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Federal policy challenges continue with opioid epidemic
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareOn Aug. 16, a mass overdose taxed the EMS services of New Haven, Connecticut. Within 24 hours, 70 people had overdosed on synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or spice, which was suspected to be laced with the potent opioid fentanyl. Again, this highlighted the continued opioid crisis that continues to plague the United States. However, federal and local authorities, despite their best efforts, continue to make little headway in this new war on drugs.
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How to cut the stress at your practice
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareAs a physician, do you find yourself feeling depleted, exhausted, and isolated? You're not alone. A new Stanford University School of Medicine study found that at physicians' practices worldwide, the emotional and physical impact of managing daily workload is causing doctors more stress than ever. Out of 6,695 doctors surveyed by the researchers, 55 percent reported feeling burnt out. The good news: there are positive and concrete steps you can take to alleviate your stress, forge stronger bonds with your staff, colleagues and patients, and physically recover so you're refreshed to do your best work.
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New research focuses on link between hormones and migraines in women
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe three most common forms of pain treated in the United States are headache, backache, and metastatic pain or cancer pain. Headaches are a major reason why people miss work or school or visit a healthcare provider. Migraine headaches, which affect about 12 percent of Americans, involve moderate-to-severe throbbing pain, often on one side of the head. Migraines are three times more common in women than in men and may relate to changes in hormones and hormonal levels during their menstrual cycle.
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Electronic transactions may save Medicaid $4.8 billion annually
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationA new Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH CORE) report states that Medicaid could save more than $4.8 billion annually if they moved to fully electronic transactions. The California-based nonprofit also said more than half of Medicaid enrollees are in plans without electronic prior authorization. Only 44 percent of Medicaid recipients are in plans with automated claims processes. State agencies and health plans covering these enrollees have achieved some level of CORE Certification compared to 78 percent for commercial health plans and 75 percent for Medicare Advantage plans.
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Opt-in or opt-out organ donation: Which is a better indicator of ‘true…
Lynn Hetzler Healthcare AdministrationWhich inferred preference for organ donation is stronger: when the decision is made by mandate or under automatic default? The question is important because families can — and frequently do — veto the organ donation decisions made by their deceased relatives. The results of a new study provide fresh insight into the answer. Currently, there is a large gap between the number of people needing organ donation and the number of donated organs.
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Are happiness and a healthcare career mutually exclusive?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareThose who have a good understanding of healthcare know that it is a stressful industry for doctors, nurses, and allied staff. From the rigors of education and loan repayment to the challenges of the 21st-century workplace, those who choose healthcare careers are at risk of losing their sense of balance and happiness. Must healthcare careers and personal happiness be mutually exclusive?
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Even with insurance, many female consumers shocked by the costs of their…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareWomen are feeling significantly worse than men about several key healthcare issues, according to a new Bankrate.com report. For example, in a new study issued by the website, 25 percent of women said they or a family member living in their household avoided going to the doctor over the past year — even though they needed medical attention — because they thought it would be too expensive. Only 18 percent of men said the same. Additionally, between the two sexes, 47 percent of women who paid a medical bill in the past year said "it was more expensive than they expected." Thirty-five percent of men echoed that sentiment.
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Nebraska conducts first execution in the US to use fentanyl
Michelle R. Matisons PharmaceuticalThe death penalty is a very divisive political issue. Recently, even Pope Francis condemned the practice as "inadmissable." Acquiring the drugs used for lethal injection is a huge problem, and some suggest this is leading to some very problematic developments — like the use of the popular opioid fentanyl in executions. Nebraska recently used fentanyl to execute Carey Dean Moore. This is the first time ever in the U.S. that fentanyl has been used in an inmate’s execution, and the move has caused much controversy.
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Trace pharmaceuticals seen in water, food supply across the country
Dr. Denise A. Valenti PharmaceuticalDrugs of all kinds are in the foods you might eat and the water you drink. Most recently, even private well systems were found to have traces of pharmaceutical products in the water. A 2015 study that assessed rivers near urban areas in the United States for the presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients found 20 percent of the 182 sites sampled had at least 10 of the 46 compounds sampled. The widespread use of opioids has also impacted the water supply, and this has impacted the food we consume. Mussels harvested from the Puget Sound in Washington state have tested positive for trace amounts of oxycodone.
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The benefits, risks of new blood pressure guidelines
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareSince 1999, more people with high blood pressure — especially those 60 years of age or older — have visited their healthcare professionals for treatment. Because of its high prevalence, hypertension remains an important public health concern and a risk factor for adverse health outcomes, including coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and decline in cognitive function. According to the landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), intensive blood pressure management may save lives.
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