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How to stay connected (and have fun) while quarantined
Victoria Fann Mental HealthcareLet's admit it: being quarantined — whether voluntary or mandatory — is difficult. Those who are living alone are in total isolation. Those who live with others are now together 24/7. Both extremes have their challenges. What they have in common is not being able to get together with close friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, customers, students and so on. As the novelty of being home all day wears off, it's natural to feel frustrated, restless and lonely. This is when we need to find some creative ways to stay connected and, hopefully, have a little fun. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
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President Trump calls on the National Guard to help fight COVID-19
Rebecca Walker Donaldson Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityA few days ago, President Trump activated the National Guard in California, Washington, and New York, the three states that have the most documented cases of the virus. They are the states that are the most overwhelmed in dealing with this pandemic and in need of help. These states have insufficient supplies and equipment. They do not have enough hospital beds or adequate numbers of medical personnel. Some people have expressed fear that calling out the Guard means martial law is coming. That is not what is happening.
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A look at America’s dire need for medical examiners
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityMedical examiners' offices work closely with law enforcement agencies to assist in death investigations and help uncover crimes. Autopsies play a significant role in law and order, and thousands of autopsies are performed each year. But the strains on examiners have been rising with no solution in sight, leading to delayed medical examinations, slow response times, and overdue toxicology tests. Metropolises like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York are overburdened, but the crisis is now affecting smaller cities as well.
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Coronavirus may delay HHS’ timetable for interoperability rules
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationOpponents of the new federal healthcare interoperability rules may have found an ally in the least likely place: The coronavirus. Because of the outbreak of the global pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is working to determine whether or not to push back the originally publicized timeline of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's (ONC) interoperability rule.
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As COVID-19 spreads, the future of medicine is quickly becoming the medicine…
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareAs the world continues its collective efforts at waging war against the rapidly spreading coronavirus, a handful of health tech devices and telemedicine tools are in the spotlight like never before. Many are being fast-tracked and called up to the front lines to be the tip of the spear in the coronavirus pandemic. For example, MedWand can listen to your heart and lungs, measure respiratory rates and blood oxygen levels. Originally forecast to receive FDA approval in late summer, the device is now under consideration for emergency use authorization by the FDA.
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Current lack of PPE puts emergency department staff at risk of contracting…
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareMere days into the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, it was quickly apparent the nation's supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers (PPE) was grossly inadequate. PPE is the best barrier between caregivers and patients with positive or suspected cases of the highly contagious virus. Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other front-line staff are being asked to ration or even reuse PPE, such as N-95 masks, face shields, goggles and surgical masks.
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COVID-19: Of Hercules and Sisyphus
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareCOVID-19 is ravaging the world, and the healthcare system writ large is struggling to maintain its hold on surveillance, treatment, testing, supply chains, personnel, and all manner of response to this unprecedented threat. We have not seen such a ferocious pandemic since the so-called "Spanish Flu" of 1918, and we are hard-pressed to hold the line as our interdependent and frequently flawed systems are taxed beyond capacity. How can healthcare providers be most effective in these frightening and chaotic times? Is our fight against COVID-19, this novel coronavirus, Sisyphean or Herculean in nature?
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Reputation management: A key healthcare strategy that’s crucial to…
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a practice administrator or physician, you know how important it is to earn and maintain your patients' trust. You no doubt work as hard as you can to deliver compassionate, quality care on a constant basis — yet you can't always control what is said about your practice online. You can, however, take steps to make the best impression possible. Reputation management is a key strategy for shoring up the way your practice appears online, especially when it comes to reviews — and it's crucial to maintain.
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Survey: Consumers trust healthcare devices less than they once did
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareU.S. citizens are showing less interest in digital health solutions, wearables, and mobile health apps, stalling an interest that was previously quite high. The number of consumers without any digital health solutions to manage their health is as high as one-third. Wearable technologies — those that collect health data — has decreased, too, from one-third (33%) in 2018 to less than 20% in 2020, according to a new survey from Accenture.
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Coronavirus social distancing clashes with confinement conditions
Michelle R. Matisons Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityWhile free people rush about getting errands done, like procuring increasingly rare toilet paper rolls and hand sanitizer, confined people are physically separated from the rest of society by design, placing them in an extremely vulnerable position as the coronavirus pandemic’s scope widens. Some U.S. corrections facilities have responded by instituting mass lockdowns, like large-scale quarantines, while others are letting people out early — especially nonviolent offenders.
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