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Physician exchange of electronic data rises, but still a ways to go

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

The National Center for Health Statistics (a division of the CDC) recently published a data brief on variations in physician office health data exchange by state in 2015. The brief is filled with interesting data, much of which is instructive and eye-opening.

A fitness lover’s Christmas with wearable tech

Natalie Thomas Sports & Fitness

'Tis the season of time with loved ones, joyful traditions and scarfing a lot of high-carb sides that remain on your sides. In no time at all, many of us will be setting health resolutions to make the pounds disappear like we did the pecan pie. And we'll have plenty of digital help as smartwatches and fitness trackers look to be the talk of the holidays.

No rest for the weary nurses

Joan Spitrey Healthcare Administration

With the busy holiday season is upon us, many will be enjoying time off from work so they can visit with family. However, while holiday cheer is spreading, nurses and healthcare providers will continue to march along caring for those who are sick and in need of care. While many enjoy ham dinners with apple pie, there will be nurses working through breaks to provide care to those vulnerable patients in need. Although the idea of skipping a meal break is unheard of in most professions, it sadly is more the norm than not in nursing.

Holidays bring a new set of skills we don’t usually practice

Frank R. Myers Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

The holiday season usually sees a spike in fire department alarms. There is no doubt some calls are the result of more people visiting families. However, the holidays also bring on the blues for some people. It can be a time of sadness because of too much holiday-related stress or too few family members with whom to connect. It can also bring on negative aspects of other existing conditions.

8 lease warnings for commercial tenants

Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield Retail

Opening a business and leasing space from a landlord may feel like a marriage, but it's not. Commercial tenants need to get that notion out of their heads. With commercial leasing, a commercial landlord will have many different partners — even several hundred or thousands of tenants — and many different motivations for the relationship. The tenant, on the other hand, has only one landlord and one motivation for leasing space — as a means to an end to do business.

Protecting pipelines — both inside and out

Alan Kelsky Engineering

Consider that there are about 2.6 million miles of pipeline that crisscross the United States. With that number of miles, the safety of pipelines is admirable. But people still don't trust pipelines. Protesters against the Dakota Access Pipeline have been in the news daily — even after their recent victory in stopping construction. At the same time, TransCanada — owner of the Keystone XL pipeline — is suing the United States government for its refusal to grant them a permit for the United States portion of the pipeline.

Mathematical modeling: Coming soon to a school near you

Sheilamary Koch Education

In a May Multibriefs Exclusive article, former math teacher Brian Stack wrote about the urgent need to revamp the approach to math instruction to meet both the needs of our future economy and the large number of students who find it a struggle. As a mother of two school-age girls who claim to hate math — as do their friends — I worry about their automatic shunning of a subject with such far-reaching implications. Can math education be improved? How? Is there a way to make it exciting and pertinent for younger students?

Have I delivered excellent customer service?

Anne Rose Retail

Call a company's customer service department about a problem or issue, and invariably the service rep ends the call with the all-too-familiar question, "Have I delivered excellent customer service?" What exactly is the point of such a question? Understandably, the companies want to know how their customers perceive their brand's willingness to address and resolve problems. They want to foster customer satisfaction and loyalty, and they want to leave customers with the perception that the company cares about them.

Reduce hospitalizations by integrating behavioral health and primary care

Terry Lynam Mental Healthcare

There is a movement across the country to integrate behavioral healthcare into primary settings. This model not only facilitates access for patients with mild to moderate behavioral health conditions, but has also been shown to markedly reduce overall medical costs. Integrating behavioral health and primary care ensures patients with behavioral health needs receive help. It also means the medical needs of patients with mental illness are addressed in a timely way.

Healthcare price transparency: A tough pill to swallow

Jason Poquette Healthcare Administration

In a 2014 Wall Street Journal articleNo matter what side of the political fence you sit on, healthcare price transparency is a factor that most feel is important. President-elect Donald Trump included a reference to this in his healthcare reform platform, stating that he would "require price transparency from all healthcare providers, especially doctors and healthcare organizations like clinics and hospitals." Similarly, Hilary Clinton acknowledged the importance of this issue, stating on her website that "we must do more to shine a light on healthcare prices."

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