-
The stroke sign you might ignore — but shouldn’t
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareYour right eye goes blurry out of the blue. You blink, but the blurriness doesn't go away immediately. Ten minutes later, boom — it's gone. No big deal, right? Think again — you could have just had an eye stroke. Eye strokes are brief episodes of blurred vision or vision loss that last from a minute to a half-hour, then clear. You might chalk one up to a smudgy contact lens or just being tired, but any kind of diminished or missing vision should be taken very seriously. Eye strokes can be a sign that you've had a full-blown stroke — or a can be a precursor to one.
-
Don’t ever resign with a ‘shove it’ quit
Hank Boyer Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn 1977, country music artist Johnny Paycheck recorded what many employees wanted desperately to tell their boss as they quit their jobs. "Take This Job and Shove It!" nearly won a CMA award for Song of the Year, and artists like the Dead Kennedys and David Alan Coe re-recorded it in the years to follow. Have you ever felt like leaving a job this way? Many people have. However, before you yield to the temptation, there are few things you ought to know.
-
Consumers share their top healthcare concerns, but there’s no such…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareMany Americans say they are worried about the future of the Affordable Care Act for people with preexisting conditions, according to the most recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Health Tracking Poll. Almost 70 percent (68%) of respondents said they want to keep preexisting condition protections, and the KFF report suggests that a majority of respondents (54%) want to keep the healthcare law entirely as is, even if insurance plan costs increase. Those who responded said they’re all for price increases as long as their healthcare provisions are met. But who should pay for the possible increases is another thing altogether.
-
Introducing the world’s first 3-D-printed human heart
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareFor the first time, researchers have "printed" a 3-D human heart using a patient's tissue. While the first printed heart is small and nonfunctional, the development of a 3-D printable heart could someday save millions of lives. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death globally, according to the World Health Organization, and heart transplant is currently the only treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure. 3-D-printed hearts could help overcome shortages of hearts available for transplantation; because they use the patient’s own tissue, using 3-D-printed hearts could also reduce rejection rates.
-
As citizenship question reaches high court, a look at how census data is…
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentYou may have heard about the Supreme Court’s census case, expected to be ruled on this summer. The case has broad-reaching implications. Additionally, census forms are scheduled to be printed in June, so it’s best for the court to make a hasty decision on the matter. United States Department of Commerce v. New York, No. 18-966, is focused on whether it’s constitutional to ask about a respondent’s U.S. citizenship status when collecting other data. On that note, how is census data actually used?
-
Should you leave stability and join a healthcare startup?
Catherine Iste Medical & Allied HealthcareHealthcare is a $3.5 trillion market that is not renowned for its efficiency. Yet, because there are so many very different facets to the healthcare market, like drug discovery, technological innovation, health improvement, and systems change, it is ripe for opportunity. Millions of dollars are being invested in startups in all areas of the market, and growth is expected to continue as investors and companies become more sophisticated. Could this be the time to leave a stable position and jump on board a startup?
-
5 ways to recruit the best nurses for your healthcare organization
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationMany hospitals and healthcare organizations are trying to cope with an ongoing nursing shortage — both through hiring and retention issues. As an administrator, you always want to make sure the very best nurses are working to produce the very best patient outcomes. So how can you get and keep the best professionals to perform nursing duties? Use the following research-driven tips to identify the nurses who will benefit your organization long-term.
-
Perceptions of opioid policies and implications for pain treatment in older…
Christina Thielst PharmaceuticalPain management can be complex for the 66 million individuals in the United States experiencing acute pain and the 100 million suffering from chronic pain. Opioids successfully alleviate pain for many; however, morbidity and mortality rates are rising. State responses to this public health threat include the creation of prescription pain management policies. A University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging examined the views and experiences of adults aged 50 to 80 years on opioid prescribing and related policies.
-
JAMA: Growing rural ED use putting strain on safety-net hospitals
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationSafety-net hospitals in the nation’s rural areas are strained and busier than their counterparts in urban areas, a new JAMA study reveals. This problem is further exacerbated by fewer physicians serving patients in these areas and generally worse health for rural residents. Rural hospitals also are constrained financially with "operating margins often too narrow to invest in upgrades to optimize care delivery." According to the JAMA study authors, emergency department use patterns provide a lens into the status of healthcare delivery in the communities they serve.
-
Price transparency can be exciting
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan Healthcare AdministrationHealthcare providers worry about the advent of price transparency for many reasons. It could be the concern that patients will focus on cost rather than the doctor-patient relationship, or they worry their competitors will check their price points and try to undercut them. With various insurance plans and deductibles, it's considered too difficult to offer actionable pricing insights to the consumer. All of these concerns are understandable. But they're also surmountable, as detailed below.
All Healthcare Administration Articles