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The undeniable health benefits of writing
Victoria Fann Mental HealthcareI've been writing most of my adult life. I've been working with writers as a group facilitator and teacher for 30 years. In my experience, I can assert with confidence that writing changes lives. Studies have shown that writing has many health benefits. According to researcher and professor James Pennebaker, co-author of the book, "Opening Up by Writing it Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain," writing about life's challenges helps us heal physically and emotionally.
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Study: Patients aren’t accessing medical information online
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationPatients are not accessing their medical records online, according to recent research published in Health Affairs. Hospitals that are part of a more extensive system saw their patients engage more with online records. That was also the case for teaching and public hospitals, the research says. But the lowest access rates were for people at hospitals receiving the most in disproportionate share hospital payments and those with a high mix of dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid patients.
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One step closer: Price transparency in healthcare
Dr. Jonathan Kaplan Healthcare AdministrationIt's official: Price transparency in healthcare is closer to reality. On Nov. 15, the Trump administration released new rules requiring hospitals to publish their charges and negotiated rates. You may be thinking, "Oh, this doesn't affect me! It only affects hospitals and their employed physicians." But make no mistake, this affects all physicians.
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5 ways to help your patients achieve better rehab outcomes
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationThe rehabilitation process can be both physically and emotionally challenging for virtually any patient. You may need to frequently revisit your facility's inpatient approaches and work in tandem with outpatient rehab teams. What are some fresh and effective ways to make the rehab process easier on your patients and increase the odds of terrific outcomes? Let research be your guide. Incorporate the following tips to perfect your process.
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The nurse’s emotional bank account
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareNursing is an emotionally taxing career by any measure. By serving the infirm, the traumatized, the bereft, the dying, and the needy, the work of the nurse can take a toll on emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. We must also bear in mind the impact of chronic stress, secondary trauma, and the moral and ethical dilemmas that are part and parcel of healthcare. When the nurse's emotional bank account runs dry, they can get into trouble and fall victim to burnout, compassion fatigue, and spiritual distress.
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Zugunruhe and companion animal behavior
Dr. Myrna Milani Pet CarePrior to migration, animals that migrate experience multiple physiological and behavioral changes. Ethologists adopted the German word zugunruhe, which means "migratory restlessness" to describe this phenomenon. Aside from dog and cat owners who head south in the winter with their pets and back north in the summer, we seldom think of migration as a factor in companion animal behavior. When most of us think of migration, we think of birds and monarch butterflies making their semi-annual flights. However, many species migrate.
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The importance of talking about death
Lisa Cole Mental HealthcareInevitably, when we are together, my adult son shepherds people my way introducing me as, "My Mom, who knows all about death." We were just together in San Francisco at a tech startup conference and he did it again. When I reflect on the myriad interactions I had that day, 20-somethings were the bulk of who I spoke to. Young people are wondering about death, too, and want — even need — to talk about it.
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Payers, providers win latest battle in ongoing hospital pricing war
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationIt appears that hospital price transparency proponents have lost a recent battle. Trump administration officials are kicking a political can down the road after push back from hospitals and insurers, who would have had to make previously undisclosed rates public. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said it has some 1,400 comments for a proposed rule about the revealing of rates, and the coming rule regarding the topic will include responses to these concerns. So, who wins here? Payers and providers, apparently. Consumers? Not so much.
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Healthcare career transitions: Why and how to make them happen
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareMaking a career change or job transition can be a big deal when you take into consideration the potential repercussions that may reverberate throughout all aspects of your life. For healthcare professionals, career transitions can be both exciting and tricky. Your "why" vis-à-vis a pending career change may be due to a variety of factors that impact you on a daily basis. No matter what the root cause, understanding the underlying motivations behind your desire for change is paramount.
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5 ways to simplify key processes at your hospital
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a hospital administrator, you seek to streamline processes at your facility on an ongoing basis. Your institution likely uses focused studies and seeks complex feedback to make this happen. But sometimes the easiest fixes are the most effective. Consider these simple, research-driven strategies to make your staff’s jobs easier, increase your patients' satisfaction, save costs, and sharpen your focus. Plus, you can start implementing them immediately.
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