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Study: Medicare outpatients sicker, have lower incomes than patients treated…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareMedicare patients who receive care in a hospital outpatient department are likely poorer and have more severe, chronic conditions than Medicare patients treated in independent physician offices, a study by the American Hospital Association (AHA) found. The findings of this study seem to show why proposals under consideration by Congress to reimburse hospitals the same amount as physicians’ offices "could threaten access to care for the most vulnerable patients and communities," the AHA said in a statement.
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Innovative ways telemedicine can benefit your patients
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareUsing videoconferencing equipment to diagnose and evaluate patients at an ER or clinic is a well-established way to help patients experiencing a medical emergency. Yet, research has also now established that telemedicine can also help patients dealing with chronic conditions manage their treatment much more easily. This will save both patients and doctors time and money. Adapt these proven facts about telemedicine to benefit your organization's patients more effectively.
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The necessary work of disrupting healthcare
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAs in other industries, change is a constant in healthcare. New medications, treatments, and technologies continue to emerge at breakneck speed: robotics and artificial intelligence, EMRs/EHRs, video-based medical appointments, and other innovations have altered various aspects of healthcare management and delivery. Still, this particular industry can feel unadventurous, old, and out of touch when it comes to long lines in ER waiting rooms, the ubiquitously disappointing 15-minute doctor visit, and the cost of prescription drugs and health insurance.
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Decreasing the risk of suicide in fibromyalgia patients
Dorothy L. Tengler Mental HealthcareFibromyalgia, one of the most common pain conditions, affects about 10 million adults in the U.S. About 75-90 percent of those with this condition are women, and most are diagnosed during middle age. One study of 1,269 Danish women with fibromyalgia showed that the suicide risk was 10 times that of the general population. Although the cause of fibromyalgia remains unknown, the disorder can be effectively treated and managed. A recent study showed that fibromyalgia patients who regularly visited their physicians or healthcare providers were much less likely to attempt suicide than patients who do not regularly see their physicians.
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Insights from a speech-language pathologist: Semantics
Sheilamary Koch EducationImagine a boy in a classroom who regularly raises his hand to respond to questions, yet when called on hems and haws not knowing what to say. While he claims to have the answer, no one has time to wait for him to come up with it. Meanwhile, other students shout it out and the teacher wonders why he raised his hand in the first place. One viable explanation for the boy’s actions comes from Judith O. Roman, M.A., CCC-SLP, who is a clinical faculty member at Northwestern University’s Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning. In this series, we turn to Roman, an expert in the field of pediatric speech and language pathology, who shares her experience in the area of expressive language.
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Wave of complex street drugs complicates diagnosis of overdose
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareDrug overdoses are increasingly common and more lethal in nearly every area of the country. New research provides a snapshot of regional illegal drug use. The report also highlights the complexity of detecting and treating severe drug-related events at emergency departments. Begun in 2016, the study focuses on identifying illicit drugs causing patient overdoses at two hospital EDs in Maryland. At the time of the study, the emergency departments were seeing a spike in accidental drug overdoses and related deaths.
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Survey: Many physicians unhappy with their hospital employer
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareA new survey with a whopping 9,000 physicians tells us that more than 30 percent (32 percent) of those surveyed said they do not see Medicaid patients, or limit the number they do see. Almost 90 percent (88 percent) of physicians said some, many or all of their patients are impacted by social determinants of health. The survey was conducted by the Physicians Foundation and also showed that 78 percent of those physicians experience burnout — which is becoming a highly covered topic of late — and 46 percent said relations between themselves and hospitals are "somewhat" or "mostly negative."
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A single blood test could diagnose 8 different types of cancer
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareCancer is such a mysterious disease. For many different types of cancer, diagnosis can be a long and challenging process. A new blood test, however, might offer a much-needed simpler and more effective diagnostic technique. Called CancerSEEK, this new blood test has the potential to identify eight cancer types using just one blood sample. In the study, researchers show how the test shows high levels of sensitivity and specificity for cancer detection in more than 1,000 participants with the disease.
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Tapering off opioids after surgery: The Transitional Pain Program
Dorothy L. Tengler PharmaceuticalPreoperative opioid use is reported in 23.1 percent of patients undergoing surgery. However, there is an increased incidence of patients who receive prescription opioids after surgery compared with nonsurgical patients. In fact, a study of health insurance claims showed that patients undergoing two of the most common types of surgery were at an increased risk of becoming chronic users of opioid painkillers. Although prescriptions for opioids are most often related to surgical care, recent data suggest that 6 percent of patients undergoing either major or minor elective surgical procedures develop long-term opioid dependence.
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Drugs and music: New study shows increased mentions of marijuana in chart-topping…
Dr. Denise A. Valenti PharmaceuticalLegal acceptance of adult use marijuana is moving from state to state, with nine states now having laws allowing for the recreational use of marijuana for adults. Along with this are indisputable cultural changes, and a recent study has shown this is reflected in popular music. The study, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, looked at the Billboard Top 40 charts from 1986 and 2016 and screened for mentions of drugs or alcohol.
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