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New contractor for insurance exchange website faces quite a challenge
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationAfter its three-year contract to build the federal health insurance exchange website culminated in a launch full of glitches and bad press, CGI Federal did not receive a contract renewal. Instead, the federal government is putting its faith — and more than $45 million — in Arlington, Va.-based Accenture Federal Services to oversee the HealthCare.gov website.
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Blood in the sky: The growing trend of transfusing patients in the air
Mark Huber Medical & Allied HealthcareIn December, the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) in Canada became the latest in a growing number of HEMS operators worldwide to carry blood — packed red blood cells (PRBCs) — on board its helicopters. Now the practice is spreading worldwide — albeit slowly — after numerous studies have shown the benefits pumping O-negative into accident victims, especially those who have gone into cardiac arrest.
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Why shoveling snow can lead to heart tragedies
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareThe first major snowstorm of 2014 was especially brutal, impacting much of the East Coast and Midwest. The National Weather Service had predicted the impending Arctic blast would be life-threatening. They were right. Particularly vulnerable during cold weather are those with cardiovascular problems.
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Survey: ICD-10 preparedness lacking
Pamela Lewis Dolan Healthcare AdministrationAs the deadline for switching to ICD-10 code sets inches closer, concern is growing that neither healthcare organizations nor insurers will be ready to go live by October. A survey by KPMG, a New York-based healthcare advisory firm, found the majority of health plans and providers have allocated budgets toward ICD-10 readiness and had completed impact assessments. But most had not yet conducted testing on their systems or determined how the conversion would impact revenue cycle and cash flow.
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3 ways physicians can improve their adaptability skills
Clint Hubler Medical & Allied HealthcareDoctors who travel to new practices face a host of complex challenges. They interact with new colleagues and patients and often work with new tools and processes. Adaptability is one of the most important qualities a locum provider can possess. There are three tools that can help a doctor become more adaptable to new surroundings.
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Are GMOs worth the risk?
Lauren Swan Food & BeverageGenetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food supply has been a hot topic in the U.S. for the past several years, reaching its peak with the passing of The Farmer Assurance Provision (The Monsanto Protection Act). Many Americans, regardless of ethnicity or political party, want foods containing GMOs to be labeled — 82 percent, according to the Huffington Post. Meanwhile, barely more than a third of Americans believe GMOs are safe to eat, regardless of labeling.
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Challenges in machine perfusion preservation for DCD liver grafts
Sharee Ann Narciso Medical & Allied HealthcareThere is a critical shortage in the number of available donor graft tissues, and donation after circulatory death (DCD) seems like the next best solution. It is vital to maintain the viability of organs until transplantation to ensure optimal graft survival and function. So far, the most commonly used preservation method in clinical practice is static cold storage. However, the risk of ischemic damage when performing DCD grafting jeopardizes the viability of organs during cold storage. Whether static cold storage is the best method to avoid organ deterioration from DCD is still unknown.
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Unreliability of blood pressure measurements with manual readers
Dr. Afsaneh Motamed-Khorasani Medical & Allied HealthcareThere have been intensive universal efforts to promote appropriate techniques to measure blood pressure. However, the quality and accuracy of blood pressure measurement is under question in clinical settings. Several studies have been conducted on the routine, manual office blood pressure readings, where inconsistent readings were frequently observed. Some of the factors affecting these imprecise readings included: poor measurement techniques, conversation with patients during the readings and patient anxiety.
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Just another day at the office?
Dr. Howard Koseff Medical & Allied HealthcareYou know the usual morning drill: alarm, haul yourself out of bed, coffee, exercise, breakfast, news, and then it's the carbon-burning commute to work. The order in which we get the list done may vary, but this is essentially what the start of an average day looks like not only for family doctors but for most of the working public, too. Well, not for me.
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Drug information education for practicing physicians: Part I
Mike Wokasch PharmaceuticalThe recent announcement that GlaxoSmithKline would no longer pay physicians to do educational or promotional speaking about disease and prescription drugs got me thinking about the state of physician education, especially as it pertains to drug information for physicians.
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