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How video games help rehabilitate stroke survivors
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareEvery year, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke, and approximately two-thirds of these individuals survive and require rehabilitation. Nearly half of older stroke survivors experience moderate to severe disability, but researchers have been examining new therapeutic treatments, including video games.
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Will Cigna’s purchase of Express Scripts reduce drug costs?
Scott E. Rupp PharmaceuticalFor those following the big business carousel in healthcare, Cigna is certainly on their radar. In May of 2017, the behemoth insurer announced it was abandoning plans to merge with another behemoth, Anthem. But Cigna is bouncing back, announcing this month that it would purchase Express Scripts
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Organizational wisdom in healthcare
Keith Carlson Healthcare AdministrationEvery healthcare organization is a rich repository of accumulated wisdom that serves as the underpinnings of that organization's overall identity and values. While website mission statements are one aspect of identity for a healthcare facility or system, truly distinctive character and wisdom are represented by the memory, knowledge and skill of the individuals who are intrinsic parts of the collective whole. Intelligent healthcare leaders recognize this dynamic by actively honoring, valuing and preserving institutional memory.
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Marijuana legalization may be linked to greater pedestrian fatality rates
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Civil & GovernmentTaking a walk may have deadly consequences, and the risk appears to be greater in those states that have legal adult use of recreational marijuana. The rate of fatal injury to pedestrians has grown faster than any other vehicle-related deaths for the years of rapid legalization of marijuana. That rate increased 27 percent between 2007 and 2016, while other types of traffic deaths had decreased by 14 percent. While a direct relationship to marijuana use cannot be determined, other sources indicate that the use of marijuana is likely a factor when the driver of a vehicle is using cannabis.
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Opioid addiction treatment could cause breathing problems
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareOpioid addiction remains an alarming epidemic in the United States — in fact, it may even be getting worse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated that there are approximately 2.1 million people in the U.S. who have substance abuse issues related to prescribed opioids and another 467,000 who are addicted to heroin.
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‘Hide and seek’ health pricing has to stop
Jason Poquette Healthcare AdministrationWhen a patient walks into a pharmacy with a new prescription in hand, something radical happens in the field of healthcare: They hear the price. How that price was arrived at isn't always crystal clear. Sometimes a deductible is included. Sometimes they are paying a percentage of the contracted price. There are even times when their copay includes a PBM clawback (which even the pharmacy may not know).
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Nursing in the global spotlight
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareOn Feb. 27, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, along with nurses and other healthcare leaders from around the world launched Nursing Now. The global initiative hopes to raise the profile and status of nursing, with the ultimate goal of moving toward universal healthcare for all.
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Life-threatening infection raises concerns about mold in marijuana
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareA medical marijuana patient in California was found to have a rare life-threatening infection that was traced to her medicinal marijuana. Bryan B Shapiro, M.D., MPH, found Cryptococcal meningitis in the patient and reported the case in the British Journal of Medicine. This life-threatening disease is normally only seen in immunocompromised individuals. The individual they diagnosed with the disease was a daily cannabis smoker but had no history of immunodeficiency.
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Music helps soothe patients during cast room procedures
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareFractures, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, account for 16 percent of all musculoskeletal injuries in the United States annually and are among the most common orthopedic problems.
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As medical wearables find a home, usage concerns remain
Bill Becken Science & TechnologyNew wearable digital technology devices are certainly nifty and enticing. First-generation wearables measure caloric intake and consumption; track blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygenation and sleep stages; and check and correct posture, among other functions — and these are only some of their roles.
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