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Improvise, adapt, overcome: Change is inevitable

Lisa Cole Mental Healthcare

"Improvise! Adapt! Overcome!" I feel like I’m doing this a lot lately. I first heard this phrase when my son was in high school — it’s what his AP chemistry teacher barked at his students when they complained. Considered an informal U.S. Marines slogan, it sure can help direct us when we’re faced with change — be it desired or not. Most of us are content operating within our regularities, routines and rituals. We like the stability and safety of the status quo. When things get shaken up, often we get frustrated, impatient, and mad.

As telehealth use grows, so does interest in locum tenens opportunities

Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied Healthcare

In 2018, the global telemedicine market was valued at more than $38 billion, and by 2025, that number is projected to skyrocket, possibly exceeding $130.5 billion. According to a new report, this growth is powered by a few factors, most notably the growing need to access medical care matched with the introduction of technologies that make it possible for physicians to conduct clinical work remotely. This comes as no surprise to those watching the space.

Age discrimination harms everyone, but it’s hard to prove

Patrick Gleeson Business Management, Services & Risk Management

You may think you have a realistic understanding of discrimination against older workers, but it's likely you underestimate how widespread age discrimination in employment actually is. For example, "front-facing" jobs in industries that involve in-person contact with customers often go to younger workers whose presence suggests that the company is forward-looking and innovative. Contrary to its reputation for liberal political and social ideas, Silicon Valley is another prominent offender. But it's less well-known that this kind of discrimination exists in nearly every industry in America.

Dentistry of the future? An army of miniature robots could wipe out tooth…

Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental Healthcare

What if, with one marching order, a swarm of micro-robots (directed by magnets!) could break apart and remove dental plaque from a tooth? A cross-disciplinary partnership among dentists, biologists and engineers agree that it’s possible in the very near future. A team of scientists from the three fields at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a microscopic robotic cleaning crew. With two types of robotic systems the scientists showed that robots could ably destroy biofilms, the sticky amalgamations of bacteria enmeshed in a protective scaffolding.

The best ways to refocus your online healthcare content

Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied Healthcare

Does the website for your healthcare organization really do you justice? The website instantly informs your existing and potential patient bases about the way your facility operates, so you want to make sure the impression it's making is accurate, current and as user-friendly as possible. You should continually monitor and update your site regarding medical information, services, and marketing. Here are some science-based points to put into practice as you review and refresh your content.

US economy adds 164,000 new hires; unemployment rate stays at 3.7%

Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk Management

In July, U.S. payrolls added 164,000 workers versus job gains of 224,000 in June, as the unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 6.1 million unemployed workers in July, close to the same number as June. The number of long-term unemployed persons decreased 248,000 in July from June. The employment-to-population ratio rate stayed nearly the same in July versus June, the BLS reported.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: The 30-day requirement for diabetic foot ulcers

Tiffany Hamm and Jeff Mize Healthcare Administration

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) for diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) has been shown to improve healing rates and decrease the number of major amputations in the diabetic population. Recent research and evidence have driven the new paradigm of aggressive treatment and the attempt to save a limb, if at all possible, to prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with a major amputation. This article outlines how to prevent Medicare denials of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) when treating diabetic foot ulcers (DFU).

Health data groups urge Senate to adopt unique patient identifiers

Scott E. Rupp Healthcare Administration

Healthcare lobbyists made their way back into the limelight recently when several major groups took to the U.S. Senate to speak passionately about removing the two-decade-old ban on unique national patient identifiers. These health information management leaders told members of Congress that the use of federal funds to adopt such a nationwide identifier would allow collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the private sector. Additionally, the groups assert that this federal funding is crucial for identification solutions that may reduce medical errors and protect patient privacy.

5 ways to attract millennial patients to your healthcare organization

Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare Administration

As a healthcare professional, you understand that millennials are seeking traditional healthcare less frequently than previous generations — but do you really understand why? Researchers have been making fascinating inroads when it comes to determining how millennials really approach their healthcare. Understand the way they think and how they want to be served and you'll be able to attract them to your practice and/or hospital. Use these science-based strategies to make it happen.

Study: Surgical gowns remain contaminated with C. difficile after disinfectant

Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied Healthcare

Clostridium difficile infects 500,000 Americans and kills 29,000 each year. Commonly affecting older adults in hospitals and long-term care facilities, symptoms of infection include diarrhea, fever, rapid heartbeat, inflammation of the intestines, and kidney failure. C. difficile spores are resistant to many commonly used disinfectants, sanitizers, and cleaning agents, including alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Surgical gowns and stainless steel often remain contaminated with C. difficile even after treatment with a recommended disinfectant. According to Dr. Tina Joshi of the University of Plymouth in England, because the spores can grow after decontamination, disinfecting measures in hospitals need to be reconsidered.

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