-
Improving in-person and remote instruction: Critical elements
Howard Margolis EducationRemote teaching alone cannot easily and fully create and sustain many of the critical elements needed to meaningfully advance struggling learners’ academic, social, and emotional progress. These elements include listening and acting with empathy; helping parents successfully address COVID-19’s anxiety producing obstacles and dangers; understanding how to help struggling learners achieve their IEP or section 504 goals; and helping them take well-earned credit for their efforts and accomplishments.
-
Study: A substantial number of patients have deferred care during the COVID-19…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareRoutine patient care received a devastating blow earlier this year as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged healthcare facilities, countless communities across the country and shut down elective procedures. According to a new study on patient care's impact during the pandemic, almost half of all U.S. employees deferred care because of the pandemic, Willis Towers Watson said. The global advisory firm surveyed a statistically valid 4,898 workers reporting that as many as 44% deferred medical care at some point during the pandemic.
-
Fiction and fact: The undermining of science and society
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareIn these days of a tumultuous and politically divided country and a raging pandemic taking scores of lives each day, research is a cornerstone of the bedrock of public health, evidence-based science, and healthcare delivery. However, when determined efforts are made to undermine the importance of the truth of scientific inquiry and discovery, our society itself is lamentably and powerfully undermined. The very notion of how we as humans accept or reject the concept of facts has changed remarkably in the course of the first two decades of the 21st century.
-
What is the long-term prognosis for telehealth?
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareDuring the rush of COVID-19’s onslaught in March and April, health systems attempted to scale up and survive, so they invested in telehealth technology, according to a report from the Center for Connected Medicine and KLAS Research. Despite the meteoric rise of telehealth services during the quarantine, these same health systems are wrestling with how they will make long-term use of the technology when the pandemic winds down. Per the report, health system leaders who adopted telehealth want to improve integration, infrastructure, and security in the years ahead and focus on long-term telehealth decisions.
-
Picking up after an unsuccessful college experience
Dan McManmon EducationFailing in college as a teen or young adult with learning differences is a stressful time for the entire family. Parents have already invested countless hours obtaining a diagnose and related services, attending and advocating at IEP meetings, securing accommodations, creating transition plans, planning social time, dealing with legal matters, and much more. The student may experience failure internally and become depressed or anxious about their future. When things don't go as planned at the college level, it's a good time to step back and look at the alternatives.
-
Isolation is terrible for your health. How should you keep healthy and…
Amanda Kowalski Mental HealthcarePeople have been spending a lot of time alone during the COVID-19 pandemic, with entire countries shutting down for months. Since then, exposure to the actual virus has sent millions back into quarantine for self- or government-imposed isolation. And the second wave may be underway, health authorities warn. For some people, being alone is a dream come true or not that much different than their normal routine. But for most, self-isolation has been a shocking new reality and, in some cases, has led to depression and suicide. Even before the pandemic hit, researchers knew that loneliness and social isolation were serious health threats.
-
How micro actions produce big changes
Victoria Fann Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementA few years ago, I came across the life-changing book, "The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success" by Darren Hardy, an author and the former publisher of Success magazine. He writes, "The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices." He also says, "It's not the big things that add up in the end; it's the hundreds, thousands, or millions of little things that separate the ordinary from the extraordinary." Accomplishing big goals can be daunting, so we’re told to break things done into chunks. Even though that’s great advice, it can still feel overwhelming, which is why it’s best to break goals down into micro actions.
-
Improving senior care by mimicking natural light cycles with LED technology
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesNumerous studies have identified the need for better lighting conditions in senior care facilities. Residents often have too little exposure to natural light during the day and are subjected to leaks from artificial lighting during the night. This can lead to a range of health problems, from erratic sleep patterns to impaired cognition to listlessness and depression. Recent developments in LED technology may provide a solution by creating interior lighting conditions that change throughout the day and night, mimicking the natural light cycle to which the body is attuned.
-
Algorithm could help keep consumers safe from illegal online pharmacies
Gail Short PharmaceuticalThe National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) reported this year that it identified dozens of illicit online pharmacies (IOPs) selling drugs marketed as treatments for COVID-19, drugs that would normally require a prescription. "Rogue internet pharmacy networks are run by criminal opportunists, and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has provided the perfect opportunity for illegal online drug sellers to prey on fearful consumers," the NABP says in its "Rogue Rx Activity Report." But now, researchers at Penn State University have developed an algorithm that may be able to identify which online pharmacies are legitimate and which ones are not. They wrote about their findings in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
-
Principals: Don’t forget to take care of yourself!
Brian Stack EducationEven on an average day, the challenges a principal can face can seem daunting. Add a global pandemic into the mix and one piece of bad news can be enough to make principals feel helpless, lost, or ready to throw in the towel. As we celebrate National Principals Month, we need to remember to take care of ourselves so that we don’t fall victim to the challenges that will prey on our weaknesses. As a fellow principal, I feel your pain and I offer you these tips to help you keep your focus, momentum, and most importantly, your sanity through all of this.
All Mental Healthcare Articles