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New study links education levels to heart failure risk
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareA Norwegian study of over 70,000 cardiac patients found that the more education patients had, the less their risk of heart failure was. Previous research has shown that patients are more likely to die after a heart attack if they have a lower educational level, but information on the mechanisms involved was sparse. Since heart failure is the most important incident in the chain of events leading to death after a heart attack, the researchers hypothesized that it might contribute to the observed educational disparities in survival.
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Ready or not, MACRA is coming
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationFrom meaningful use to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), the headlines in healthcare for the foreseeable future will surround the latest payment carrot-and-stick regulations. Like meaningful use, which is now regular vernacular in healthcare, the potentially disruptive MACRA will soon be just as popular of an expression for those in every aspect of the care protocols. Right now, not so much.
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Medical marijuana’s influence on Medicare drug spending
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareIs the use of marijuana as a medical prescription treatment saving the government money? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is one of the largest purchasers of prescription drugs in the U.S. The amount the government spends on prescription medications through Medicare Part D may have come down in states that allow for the use of marijuana as a treatment for several medical diagnoses, according to a recent study.
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Data analytics for the patient population
Christina Thielst Healthcare AdministrationTraditional electronic health records are designed around the care delivered during encounters with individual patients. However, incentives for improved outcomes, value, and expectations of those paying the bills, including patients and taxpayers, require more efficient and effective care processes and decision-making. These factors are driving a shift in the healthcare delivery system and the way we think about care processes.
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Racial diversity matters in public health
Dr. Samer Koutoubi Healthcare AdministrationEvery day, our nation is becoming more diverse — in classrooms, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities. According to a 2010 study from the United States Census Bureau, "The Two or More Races Population: 2010," the number of biracial Americans (reporting themselves as both black and white) grew by more than 1 million people between 2000 and 2010, a 134 percent increase. Similarly, people who reported their race as both white and Asian grew by about three-quarters of a million people, an 87 percent increase.
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How the brain adapts to childhood adversity
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareMental illnesses in children are so complex that healthcare professionals cannot always detect them. Symptoms for mental disorders can be so nonspecific that even parents cannot tell if their child is being rambunctious or seriously ill.
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Study: Body’s microbes may affect success of transplants
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareUniversity of Chicago researchers think the garden of microbes that live on human skin and in the digestive system help determine whether a transplanted organ will be accepted or rejected by the body. Their research was published June 20 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Drone day afternoon: A closer look at the FAA’s new rules
Mark Huber Transportation Technology & AutomotiveWe'll soon see if the new FAA drone rules — the much heralded Part 107 — will bring some sky sanity when they take effect Aug. 29. More than anything else, the rules are designed to impose a safety mindset on the unmanned aircraft community.
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Researchers may have found key to switching off junk food cravings
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareHigh calorie intake causes stress on our bodies. Extraordinary intake of foods high in fats and sugars can increase risk factors for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancers as well as obesity.An epidemic in the United States and a major cause of death, obesity costs this country about $150 billion a year or almost 10 percent of the national medical budget.
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Investing in the future: Positive workplace culture in healthcare
Keith Carlson Healthcare AdministrationThe healthcare workplace environment has a deep impact on staff experience, including satisfaction, productivity and institutional loyalty. Workplace culture is a crucial aspect of the workplace environment, although it is less obvious than physical aspects such as cleanliness, air quality, safety concerns, ergonomics and layout.
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