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New resources in precision medicine that every doctor should know about

Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied Healthcare

Precision medicine, or personalized medicine as it is sometimes referred to, is a most significant and promising healthcare trend. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines precision medicine as an individualized plan that uses a patient's genetic makeup and their environment and lifestyle to deliver the right preventative advice or targeted disease treatment. There are several exciting developments in this field that you, as a physician or hospital administrator, should know about and investigate further.

What emergency departments need to know about coronavirus

Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied Healthcare

First reported in late December 2019 in the major central China city of Wuhan, the newly discovered coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is now rapidly spreading. As of Jan. 28, thousands have been sickened and the death toll exceeds 100. Eighteen countries, including the United States, have confirmed 2019-nCoV cases. The CDC recommends that clinicians treat patients with fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness who have a history of travel in Wuhan, or who were in close contact with a person suspected of having 2019-nCoV, as being patients under investigation (PUI).

How the coronavirus outbreak and political unrest are impacting global…

Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

The Associated Press has reported that the new coronavirus outbreak originating in Wuhan, China, has severely affected global tourism, leading to billions of dollars in losses. The virus has infected thousands of people, killed more than 100, and has left the Chinese government with no choice but to expand drastic travel restrictions. Beijing has ordered millions of Chinese citizens to stay put and avoid travel. Meanwhile, tourism in other areas of the world is taking a massive hit due to political and economic unrest in some countries.

Healthier — but tasty — food options for Super Bowl Sunday

Damon Sayles Food & Beverage

Super Bowl LIV is taking place Sunday in Miami. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will headline the biggest day in all of American sports. There's also food — lots of good food. Super Bowl Sunday dining is an event, but as the years pass, it's turned into one of the unhealthiest times of the year. But whoever said you can't enjoy eating during the Super Bowl while also finding healthy alternatives in the process? Contrary to popular belief, it can happen. Check out these five alternatives for some of the most common foods served during the Super Bowl.

Dump your stuff now, before you die

Lisa Cole Mental Healthcare

Who amongst us wouldn't like to feel lighter, freer, less encumbered? I would! Maybe due to my time dealing with death as a healthcare professional, being an older U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, or because of the "gypsy year" I'm in right now, I am convinced we don’t need most of what we think we do. How many of us default to storage units when our home becomes too crowded? What's the inside of our car look like? When will we rid ourselves of all this extra? Or will we? Dump your stuff now, before you die.

Smart pills: The pros and cons of an important healthcare trend in 2020

Lisa Mulcahy Pharmaceutical

Smart pills are highly promising, yet controversial, new developments that have many intriguing potential applications. They are drugs containing tiny sensors that monitor a patient's condition internally or target certain treatments. This monitoring may ultimately happen through telemedicine or other remote means. For example, researchers from Columbia University report they've developed a smart pill for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer patients that recognizes a specific protein made by cancer cells and delivers medication specifically to combat that protein.

Do you have recurring knee pain? Examine how you’re standing

Sheilamary Koch Medical & Allied Healthcare

Avoiding movements that tax your knee like high-impact sports won’t be enough if misalignment in your everyday posture is at the root of your recurring knee pain. Habits of poor alignment affect the entire body and knees are no exception. But identifying and correcting these habits isn’t easy. To begin with, people tend to focus attention on where they feel pain, yet the problem often lies elsewhere, notes somatic movement educator Carolina Baronio. "Everything we do with one part of the body affects the entire skeletal system," she explains.

Considering giving up alcohol? You’re in good company

Victoria Fann Medical & Allied Healthcare

For years now, people have been abstaining from alcohol during the month of January. This trend follows the typical pattern of people wanting to focus on health after holiday indulgences and failed resolutions from the previous year. Once the month is over, many return to their previous habits. This year is different. Now, there is a major trend toward eliminating alcohol altogether. So, why now?

Groupthink and healthcare: An unhealthy alliance

Keith Carlson Medical & Allied Healthcare

The term "groupthink" has been in popular usage since the 1970s, and its applicability to the multibillion-dollar 21st-century healthcare industry could not be more salient than it is today. Initially coined in 1974 by Irving Janis, a professor of psychology at Yale University, it is defined by Yale Alumni Magazine as when "a group of intelligent people working together to solve a problem can sometimes arrive at the worst possible answer." Those firmly ensconced in the healthcare ecosystem can likely agree that groupthink plays a larger role than we would like to believe.

Is your job affecting your sleep?

Terri Williams Medical & Allied Healthcare

Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, not getting enough sleep could negatively impact your immune system. That's in addition to other sleep-deprivation issues, such as a lack of focus and productivity. But even if you sleep the recommended number of hours each night, you may not be getting "good" sleep, especially if you're dreaming about work. A study by Healthy Sleep reveals that 79% of people have work-related dreams.

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