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How to improve your workplace wellness approach
Lisa Mulcahy Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIf you're like many companies, there's a good chance you have a workplace wellness program in place — maybe more than one — or a program that addresses multiple health components. But how well is what you're doing really working? Ideally, you want the program you're offering employees to not only improve their health and quality of life but also to cut healthcare expenses significantly and help your business run more effectively. Take an overview of how well your program is performing and make the changes it needs by using this advice.
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Study: Poor hospital work environments put patients at risk
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcarePatients are at risk because of poor hospital work environments, which need to be improved. So says a new Health Affairs study. We’ll let that sink in. Hospital work environments are a danger to patients. Researchers said they analyzed nurse and patient appraisals at 535 hospitals in four states between 2005 and 2016 — a fairly exhaustive study — to determine whether the work environment had improved and the extent to which those changes affected patient safety.
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Pilot study showcases breathing device for acute migraine
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareMigraine is the third most prevalent neurological disease in the world, affecting 39 million men, women, and children in the United States and 1 billion people worldwide. In the U.S., nearly 1 in 4 households includes someone who suffers with migraine. Treatment has included both pain-relieving and preventative medications. Many patients attend pain clinics and endure countless trials of different medications. For some, the medications work for a short time, others not at all. According to a new study, however, some migraine patients may be able to cut down on medication or stop taking medication at all by using a newly developed inhaler that changes the composition of the air that they breathe.
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Nurturing positive nurse-physician relationships
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareWhen it comes to patient care, both nurses and physicians are crucial to the delivery of positive medical outcomes. In terms of the relationship between the members of nursing and medical teams, seamless cooperation and communication are what make the team approach truly successful. Thus, the nurturing of positive nurse-physician relationships is central to the earnest pursuit of high-level teamwork and results. In simplistic terms, poor relations between nurses and their physician colleagues can either be strengthened with respect or derailed by disrespect.
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New reasons to establish a rural primary care practice
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareMany new doctors and established primary care physicians looking to relocate avoid setting up shop in rural areas. In fact, a study from the University of Missouri-Columbia found that only 10 percent of doctors practice in rural communities, and just 3 percent of medical students intend to do so. Why? Bigger profits may be had in large cities, of course. Yet research shows that there are significant upsides to physicians who choose to treat patients in more distant locations. Shift your perspective by considering these important benefits.
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Transcranial direct current stimulation linked to improved object naming…
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareUsing transcranial direct current stimulation can improve object naming following a stroke, according to the results of a new study. Transcranial direct current stimulation is a type of medical procedure that can stimulate brain activity with low, direct current. More than 795,000 people suffer strokes each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and disability. About one-third of all strokes results in aphasia, according to the National Aphasia Association, which impairs patients’ ability to speak and process language.
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Pharmacies big and small struggle for profit
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalAccounting, legal services, dentists and physician offices are frequently listed as some of the most profitable U.S. businesses. Noticeably absent from any such list is pharmacy. But when it comes to specialty pharmacy, maybe they are the exception to the rule? It doesn’t appear so. Large revenues don’t compensate for incredibly thin margins, and therefore making a profit is challenging for them as well. I guess when it comes to making a profit in pharmacy, size really doesn’t matter at all.
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Healthcare mergers, transactions down by volume, but still very active
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationEven if the stock market seems to be tipping into bear territory, healthcare investors may still be in the full gallop of a bull economy. According to new reporting by PwC, the third quarter of 2018 continued the streak of at least 200 deals each quarter since the end of 2015. Pleasantly, or surprisingly, there have been at least 250 quarterly deals since Q3 of 2017. Despite the glowing report, it’s not all roses in healthcare for investors. The quarter saw the fewest number of deals in a quarter since Q1 2017 and there were declines in value compared to both the previous year and quarter.
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For Dr. Michael Fine, healthcare is necessary for a stronger democracy
Michael Monasky Medical & Allied HealthcareIf Dr. Michael Fine had his way, he would see and care for everyone free of charge: no cost for maternal care and newborn deliveries, vaccinations, all doctor visits; free or nearly free medications, treatments, and necessary special medical care. Rhode Island-based family medical specialist Fine writes in his new book, "Health Care Revolt," that $1 trillion is spent unnecessarily for healthcare that should be spent instead on education, parks, libraries, community centers, and other amenities needed by the public. This is the part of healthcare glut that Fine believes is our lost legacy to democracy. Dr. Fine believes that democracy depends upon a safe and peaceful society that shares its prosperity.
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Utah public employees cross Mexican border for cheaper drugs
Michelle R. Matisons PharmaceuticalTwo decades ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders crossed the Mexican border to call attention to the plight of American citizens who cannot afford expensive, potentially lifesaving drugs. Since that time, we have seen some progress on the issue — including recent federal Medicare drug legislation and new state laws as well. It’s not unusual to hear about someone having to cross the Canadian or Mexican border to purchase cheaper pharmaceutical drugs. After all, the average prescription drug for a chronic condition costs $13,000 a year, and since 2009, Medicare drug spending has grown by roughly 9.5 percent yearly.
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