MultiBriefs - Your source for industry specific News Briefs

Symptom relief for worsening heart failure

Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied Healthcare

Heart failure (HF) is a growing problem. More than 20 million people worldwide are affected by HF, including more than 5 million in the United States alone. HF affects 6 percent to 10 percent of people over the age of 65. Although the relative incidence is lower in women than in men, women constitute at least half of the cases of HF because of their longer life expectancy.

WHO declares new outbreak of Ebola in Congo

Jessica Taylor Medical & Allied Healthcare

Between December 2013 and January 2015, the largest outbreak of Ebola hit West Africa and killed more than 11,000 people. Thankfully, in May of 2015, Liberia was declared Ebola-free. Sierra Leone and Guinea followed later that year, and the outbreak was over by the beginning of 2016.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

A new JAMA study found that physicians received $2.4 billion in industry-related payments in 2015. The authors also note that many in healthcare don't recognize a "subconscious bias" related to such interactions with products repped by industry sales associates, and that creates a great deal of tension between the industry's financial relationships and its primary mission.

Cultivating nurse employee engagement

Keith Carlson Healthcare Administration

Every nurse leader and nurse executive knows the nurses within a healthcare organization are worth their weight in gold. The nursing staff (nursing assistants, LPNs, RNs and APRNs) is the lifeblood of any organization involved in the delivery of high-quality healthcare.

Report: Healthcare jobs on the rise again

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

In a bit of a surprise, the U.S. jobs report for April showed a huge jump from the previous month — 211,000 non-farm jobs added last month, compared to 79,000 in March. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of jobs predicted was pegged at about 185,000.

New drug for ALS provides hope for patients

Dr. Abimbola Farinde Pharmaceutical

Amyotrophic laterals sclerosis (ALS) is regarded as a progressive neurological condition that has the ability to destroy the nerve cells and lead to complete disability in the affected individual. Given the progressive and debilitating nature of ALS, the recent approval of a new drug for treating ALS is considered to be a milestone. Edaravone (Radicava) is only the second drug to ever be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ALS — and the first in more than two decades since riluzole gained FDA approval in 1995.

Zika puts US on guard as summer approaches

Bob Kowalski Medical & Allied Healthcare

As the weather heats up across the United States, the threat of mosquitoes — and the Zika virus they carry — increases. If good things come in small packages, this potentially costly insect is an exception. While Zika does not harm most who are infected, it can be damaging to some, particularly to infants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among the risks are birth defects, including vision and hearing deficiencies and microcephaly, or an abnormal-sized head.

Barriers to collaborating with physicians and how to overcome them

Matthew Collver Pharmaceutical

As the United States moves toward value-based payment models, it is becoming more important for pharmacists to claim their role on the patient-centered health team. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by collaborating with your local physicians. There are an abundance of skills and services that a pharmacist can provide to a prescriber that will save time, increase a patient's quality of care and generate revenue. The initial step to accomplishing this is to meet with your target doctor and present your value proposition.

Cut your chances of cancer and heart disease by biking to work

Noelle Talmon Recreation & Leisure

The League of American Bicyclists notes that 40 percent of all trips in the United States are less than two miles, and cycling is a fun and easy way to run errands and go to the office. Bicycle commuting in the United States is on the rise. In bicycle-friendly communities, commuting rates increased 105 percent from 2000 to 2013, much larger than the national average of 62 percent.

Reducing misdiagnosis with virtual second opinions

Christina Thielst Healthcare Administration

Telemedicine and telehealth services have been connecting patients and providers who aren't sitting in front of each other for many years. The trend has been picking up speed in more recent years as some encounters leverage the internet and go virtual.

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