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Living life on the edge: Compassionately caring for all patients
Lisa Cole Medical & Allied HealthcareI'm not referring to folks who are bungee jumping, cliff diving, zip lining or driving race cars here. Rather, the opposite. While we providers do patch up plenty of such patients in the aftermath of such death-defying (or not!) feats, more often we care for those whose entire lives entail living on the edge. Think mental illness, chronic pain, the imprisoned, the disabled, victims of abuse, the homeless, dying patients and the poor. Let's examine our perceptions of patients, coping, resiliency and how we care.
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Researchers find controversial results after investigating opioid use,…
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareIt is almost universally agreed that opioid prescription in the emergency department (ED) is risky, largely because of the risk of abuse. The results of a recent study suggest the risk of long-term prescription opioid use and potential misuse stemming from ED prescriptions for opioids to treat acute pain is less than some might expect. Lead author of the study, Raoul Daoust, MD, MSc, and his team wanted to assess opioid use rate and the reasons patients continue to consume opioids three months after discharge from the emergency department with an opioid prescription. They found that opioid use was relatively low three months after discharge from the ED with an opioid prescription.
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5 ways to incorporate pharmacists onto your inpatient care teams
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a healthcare professional, you know the important role your organization's pharmacists play in every patient's treatment and recovery. But did you know that your pharmacists can have a much greater impact on improving outcomes beyond their traditional consult role with your physicians? Cutting-edge research has illuminated fresh ways that your pharmacists' knowledge can be used as active members of inpatient teams. Try this proven advice.
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CMS: Hospitals must post rates; hospitals not interested in doing so
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareIn healthcare, it seems that nothing is easy — technology, regulation, privacy, and security. And now, pricing. Efforts are underway to make prices more transparent; this is a tentpole issue for the Trump administration, which wants hospitals to begin posting "shoppable" prices online in 2020. According to reports, some hospitals are facing some challenges for doing so and are trying to figure out how they'll be able to meet the requirement.
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Hurry on over to hospice — don’t wait
Lisa Cole Medical & Allied HealthcareWhen given a prognosis of likely less than six months to live, most people — once the shock subsides — seek cure. Some go to the ends of the earth in search of treatment; others spend every available dime to ensure they stay alive. It doesn’t matter how old or ill, we humans are hardwired for survival. Making this decision is each person’s own prerogative. As healthcare providers, though, it’s our duty to make sure we give folks choices. It’s our responsibility to be educated about hospice and palliative care and to become comfortable having this conversation with our clients — early on.
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Will AI and robots steal your healthcare job?
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareRobots and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly pervasive in most aspects of 21st-century life, including healthcare, medicine, and nursing. Fears abound that jobs are going to be lost to machines that can do our jobs 24/7 without needing to be paid or call out when the kids are home sick from school. Are these fears well-founded or are we looking down the wrong tech rabbit hole? The reality of healthcare technology in 2019 isn't necessarily a robot revolution, but things are changing and some concern is understandable.
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How to run a happy hospital
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationThe concept of a "happy hospital" in which employees, caregivers and patients report high levels of satisfaction in their work and experiences may seem like an impossible dream. But you can make it happen more easily than you think! Research from the University of Michigan on community hospitals found that patients are happiest when hospital employees have high morale. You're aiming for low employee turnover and joy at the job to meet your patient satisfaction goals.
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HHS’ fight for drug pricing transparency continues amid unmitigated…
Scott E. Rupp PharmaceuticalThe Department of Health and Human Services recently filed an appeal in hopes of overturning a court decision from June that halted a rule to force drugmakers to list the prices of the drugs they advertise on television. HHS unveiled its plan to require listing the drug prices in direct-to-consumer TV ads last October and finalized the rule in May. The idea meant that pharmaceutical companies would have to include the wholesale acquisition price for a drug in their television ads if the drug cost exceeded $35 for a one-month supply.
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Exercise can help relieve depression
Victoria Fann Sports & FitnessIn her TED Talk, "The brain changing benefits of exercise," Dr. Wendy Suzuki, neuroscientist and author of the book "Healthy Brain, Happy Life," says, "Exercise is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain." Moving our bodies helps our mood. It’s akin to taking an internal shower. Getting the blood moving flushes out our systems and brings oxygen to our muscles and organs, providing us with detoxifying benefits and endorphins. This connection between exercise and mood is especially important given that approximately 17% of people in the U.S. will suffer at least one major depressive episode during their lifetime.
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Can you recession-proof your job?
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhether you believe that Big Macs or RV sales predict recessions, it seems at least that the continued talk of a recession is certainly on the horizon. Yet, with more of us gainfully employed and the job market so seeker-friendly, should we care? Yes; just like how it is easier to find a job when we already have one, it is easier to plan for a recession when we are not in one. Here are a few things to consider when trying to recession-proof your job.
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