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Increasing antibiotic resistance leads to emergency department visits for…
Dorothy L. Tengler PharmaceuticalAntibiotics, which are among the most commonly prescribed medications, are often lifesaving, yet may cause unwanted side effects. Antibiotic use, or overuse, has led to increasing antibiotic resistance, one of the world’s most pressing public health problems. This means that illnesses that were once easily treatable with antibiotics are becoming more difficult to cure. Each year from 2011-2015, antibiotics led to approximately 70,000 emergency room visits for allergic reactions and other side effects in children.
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New Census data shows uninsured rate remains unchanged
Seth Sandronsky Medical & Allied HealthcareWhat has happened to the rate of insured Americans after a year of the GOP-controlled Congress trying to end the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare? The number of uninsured Americans has remained statistically unchanged, 28.5 million at any time in 2017 versus 28.1 million in 2016, or 8.8 percent of the populace both years, according to Census Bureau data released on Sept. 12. The uninsured rate was 13.3 percent in 2014, when most major provisions of the ACA began, the Census reported.
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Study reveals promise for ‘triple pill’ to treat high blood…
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareHypertension is the most common of all the conditions of the circulatory system. An estimated 103 million adults have high blood pressure, nearly half of all adults in the United States. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults with high blood pressure use medications to treat the condition, but only about half (54 percent) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control. However, a new treatment that combines low doses of three blood pressure-lowering medications shows promise for lowering high blood pressure more than usual care.
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Could ketamine help reduce opioid use in emergency rooms?
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareAs opioid abuse continues to make headlines across the nation, medical researchers are busy looking at different, safer ways to treat patients who present with acute pain. A recent study in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine compares the analgesic effect of the drug ketamine to opioids in an emergency room setting. The conclusion? Ketamine could be a useful, safe alternative in many cases.
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New ways to support your hospice caregivers
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationThe generous and caring determination of a hospice caregiver is truly an honor to behold. As an organizational administrator, your goal is no doubt to help these excellent professionals provide the most help to their patients as they can — and you want to offer them all the professional and emotional support they need as well. Fortunately, research has pointed out new directions administrators can go in terms of making their staff members' daily experience as streamlined and trouble-free as possible.
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Company’s new tech brings AI to overlooked aspect of healthcare
Shawn Smajstrla Medical & Allied HealthcareWeekly, if not daily, articles are published and posted across the internet hailing the potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Much of this content focuses on two primary aspects of the overall healthcare ecosystem: clinical and administrative. But Change Healthcare, a tech company that works with providers and payers to build a more collaborative and efficient healthcare system, has identified a different kind of use case.
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Dental benefits deconstructed: Dentists’ top concerns
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareUnsurprisingly, dentists across the nation have lots of questions and concerns when it comes to their patients' dental plans, benefits and third-party payers. From pre-authorization headaches to refund requests, dental benefits can be a confusing topic to navigate. Most dentists would rather be in the exam room, doing what they were trained to do in dental school, rather than trying to decipher benefits rules and policies. This is where the team of experts at the ADA Center for Dental Benefits, Coding and Quality within the Practice Institute really shine.
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Study shows promising new therapy for humans, dogs with Type 1 diabetes
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareIn the U.S. alone, more than 1 million people are living with Type 1 diabetes, and approximately 80 people per day, or 30,000 per year, are newly diagnosed. Despite continual improvements in insulin, insulin delivery methods, and home glucose monitoring methods, most people with Type 1 diabetes do not achieve recommended levels of glycemic control. A new therapy for diabetes might mean that instead of injecting insulin once a day or wearing pumps, those with Type 1 diabetes would just need an injection of collagen mixed with pancreatic cells every few months.
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Medicare ACOs saved $1.1 billion last year, adding to good news
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is offering new data that shows the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) saved $314 million for Medicare after bonuses paid to accountable care organizations (ACOs) in 2017. ACOs saved $1.1 billion total and CMS shared $780 million in savings with providers. There were 472 MSSP ACOs in 2017, and 60 percent saved money while 34 percent earned shared savings. The results come just after CMS said its Next Generation ACO saved Medicare about $62 million and maintained quality of care for 2016.
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Study shows increased disease risk from childhood secondhand smoke exposure
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareChildhood exposure to secondhand smoke has been shown to result in an increased risk of and harm from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study was undertaken by a group from the American Cancer Society’s Epidemiology Research Program. The conclusions were made after looking at the association of exposures to secondhand smoke in childhood and as adults to death of all causes, including ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among 70,900 smoking men and women who never smoked.
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