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Coffee or no coffee? An exploration of America’s morning beverage
Victoria Fann Food & BeverageIn the United States, over 150 million people drink coffee every day with the average consumption being three cups per day. That’s approximately 450 million cups per day! We love our coffee. In fact, it is rare to go anywhere these days — even in the smallest towns — without running into some kind of coffee shop, many of them serving freshly ground coffee and espresso. With that level of popularity, it’s a given that coffee is embedded into our lives. But, is this a good thing?
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Study: Vitamin D low in 80% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareThe body of research examining the relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19 is growing. Now, a study published recently confirms a correlation between low vitamin D levels and SARS-CoV-2 infection, and health professionals are theorizing whether vitamin D supplementation could increase the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine. "Vitamin D Status in Hospitalized Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection" appeared in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, confirming a relationship between low vitamin D and hospitalization due to COVID-19.
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In times of crisis: 5 strategies that lead to better decisions
Dr. Paul Napper and Dr. Anthony Rao Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our work, how we relate with our families, and our personal sense of safety, security, and health. This crisis, coupled with recent burgeoning social unrest, presents unique challenges to leaders. How can we make better decisions — ones that could make or break our business — when we’re consumed by what’s around us? One answer comes from leaders in the profession that’s at the very center of the COVID crisis: expert medical practitioners, who frequently make life-or-death decisions for the people in front of them. How do they stay focused and keep their decision-making sharp?
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Learning disabilities, ADHD, and the psychopharmacologist
Dr. Lance Steinberg EducationAbout one-third of individuals diagnosed with learning disabilities have also been diagnosed with ADHD. The treatment of ADHD, particularly with the use of medication, has proven to be extraordinarily successful and unbelievably beneficial to the quality of life for the great majority of people. This article will provide a substantial understanding to the psychopharmacology of ADHD. Although the FDA has designated very specific medications that have been indicated for ADHD, the use of these medicines off label may, in fact, be helpful to those individuals with and without ADHD. This was demonstrated as far back as the 1940s.
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Study: Hospital charges are spiking
Seth Sandronsky Medical & Allied HealthcareHospital charges were spiking before COVID-19 hit the U.S. A new study from National Nurses United/California Nurses Association (NNU/CNA) looks at Medicare cost reports for 4,203 hospitals in fiscal year 2018. These hospitals "are charging on average over $417 for every $100 in their total costs." The study was released on Nov. 17. "This is one of the most egregious examples of what you have with a system based on profit, not patient need," Chuck Idelson, spokesperson for the NNU/CNA, told MultiBriefs by phone. A case in point is patients who need healthcare but avoid it due to hospital costs. That is especially risky during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is exploding across the U.S.
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Video: The clinician’s 2-minute guide to serious illness conversations
Liz Eddy and Alyssa Ruderman Medical & Allied HealthcareSixty-eight percent of physicians have reported being unprepared to address end of life with patients. COVID-19 has led clinicians to face these conversations head on without the patients' loved ones in the room. Utilizing research from Dr. Atul Gwande and Dr. Richard Balaban as well as research and firsthand experience from Dr. Michael X. Jin, we have developed a digestible guide to addressing end of life with patients.
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As hospitals shutter elective surgeries again, patients return to virtual…
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationHospitals across the United States are once again setting aside elective surgeries as COVID makes another surge across the globe. As this plays out, many hospitals are returning to the early days of the pandemic when such procedures were canceled or postponed to ensure health systems could maintain their resources to reduce the spread of the virus. Elective surgery or an elective procedure is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency. Semi-elective surgery must be done to preserve the patient's life but does not need to be performed immediately.
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Take a hike, for your health
Amanda Ghosh Sports & FitnessThere are 60,000 miles of hiking trails in the United States. A brisk walk will boost your mood, but it could also improve your body’s response to vaccination, and that’s worth talking about during flu season and a global pandemic. When you get a vaccine, your body responds by improving your immunity to the disease the vaccine prevents. So, while vaccines are important, vaccination response is equally essential. Behavioral alterations that improve vaccination response, like exercise, are fantastic because they can significantly affect immunity quickly and affordably. Yes, a hike (or even walk) can make a difference.
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Plan for 2021 looking on the bright side
Lloyd Princeton Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementMostly sunny with intermittent clouds and showers. That’s my forecast for 2021. It may seem overly optimistic at the moment, what with talk of more shutdowns in the weeks ahead and the standoff in Washington. I am confident, however, that this too shall pass, the ship will get righted, and we will enter calmer waters as the new year gets underway. Having gone through so many months of uncertainty and reversals this year, why should I expect the situation will improve in the next? Despite the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases in many countries, we are making progress on preventing and treating the virus as well as on producing an effective and safe vaccine.
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4 AI startups that you should know about
Joseph Zulick Science & TechnologyThere’s a good chance that you’ve heard about how artificial intelligence (AI) will transform the world forever, but you might not be aware that AI startups are already gaining traction. Artificial intelligence will eventually change every aspect of our daily lives, even if some might downplay it as another technological trend that they don’t know much about. Some of these AI startups are focused on improving the healthcare sector, while others might help companies communicate and engage with customers better than ever before. Here are some AI startups that you should know about.
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