-
For many hospitals, the fax machine is still the dominant information sharing…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareThe fax machine has not gone anywhere in medicine. This so-called "ancient relic" is still operational and is considered a simple, yet powerful tool for those in healthcare, despite the other more modern modalities of exchanging information. According to newly released federal data, almost three-quarters of nonfederal acute care hospitals routinely use faxes to receive summary of care records from providers outside their system, according to the data released by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT.
-
FDA condemns use of teething jewelry for infants with teething pain
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareFor anyone who has raised a child, I think we can all agree that the teething season is awful! The crying, the fussing, the drooling. Then there’s the baby! Just kidding. Teething is no joke and most babies go through some level of discomfort during the season of time that baby teeth are erupting along the gum line. As a dental professional, you may have had patients ask you for your advice on how to deal with their baby’s teething.
-
Help your pediatric patients beat dental fear
Lisa Mulcahy Oral & Dental HealthcareAs a dentist, you understand that many of your patients have anxiety over visiting your office, of course. Yet what may be a simple case of nerves for an adult can be full-blown terror for a child who fears visiting your office. You want your young patients to get the care they need without seeing you as the bogeyman or woman — so how can you quell their fear? Science has your back. Try these easy, research-driven tips to help your pediatric patients feel comfortable — and even look forward to — their next appointments.
-
Negotiating commercial leases: Get a document review
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailFor many commercial tenants, negotiating a good lease or lease renewal against an experienced agent or landlord can be a challenge. While an entrepreneur focuses on marketing and managing, savvy real estate agents and brokers are specialized salespeople. Their job is to sell tenants on leasing their location at the highest possible rental rate. Whether you are leasing a new location for the first time or negotiating a lease renewal for your business, here are two money-saving tips.
-
Congress passes Action for Dental Health Act
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareAll Americans deserve good dental health. Washington, D.C., agrees. Legislation aimed at improving oral health as well as access to oral health care — called the Action for Dental Health Act — is now law. President Donald Trump signed the bill on Dec. 11 after it was passed by Congress in November. The American Dental Association, which has led the Action for Dental Health initiative since 2014, approved of the bill’s passage.
-
Stoking the healthcare leadership succession pipeline
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareIn healthcare and other industries, keeping the succession pipeline filled is essential to organizational success and longevity. Healthcare institutions must bear in mind that a valued leader can retire, quit, be let go, or become ill or disabled at any time; thus, being ready for changes in leadership is both prudent and forward-thinking. In this particular endeavor, a proactive strategy is much preferable to a reactive one. If we accept the necessity of keeping the succession pipeline stoked, what are steps that a thoughtful healthcare facility can take in order to assure relatively seamless transitions of power and leadership at pivotal times?
-
CMS: US healthcare spending slows in nearly every corner of the market
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareHealthcare spending slowed in 2017 for the second consecutive year in the United States, with a limited growth rate of 3.9 percent — almost one percentage point lower than in 2016 — according to new statistics released by the federal government this month. Healthcare’s share of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) is 17.9 percent with total spending emerging at $3.5 trillion — the equivalent of $10,739 per person — but growing slower than the overall GDP. Why the slowing growth?
-
Study shows link between opioid prescription and later use, abuse by young…
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareThe abuse of opioids is a public health crisis in the United States. Dentists continue to be a leading source of opioid prescriptions for children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, primarily due to third molar extractions (wisdom teeth). Young people who develop opioid abuse problems may be first exposed to the drug while receiving dental treatment. This, according to a new study released earlier this month by JAMA Internal Medicine.
-
Health IT receiving much-needed attention from the government
Tammy Hinojos Medical & Allied HealthcareTechnological advances are by definition supposed to advance that portion of an industry they exist to serve. To make things easier, more intuitive, less burdensome. But all too often, it seems, just the opposite is true. Healthcare providers know all about the hurdles associated with electronic health records (EHRs). The cumbersome system — one that should be designed to streamline the information-gathering process — is broken, in the opinion of many American healthcare providers.
-
Have an elf give you the gift of patient resources this season
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareHermey the Elf is a beloved character from the 1964 classic television special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." He dreamed about becoming a dentist for more than 50 years! Hermey encountered some resistance, some prejudices, some doubts and challenges along the way. He was named a Dental Do Gooder by the American Dental Association in 2014 and is back for another round this holiday season to make improving oral health more merry and bright. Hermey will be featured in patient resources, including coloring pages and brushing charts. Downloads are available at MouthHealthy.org.
All Oral & Dental Healthcare Articles