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Ride-sharing programs may reduce patient no-show appointments

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

Lyft and tech company Hitch Health recently released the findings of a yearlong, nonemergency medical transportation pilot that took place in Minneapolis at the Hennepin Healthcare internal medicine clinic. The result of the pilot seems to show a great deal of promise, as the outcomes of the survey showed that "targeted patients who have missed appointments in the past" reduced no-shows by 27 percent. Missed appointments cost the healthcare industry an estimated $150 billion a year.

The radical idea of the healthcare sabbatical

Keith Carlson Medical & Allied Healthcare

In the stressful world of healthcare, nursing, and medicine, worthy staff members work themselves to the bone in service to the common cause. Nurses, doctors, physical and occupational therapists, radiologists, and others put out enormous amounts of energy day in and day out in a wide variety of healthcare milieus. With burnout widely prevalent, why don’t healthcare organizations offer sabbaticals for their most valued employees?

Study: Female reproductive history linked to dementia risk

Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied Healthcare

The issues related to gender and Alzheimer’s disease were a primary topic at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference held in Chicago in July. Research discussing a woman’s reproductive history that showed an association to the risk of dementia was presented. Another study along the same lines discussed a relationship between the total months of pregnancy and having Alzheimer’s disease.

Study: Doctors interrupt their patients after just 11 seconds

Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied Healthcare

"Nah, nah, nah (fingers in ears, shaking their head) … I can’t hear you!" It seems like a scene from the movie "Office Space" or some ‘80s flick in which the teacher tunes out the more verbose taped-glasses student. This is a fanciful and, perhaps, overly simplified version of the truth, but a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine finds that doctors only spend 11 seconds on average listening to patients before interrupting them.

Wellness trends in the workplace: Do they stack up?

Ana Reisdorf Medical & Allied Healthcare

According to the recent Workplace Wellness 2017 Survey Report conducted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, up to 75 percent of employers offer some type of wellness program to employees. The primary goal of these programs is not only to help maintain a healthy workforce, but also to reduce healthcare costs, boost attendance, and increase productivity. The survey revealed that common wellness trends for 2017 include coverage for chiropractic services, sponsoring wellness events and competitions, providing standing desks and fitness trackers, as well as offering healthier food in cafeterias and vending machines.

Increase in marijuana-impaired driving has police concerned

Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & Security

Oklahoma law enforcement officers are worried that marijuana use may increase impaired driving as the state begins to introduce legal medical marijuana. Police are working with Oklahoma AAA to handle the increase in impaired drivers. However, Oklahoma is the not only state worrying about the increase in impaired driving. As more states go on to make marijuana legal, there are going to be traffic implications for each.

Vaccine research continues as newest Ebola outbreak hits DRC

Anne Casey Medical & Allied Healthcare

A recent outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was declared to be over on July 24 by the World Health Organization (WHO) — but then a new outbreak started on Aug. 1 in the country’s Kivu province. Vaccine research in several countries soldiers on amid the newest occurrence of the virus. As the new outbreak unfortunately begins, scientists in Spain and the United States continue to develop their own, promising vaccines.

NIH study sheds new light on bacteria therapy for eczema

Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied Healthcare

Not only do the embarrassing patches of rough, reddened eczema erode self-esteem, the intense itching often leads to infection that requires treatment with antibiotics. Eczema is a disease group that encompasses a few forms of dermatitis, both endogenous (atopic dermatitis) and exogenous (irritant and allergic contact dermatitis). While the cause of atopic dermatitis is unknown, studies suggest that the skin microbiome plays a key role, and scientists have known that people with atopic dermatitis tend to have large populations of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on their skin.

Help your clients face their fears about esthetic procedures

Elizabeth Donat Pharmaceutical

For many of us that work in the spa and medical spa industries, we are entirely convinced about the benefits of most esthetic procedures. Our clients, however, are not as well-versed and need a lot of encouragement and coaching. If your spa or clinic offers injectables, deep chemical peels or laser resurfacing, then you know that clients have tons of questions and concerns about these procedures and their outcomes. As professionals, it's our job to explain the reasonable outcomes of every procedure and manage our clients' expectations responsibly.

Lead contamination in schools’ drinking water worse than previously…

Scott E. Rupp Facilities & Grounds

Lead contamination in U.S. schools is more pervasive than previously thought, new water testing results from 20 states say. The data was published in an interactive map by Environment America and U.S. PIRG in June. The map shows several other states where more than half of schools tested found some level of lead. These confirmed cases of contamination are likely only the tip of the iceberg, Environment America said in a statement.

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