’t have a significant amount of fructose.”

Two good reasons to eat tomatoes: vitamin C and potassium.

One medium tomato contains about 30% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, which supports immune system function.

It also contains about 8% percent of the recommended intake for potassium, which helps with blood pressure management.

“Most Americans get enough vitamin C but not enough potassium,” VanEerden said.

Fighting free radicals

Tomatoes also contain a healthy dose of a well-known antioxidant, lycopene.

“We have free radicals floating around in our bodies—naturally produced or from the environment, or from the processed foods we eat,” she said.

“Lycopene is like a little soldier that helps us take care of that and fight that oxidation.”

Research has shown lycopene consumption helps support the immune system, and it’s also linked to lower risk of anti-inflammatory diseases such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis.

Olive oil and tomatoes make a healthy nutritional pairing, VanEerden added.

“The healthy fats of olive oil help us absorb the lycopene,” she said.

In general, tomatoes are low on carbohydrates and protein. A medium tomato delivers about 22 calories.

A whole tomato, however, delivers about 2 grams of fiber—and many of us need a fiber boost. Most fall far short of the recommended 24 grams of fiber daily for women and 38 grams for men, VanEerden said.

In general, tomatoes are a great way to balance your plate, she said.

“We need to fuel our bodies with quality calories from whole foods,” she said.

Tomatoes are considered a nightshade—a fruit or vegetable belonging to a family of plants known by the Latin name, Solanaceae.

Although some people say nightshade vegetables cause inflammation and could exacerbate a condition like arthritis, VanEerden said that is not the case for most people—tomatoes deliver many benefits.

“For most of us, they are anti-inflammatory,” she said. “There is a small subset of people who will become more inflamed with nightshades. That is something to talk to your provider about.”

Tomatoes on the menu

VanEerden offered her favorite ways to add tomatoes to a healthy diet:

• Chop them and add fresh herbs, olive oil, vinegar and optional cucumber.
• Add tomatoes to a cooked whole grain, such as brown rice or quinoa. Add a little paprika and garlic.
• Roast them in the oven at 400 degrees, on a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. This works with whole cherry tomatoes or larger tomato slices.
• Make fresh tomato soup, adding roasted red peppers, garlic, a little vinegar, herbs and crushed red pepper. You can use a blender to puree it to a slightly chunky texture.
• Explore different cuisines. We often think of Italian dishes when it comes to tomatoes, but they star in salads, soups, stews and dishes from other regions around the world. VanEerden likes to make a Greek dish combining tomatoes with chickpeas, lemon and dill.
• Buy tomatoes in bulk and cook them with or without the skin as a base for spaghetti marinara or other dishes. Freeze or can the sauce.

“Tomatoes never taste as good as they do when they are fresh from the garden,” VanEerden said.

But you can still get the tasty nutritional benefits year-round with canned or jarred tomatoes. With store-bought canned tomatoes, she advises checking the sodium content and buying unsalted tomatoes.

Kristina King’s wife, Bet Dembicky, puts it best.

“To say she doesn’t sit still would be an understatement,” Bet said.

Here’s a quick catalogue of the incredible forays King has taken thus far, at age 53, in her life’s journey:

• She boxed professionally in her late 20s and early 30s. She even fought Laila Ali, daughter of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.
• She worked in prisons across the U.S. for more than 30 years. She handled rowdy inmates as a sergeant on a security team and even reached the rank of lieutenant in her career.
• In her spare time, she volunteers on a search and rescue team.
• These days, she’s perfecting her routine as a farmer.

It’s an exciting life, by any account.

But it hasn’t come without serious repercussions.

Back in her boxing days, King ruptured her diaphragm in a fight. The scar tissue followed her for more than 20 years. Some of the scar tissue fused to her heart.

Due to three-quarters of her stomach being pulled up into her stomach, King said, scar tissue had become attached to her aorta and left lung.

With the damaged diaphragm and the effects of the scar tissue, her activities grew limited.

“I had been on light duty for some time,” King said.

At some point, it affected her ability to work.

Where once she could head into the prison yard to chat with prisoners, her physical health quickly put an end to that. It was simply too dangerous, if ever she had to physically defend herself.

“I was at the point where I could hardly walk at times,” she said. “I used a walker to get around and I had to rest a lot as the pain became immensely serious.”

It had become a terrible situation, she said. It even affected her ability to eat solid foods.

Then, in June 2021, she met Geoffrey Lam, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon at Spectrum Health.

The road to surgery

When Dr. Lam met with King, he soon identified the problem and developed a plan.

“She had a recurrent hiatal hernia where her stomach was again pushing into the chest cavity,” Dr. Lam said.

King’s pain had been worsening and she had difficulty swallowing for years. She thought she would need to have her esophagus removed, but Dr. Lam said that would not be necessary.

“Our plan was to deal with the scar tissue … and, hopefully, improve her quality of life after surgery,” Dr. Lam said. “She had very little hope when we first met.”

Dr. Lam would use robot-assisted surgery to tackle the issue.

Before that, however, King would need to lose about 30 pounds.

She followed a strict, low-carb diet for a few months and lost enough weight to get clearance for surgery.

That came in August 2021.

King underwent multiple procedures at Spectrum Health Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center, including upper GI endoscopy, robotic video-assisted hernia repair and surgery for gastroesophageal reflux.

Dr. Lam performed the robot-assisted surgery by using small incisions between the ribs, which would help minimize the post-surgery pain and recovery period.

“We like to offer patients a minimally invasive approach, if at all possible,” Dr. Lam said. “There is a lot of data looking at the long-term effects and improvement in pain, quality of life, faster recovery and shorter hospital stay by using robotic-assisted surgery.”

Dr. Lam knew the operation would be long and tedious. King had 20 years’ worth of scar tissue inside her abdomen.

Robotic surgery would help avoid a big incision, which would lessen the effects on her body and help her get back on her feet much sooner.

“Traditional surgery in the chest cavity involves a long incision, between 4 to 6 inches in length, where we go in between the ribs and then have to spread the ribs,” Dr. Lam said. “You can imagine this can be very painful, with a much longer hospital stay and longer recovery.”

In the robot-assisted procedure, the doctor made four small incisions, each about 1/2 inch in length.

The surgery itself involved small, delicate instruments and a camera.

“The robotic platform allows us to do operations much more precisely, even compared to minimally invasive surgery,” Dr. Lam said. “We were able to do the operation safely in as short of a time as possible, without large incisions or long recovery times.”

Up and moving

After surgery, King found she could get out of bed immediately.

“I was up walking that same night with my walker,” she said. “And the next day … (the) tube came out. And the next day, another tube. I was out of the hospital within four days.”

It proved life-changing.

She had always been a resilient person, always on the move.

When she became a boxer in 1996, she went all in. She held five titles in the Toughwoman competition, including two runner-up titles and a state title in Michigan in 1999. She boxed professionally after that, including the April 2000 fight in China against Laila Ali.

When the sport became too physically demanding, she moved to coaching. And when she could no longer coach, she moved to new challenges.

“That’s when I started to do search and rescue,” King said. “I was able to handle that. I had a bloodhound named Emma, and she and I saved multiple lives.”

She got into farming, too.

Even so, her health challenges had kept her from the level of activity she desired. It had been a devastating blow.

“There were times where I would just sit and cry because I wasn’t able to do anything, and I was always so physical,” she said.

Her surgery with Dr. Lam changed all that.

“I don’t know if Dr. Lam knows how much I appreciate him,” she said. “He gave me my life back.”

‘I can reach the world again’

Post-surgery, King said she’s back to 100 percent.

She’s farming regularly with Bet these days, riding the John Deere tractor up and down the 200 acres where they tend their crops.

“We work with heavy equipment out here,” she said. “I’m able to jump up on farming equipment now.”

She can walk, hike and tackle long flights of stairs, without any pressure on her diaphragm. She and a friend even hiked more than 60 miles this past spring in Utah, where they visited five national parks.

“I hiked Canyonlands and met people I never would have met,” she said. “I just retired in July. And I have a lot of life left to live.”

She’s excited at the prospect of once again enjoying life on the go.

“I can reach the world again and touch the world like I wanted to before,” she said. “And I’m glad I took that risk with this surgery.”

It was a beautiful, sunny fall day in Grand Rapids. The leaves were on the verge of changing color, signifying the official end of summer.

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at Millennium Park for a 5k in support of colorectal cancer: Get Your Rear in Gear, organized by the Colon Cancer Coalition.

The event raises funds for colon cancer screening and awareness, but it also serves as a call to take care of your body and make healthy choices.

A unique installation greeted guests as they arrived: a giant inflatable colon, dubbed “The Great Colon Tour.”

The display, which guests could walk through, featured information about common colon conditions and diseases, such as a malignant polyp, Crohn’s disease or advanced colon cancer.

And there was no avoiding it. Families could stroll right through the huge display, examining each polyp one by one, even stopping for selfies at the midway point.

Nearby, runners and walkers readied for the 5K, many donning T-shirts that sported phrases such as, “Get your rear in gear,” and, “Love your buns.”

Holly and Nate Kroeze walked the 5K with their three children. They attended in support of Holly’s brother-in-law, a colon cancer survivor.

“The whole family is here walking today,” Holly said. “The kids know why they’re here, too. We told them Uncle Spencer was sick and we are walking for people who are sick, so they know they are not alone.”

Their uncle, Spencer Vereecken, is race director for the annual Get Your Rear in Gear 5K, which Spectrum Health sponsors. A Spectrum Health team also participates in the event.

“We are all here today to raise awareness around colon cancer,” Vereecken said.

Doctors diagnosed Vereecken with colorectal cancer in 2018, as he was trying to become a living donor for a friend.

“On my last trip to the doctor, I had some pain in my abdomen,” he said. “I thought it was a hernia. But instead, I needed 12 rounds of chemo and a foot-and-a-half of my colon removed.”

Nadav Dujovny, MD, colorectal surgeon at Spectrum Health, encourages folks to get screened at an early age.

“This can be a stinky topic that a lot of people don’t necessarily want to talk about,” Dr. Dujovny said.

Following the recommended screening guidelines is one of the best ways to prevent colorectal cancer.

“Get in to get checked out on time and avoid any issues,” Dr. Dujovny said.

Did you know?

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosis in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. Some other facts:

• Up to 25% of patients with colorectal cancer have a family history of the disease.
• Age 45 is now the recommended age to begin screening for colorectal cancer.
• By 2030, colorectal cancer is projected to be the No. 1 cause of cancer death in people ages 50 and younger.
• Colorectal cancer is often preventable through early screening and diagnosis.

The team at Spectrum Health Cancer Center, which sponsors Get Your Rear in Gear, has long emphasized the importance of screening.

“The greatest part of getting screened is that it is preventative,” Katherine Williams, event associate at Spectrum Health, said. “If any polyps are found, they are removed right on the spot.”

She echoed Dr. Dujovny’s recommendation: Get screened early and often.

“Do it at the time that is right for you, based on your age or family history,” Williams said. “It is one of the easiest things you can do.”

There’s no disputing that a healthy diet delivers limitless benefits. It helps with weight management, mental clarity and overall health.

A lackluster diet, on the other hand, can put you at risk of malnutrition, a condition that can adversely affect your underlying health and limit your ability to recover from injury or illness.

One of the biggest problems with malnutrition is that it isn’t always easy to notice. It’s important to know what symptoms to watch for and when you need to talk to your doctor.

Malnutrition can occur at any age, in any body type.

Even people with excess weight or those who are obese can be malnourished. Millions of people in the U.S. suffer from some level of malnutrition.

The risk and rate of malnutrition can increase with age and other factors, including:

• Not eating enough
• Lack of access to healthy food
• Lack of physical activity
• Certain medical conditions

According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition refers to three groups of conditions:

• Not enough food and calories
• Not enough or too many vitamins and minerals
• Excess food and calories leading to excess body weight and diet-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes

The sooner malnutrition can be detected, the sooner it can be treated. This, of course, can help improve your ability to fight off disease and inflammation.

The good news is you don’t have to set off into battle alone.

Spectrum Health’s registered dietitians are nutrition experts who can work with you to design a customized nutrition plan. They can look at your health data to see if you’re at risk of malnutrition and then provide a personal plan that will lead to improved health by eating good-for-you foods.

You can also check out the consumer resources section of the Malnutrition Awareness Week website.

A review of studies published in JAMA Network Open found few randomized clinical trials for medical machine learning algorithms, and researchers noted quality issues in many published trials they analyzed.

The review included 41 RCTs of machine learning interventions. It found 39% were published just last year, and more than half were conducted at single sites. Fifteen trials took place in the U.S., while 13 were conducted in China. Six studies were conducted in multiple countries. 

Only 11 trials collected race and ethnicity data. Of those, a median of 21% of participants belonged to underrepresented minority groups. 

None of the trials fully adhered to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials – Artificial Intelligence (CONSORT-AI), a set of guidelines developed for clinical trials evaluating medical interventions that include AI. Thirteen trials met at least eight of the 11 CONSORT-AI criteria.

Researchers noted some common reasons trials didn’t meet these standards, including not assessing poor quality or unavailable input data, not analyzing performance errors and not including information about code or algorithm availability. 

Using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for assessing potential bias in RCTs, the study also found overall risk of bias was high in the seven of the clinical trials. 

“This systematic review found that despite the large number of medical machine learning-based algorithms in development, few RCTs for these technologies have been conducted. Among published RCTs, there was high variability in adherence to reporting standards and risk of bias and a lack of participants from underrepresented minority groups. These findings merit attention and should be considered in future RCT design and reporting,” the study’s authors wrote.

WHY IT MATTERS

The researchers said there were some limitations to their review. They looked at studies evaluating a machine learning tool that directly impacted clinical decision-making so future research could look at a broader range of interventions, like those for workflow efficiency or patient stratification. The review also only assessed studies through October 2021, and more reviews would be necessary as new machine learning interventions are developed and studied.

However, the study’s authors said their review demonstrated more high-quality RCTs of healthcare machine learning algorithms need to be conducted. While hundreds of machine-learning enabled devices have been approved by the FDA, the review suggests the vast majority didn’t include an RCT.

“It is not practical to formally assess every potential iteration of a new technology through an RCT (eg, a machine learning algorithm used in a hospital system and then used for the same clinical scenario in another geographic location),” the researchers wrote. 

“A baseline RCT of an intervention’s efficacy would help to establish whether a new tool provides clinical utility and value. This baseline assessment could be followed by retrospective or prospective external validation studies to demonstrate how an intervention’s efficacy generalizes over time and across clinical settings.”

Acurable, a UK-based medical device company, announced it raised €11 million ($10.8 million) in a Series A funding round led by Kibo Ventures. 

Mundi Ventures, Comprador Holdings and Kindred Capital participated in the raise.

The company will use the funds to accelerate the international expansion of its first home sleep testing device, the AcuPebble SA100, which enables users to detect and monitor obstructive sleep apnea.

Acurable will also develop new products for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and cardiovascular conditions. 

The AcuPebble SA100 was launched in the UK and Spain in 2021. The company is looking to scale within the two countries and expand in Europe and North America.

The device received a CE mark in Europe for the automated diagnosis of OSA at home. Last year, it received FDA 510(k) clearance in the U.S. to sense, record and interpret physiological signals, like a patient’s respiratory pattern, while they sleep to prescreen for OSA.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Several companies provide at-home sleep apnea diagnostic testing offerings, including Israeli-based Itamar Medical, which broadened the capabilities of its at-home sleep apnea diagnostic testing line in 2021.

Its WatchPAT system attaches to a user’s index finger, chest and wrist, measuring and recording peripheral arterial (PAT) signal, heart rate, oximetry, actigraphy, body position, snoring and chest motion to identify events of sleep apnea.

In 2021, it expanded its capabilities with SleePath, allowing users to document subjective data from its test directly into the connected app, providing physicians a fuller picture via self-reports and sleep study metrics. 

In 2020, ResApp launched SleepCheck, an at-home sleep apnea screening app, and that same year French firm Withings released Sleep Analyzer, an under-the-mattress sleep-tracking mat that can be used to detect sleep apnea.

The moment their little baby, Hazel, came into this world, Logan and Jade O’Brien knew something was wrong.

Hazel didn’t cry or make any of the sounds a new baby might make at birth. She was completely silent.

Her skin had a purplish hue, too.

When the care team briefly took Hazel off to the side—instead of placing her on Jade’s chest, as had been done when her older two children were born—Jade began to worry.

A nurse in the delivery room at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital offered calming reassurance.

“I didn’t really know what was happening,” Jade said. “All I knew was that this was out of the ordinary.”

She remembers watching as the nurses and Logan gathered around Hazel. Her husband seemed to be holding his breath.

“His shoulders were so tense,” Jade said. “And I still hadn’t heard Hazel make a noise—not even a squeak.”

After what felt like an eternity, Hazel finally let out a cry.

“It was such blessing to hear,” Jade said. “But there was still something wrong. Her skin was sinking deep into her chest cavity with every inhale, after every scream.”

When Hazel quieted a bit, the nurses placed her on Jade’s chest. It gave mom and new baby a treasured moment to connect, if only briefly.

The nurses whisked Hazel off to the Gerber Foundation Neonatal Center at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, where she spent 13 days undergoing treatment for feeding difficulties and respiratory issues.

She had an echocardiogram, too, which revealed several heart defects.

When her parents could finally feed her without assistance from the care team, the family returned to their home in Ludington, Michigan.

But that, too, would be a short respite.

‘Great to have an answer’

A few weeks later, the O’Briens had a follow-up appointment with pediatric cardiologists at The Karl and Patricia Betz Congenital Heart Center at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.

Doctors wanted to identify the cause of Hazel’s arrythmia and heart defects. They admitted her to the hospital to undergo an extensive evaluation with team members in cardiology, rheumatology and genetics.

Jade and Logan soon met with Caleb Bupp, MD, division chief for medical genetics at Spectrum Health.

“I knew we would need rapid whole genome testing on her,” Dr. Bupp said. “There were too many questions we didn’t have answers for.”

A genetic blood test soon revealed the root cause of Hazel’s heart defects—Noonan syndrome, caused by a rare RIT1 gene mutation.

Noonan syndrome is a disorder that involves unusual facial characteristics, short stature, heart defects at birth, bleeding problems and developmental delays.

“It’s connected to one of the more important genetic pathways in the body,” Dr. Bupp said. “So it’s not crazy rare. But a lot of different genes can cause it.”

There are over 10 genes known to cause this syndrome, likely with more to be discovered, Dr. Bupp said.

“It was great to have an answer,” Jade said. “The test was done on a Friday and we had results on Monday. Not knowing what was wrong with Hazel was one of the hardest things my husband and I have been through.”

Learning about Noonan syndrome helped put them at ease, Jade said.

“We were able to start understanding Hazel’s disorder and determined the necessary course of follow-up treatment,” she said.

Quick access to genetic testing has helped make these outcomes possible.

This is particularly valuable for families of patients who have rare conditions. Once-elusive answers can often be pinned down in short order.

“The puzzle pieces made sense now, but it didn’t make sense right off the bat,” Dr. Bupp said.

“Hazel was one of those kids who, when we get results from the genetic test, it’s like an ‘aha’ moment,” he said. “Not every patient reads like a textbook or presents the same way. And that’s where genetics comes in—it helps us see those things we didn’t expect.”

With a diagnosis, doctors were also able to send Hazel home sooner, Dr. Bupp said.

“We were able to move her treatment to outpatient care,” he said. “This got her out of the hospital faster, saved time and money on procedures and limited time the family needed to spend away from home.”

Dr. Bupp calls it a triple win.

“It’s good for patients and families, good for medical teams, and good for the cost of medical care,” he said.

Today, Hazel is a happy girl with bright blue eyes and a smile that will light up the room. She is saying “hi” and “mama” already and her vocabulary will no doubt grow quickly.

She loves peanut butter and jelly and playing with her siblings, Olivia and Soren. They have their own bounce house in the front yard, and neighborhood friends stop by regularly to play.

Hazel took her first steps at 17 months old and she’s now walking on her own and keeping her parents busy.

This summer, Jade and Logan also celebrated the birth of their baby boy, Rowen Cade O’Brien.

Hazel now has another sibling to play with.

And she routinely meets with the cardiology team at the congenital heart center, where doctors can monitor her heart condition.

“We are beyond thankful for Hazel and can’t imagine our lives without her,” Jade said. “The care we received at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has been extraordinary. … We are forever grateful to everyone involved.”