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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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Study shows larger brain region for stress in those with depression
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareAccording to the World Health Organization, 322 million people worldwide were affected by depression in 2015. In the U.S., 16.1 million adults aged 18 years or older had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the last year, which represented 6.7 percent of all adults. Depression, a leading psychiatric disorder, is also the leading cause of disability among people ages 15-44 years. Although the cause remains unknown, it is thought that depression results from a chemical imbalance, but the disease itself may be more complex.
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Simple steps to cut your hospital’s malpractice risk
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs an administrator, you know that eliminating as much risk as possible when it comes to malpractice and patient safety is job No. 1. Outside of the complex legal advice and institutional safeguards you already have in place, it's always a good idea to double back and make sure that your staff is implementing more simplistic, yet equally vital, steps during the course of daily patient care duties. Utilize these scientifically backed advice pieces of advice to keep your hospital covered.
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Health systems expect EHR vendors to assist with opioid management
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationElectronic health records have promised health systems a lot of things — efficiency, data collation and improved revenue cycles — and even still the majority of health systems say they expect their EHR vendors to assist them in addressing the ever-deadly opioid crisis. This is according to a new KLAS report. While the firm interviewed just a scant 117 clinical and managerial executives from healthcare organizations of various sizes, the point of the researchers’ conversations was to determine how providers track opioid use among patients and implement safer prescribing practices to avoid deadly overdoses and other issues.
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Provide the most productive feedback for your healthcare workers
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationEvery medical organization's most important ongoing efforts include thorough evaluation of worker performance. Surprisingly often, though, the most helpful feedback often never gets delivered — because you, as an administrator, aren't aware of the key details your doctors, nurses and residents need to hear to make their work the best it can be. The good news: researchers have analyzed and identified a number of several specific feedback areas you can cover that will allow your healthcare workers to provide better and safer patient care. Here's what you need to know.
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Millennials at the forefront of healthcare
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAs of 2018, millennials (those born between approximately 1979 and 1994) are now the pre-eminent generation within the American workforce. According to the Pew Research Center, a full third of American workers are members of the millennial generation, and this demographic shift is worthy of our attention, both inside and outside of healthcare. Every outgoing generation speaks negatively of the younger generations replacing it, and the baby boomers are no exception.
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Red Ribbon Week honors fallen hero, promotes drug prevention
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityOct. 23 marked the start of Red Ribbon Week. This is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention ad awareness program. It was started in 1985 to honor Special Agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Agent Camarena was tortured and murdered by drug traffickers while investigating in Mexico. After his passing, high school friend Henry Lozano worked with former U.S. Rep. Duncan L. Hunter to create Camarena Clubs to recognize and honor the agent.
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New nursing survey shows trends in employment, compensation
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareMedscape recently released the results of its RN/LPN Compensation Report for 2018, featuring the feedback of 10,282 nurses who reflected upon their salaries and pay from 2017. Based on the findings, the hospital continues to be the primary employer for RNs (52 percent), with 39 percent in inpatient settings and 13 percent in hospital-based outpatient settings. Earnings continue to be attractive for those in the field. Full-time registered nurses (RNs) earned $81,000, while licensed practical nurses (LPNs) earned about half that at $46,000.
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Digital health tech has a bright future, but is slow to burn
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationDigital health solution technologies are the thing of dreams for physicians and patients, who expect digital technologies will "reshape healthcare" in the future, but we’re not yet to the point where intent and adoption can meet, according to the preliminary results from a new Ernst & Young (EY) global survey. EY surveyed 6,000 consumers and 500 physicians in Australia, England and the Netherlands to gauge their support for and use of digital health tools. The technology is being billed as capable of improving outcomes and even enhancing communication between physicians and their patients.
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