-
How to talk to patients about advanced directives
Joan Spitrey Medical & Allied HealthcareApril 16 has been designated as National Healthcare Decision Day. This movement came out of the passion and frustration of founder Nathan Kottkamp. He was the member of several hospital ethics committees and was repeatedly challenged with trying to interpret healthcare decisions for people who had no advanced directives. Anyone working in a hospital — especially a critical care area — can certainly relate.
-
Is snus a safer form of tobacco? FDA not convinced
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareIt's not quite like snuff, not quite like smokeless tobacco and quite different from cigarettes. It's called snus, a pulverized moist form of tobacco containing nicotine that is held under the upper lip. The primary advantage over more common smokeless tobacco forms is that less saliva is generated and thus less need to spit.
-
Clinical trial offers new hope for psoriasis sufferers
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareSignificant progress has been made in understanding the inheritance of psoriasis. A number of genes involved in psoriasis are already known or suspected. In a multifactor disease (involving genes, environment and other factors), variations in one or more genes may produce a greater likelihood of getting the disease. Researchers are continuing to study the genetic aspects of psoriasis, and some studies are looking at the nervous system to determine the genes responsible for the circuitry that causes itching.
-
How telehealth is changing the lives of chronically ill patients
Karen R. Thomas Medical & Allied HealthcareLiving with a chronic disease isn't just physically taxing; it takes an emotional toll as well. Millions of older Americans live with a chronic illness such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes or heart disease, and many suffer through their day-to-day care routines alone.
-
Researchers inching closer to effective Ebola vaccine
Katina Hernandez PharmaceuticalA new Ebola vaccine being developed by drugmaker Profectus now has substantial data supporting its efficacy. A report recently published in the journal Nature by author Dr. Thomas W. Geisbert of the University of Texas Medical Branch highlights the company's clinical trials testing the new vaccine on monkeys.
-
Fixing the gender gap in nursing pay
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareFor decades in the United States, there has been keen awareness that women earn less than men in a wide range of industries. According to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, full-time female workers earned 78 cents on the dollar as compared to their male counterparts in 2013. So-called "pay parity" has long been on the minds of many stakeholders, but the rate of change in this regard has been woefully slow.
-
Tax on junk food may ignite new health trend
Bambi Majumdar Food & BeverageAt the start of this month, a Native American community enacted a landmark decision to fight obesity and diabetes, two of the major reasons for death in America today. In recent years, multiple states and cities have attempted to boost public health by enforcing a soda tax — and they have failed. In 2014, Berkeley, California, was one of the rare examples to successfully pass a soda tax measure. The results of that decision are still being rated.
-
Peer-review scandals shake up scholarly journal community
Cait Harrison Association ManagementCall it a new form of academic cheating. Peer reviews for scholarly journals have come under the spotlight lately — and the future isn't looking so bright. U.K.-based publisher BioMed Central recently retracted 43 scientific and medical articles because of peer reviews — mostly out of universities in China — written by people who forged scientists' names.
-
Who said the road to EMR documentation compliance would be easy?
Barbara Aubry Healthcare AdministrationI am a registered nurse, but my official title now is regulatory analyst. Like many clinicians, I began my career in the hospital. Along the way, I veered from a clinical focus to regulatory compliance. I moved to case management, which led to quality assurance and utilization review. Here I was faced with the task of understanding healthcare documentation in a new way and determining if it was in compliance with myriad regulations.
-
The impact of Alzheimer’s disease on women
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareIn a role that won her this year's Oscar for best actress, Julianne Moore plays Alice Howland, a college professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in "Still Alice." The Alzheimer's Association praises the film and describes it as "a movie that gives us a rare window into the experience of living with Alzheimer's disease — a glimpse of the inside looking out."
All Medical & Allied Healthcare Articles