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Healthcare’s crucial human capital
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareThe healthcare system runs on people power. From nurses and physicians to food service and housekeeping, the hearts, minds, and hands of real people are the engines behind many aspects of healthcare delivery and organizational infrastructure. As the use of artificial intelligence and robotics increase, how we approach the management of human resources will say a great deal about our values, workplace culture, and the healthcare industry writ large.
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New ways to help patients with chronic conditions
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareAs a physician, bringing relief to patients with chronic conditions, which include everything from diabetes to high blood pressure to arthritis and more, is a top priority. Yet aside from prescribing the proper medication and charting your patients' progress through appointments, there are a number of strategies you can employ to make them feel better on a daily basis. These strategies are low-tech, easy to implement and follow, and can make a huge difference in terms of quality of life, according to recent scientific research. Try these proven tips.
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Study: Controlling blood pressure with blue light shows promising results
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareAbout 75 million American adults (32 percent) have high blood pressure — that’s 1 in every 3 adults — and 1 in 3 adults has prehypertension. High blood pressure costs the nation $48.6 billion each year, a cost that includes healthcare services, medications, and missed days of work. A new study suggests that blue light can reduce blood pressure. Blue light increases levels of nitric oxide, an important signaling molecular that protects the cardiovascular system.
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Better broadband needed for telehealth access in rural areas
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareRural Americans are going online for a variety of health-related services, but better availability of broadband internet is necessary to meet future telehealth demand, a new U.S. Department of Agriculture report suggests. Telehealth is rising in popularity for rural areas because of doctor shortages, hospital closings and lack of reliable transportation options. "It allows people to be more engaged in their own health while facilitating care of minor ailments and monitoring of chronic conditions," researchers said.
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Boost patient safety at your hospital by reducing little-known risks
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs an administrator, patient safety is a top priority — and you no doubt are on top of as many established health risk elements as you can be. Research has shown that little-known environmental risks can be surprisingly detrimental to patients' welfare, however. How can you cut these potential hazards before they become bigger problems? Use the following science-driven info to recognize and reduce risk.
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Study: Poor hospital work environments put patients at risk
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcarePatients are at risk because of poor hospital work environments, which need to be improved. So says a new Health Affairs study. We’ll let that sink in. Hospital work environments are a danger to patients. Researchers said they analyzed nurse and patient appraisals at 535 hospitals in four states between 2005 and 2016 — a fairly exhaustive study — to determine whether the work environment had improved and the extent to which those changes affected patient safety.
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Pilot study showcases breathing device for acute migraine
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareMigraine is the third most prevalent neurological disease in the world, affecting 39 million men, women, and children in the United States and 1 billion people worldwide. In the U.S., nearly 1 in 4 households includes someone who suffers with migraine. Treatment has included both pain-relieving and preventative medications. Many patients attend pain clinics and endure countless trials of different medications. For some, the medications work for a short time, others not at all. According to a new study, however, some migraine patients may be able to cut down on medication or stop taking medication at all by using a newly developed inhaler that changes the composition of the air that they breathe.
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Nurturing positive nurse-physician relationships
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareWhen it comes to patient care, both nurses and physicians are crucial to the delivery of positive medical outcomes. In terms of the relationship between the members of nursing and medical teams, seamless cooperation and communication are what make the team approach truly successful. Thus, the nurturing of positive nurse-physician relationships is central to the earnest pursuit of high-level teamwork and results. In simplistic terms, poor relations between nurses and their physician colleagues can either be strengthened with respect or derailed by disrespect.
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New reasons to establish a rural primary care practice
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareMany new doctors and established primary care physicians looking to relocate avoid setting up shop in rural areas. In fact, a study from the University of Missouri-Columbia found that only 10 percent of doctors practice in rural communities, and just 3 percent of medical students intend to do so. Why? Bigger profits may be had in large cities, of course. Yet research shows that there are significant upsides to physicians who choose to treat patients in more distant locations. Shift your perspective by considering these important benefits.
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FDA warns of EpiPens getting stuck in their carrier tubes
Tammy Hinojos PharmaceuticalIn a medical emergency, every second matters. For people with life-threatening allergies, quick and easy access to treatment can have life or death consequences. One common epinephrine auto-injector for allergic reactions is having some trouble. Some EpiPen, EpiPen Jr. and authorized generic versions of the product may not easily slide out of their carrier tubes, which could block quick access to the life-saving device in an emergency. This, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a letter to healthcare professionals on Nov. 2.
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