-
New resources in precision medicine that every doctor should know about
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcarePrecision medicine, or personalized medicine as it is sometimes referred to, is a most significant and promising healthcare trend. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines precision medicine as an individualized plan that uses a patient's genetic makeup and their environment and lifestyle to deliver the right preventative advice or targeted disease treatment. There are several exciting developments in this field that you, as a physician or hospital administrator, should know about and investigate further.
-
What emergency departments need to know about coronavirus
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareFirst reported in late December 2019 in the major central China city of Wuhan, the newly discovered coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is now rapidly spreading. As of Jan. 28, thousands have been sickened and the death toll exceeds 100. Eighteen countries, including the United States, have confirmed 2019-nCoV cases. The CDC recommends that clinicians treat patients with fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness who have a history of travel in Wuhan, or who were in close contact with a person suspected of having 2019-nCoV, as being patients under investigation (PUI).
-
Smart pills: The pros and cons of an important healthcare trend in 2020
Lisa Mulcahy PharmaceuticalSmart pills are highly promising, yet controversial, new developments that have many intriguing potential applications. They are drugs containing tiny sensors that monitor a patient's condition internally or target certain treatments. This monitoring may ultimately happen through telemedicine or other remote means. For example, researchers from Columbia University report they've developed a smart pill for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer patients that recognizes a specific protein made by cancer cells and delivers medication specifically to combat that protein.
-
4 reasons why every spa should have its own protocols
Elizabeth Donat RetailWith so many spas and medical spas in business these days, it's hard to keep up with all the amazing menu offerings that are available on the market, including rejuvenating facials; chemical peels; dermalinfusion therapies; and treatments for the hands, neck and scalp. But as spa practitioners and owners, it's not only a good idea to offer incredible services at competitive prices, it's crucial to have the protocols for these services written down and recorded at your spa. Like a chef writes and follows carefully crafted recipes, spa owners and their staff must create and adhere to protocols.
-
Groupthink and healthcare: An unhealthy alliance
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareThe term "groupthink" has been in popular usage since the 1970s, and its applicability to the multibillion-dollar 21st-century healthcare industry could not be more salient than it is today. Initially coined in 1974 by Irving Janis, a professor of psychology at Yale University, it is defined by Yale Alumni Magazine as when "a group of intelligent people working together to solve a problem can sometimes arrive at the worst possible answer." Those firmly ensconced in the healthcare ecosystem can likely agree that groupthink plays a larger role than we would like to believe.
-
ONC outlines plans for health IT during the 2020s
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationFederal health IT officials have, for the first time, released a draft strategic plan that outlines their priorities for the first half of the 2020s. The focus appears to be on moving to a more patient-focused form of healthcare, with health data accessible through smartphone apps and application programming interfaces (APIs). Additionally, the plan is designed to help patients manage their health and shop for care, according to the Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC).
-
The return of whooping cough
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcarePertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. During the 1940s, before a vaccine was introduced, more than 200,000 cases of pertussis were reported annually. As a result of the pertussis vaccine, used since 2000, incidence has decreased more than 80%. The vaccine targets three antigens in the bacteria. However, despite vaccination, pertussis bacteria are becoming smarter at colonizing and feeding off unsuspecting hosts. Now, whooping cough is emerging as a superbug.
-
FDA issues public safety notification after exosome treatment sickens patients…
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareLast month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public safety notification regarding exosome products following multiple reports of serious adverse effects experienced by patients in Nebraska who received treatment with unapproved products derived from placentas. Derived from endosomes and present in all body fluids, exosomes are a form of extracellular vesicle. Clinics administer exosome therapies through intravenous injection, inhalation, or injection into joints or soft tissue.
-
A new study could lead doctors to use a common diabetes drug to treat many…
Lisa Mulcahy PharmaceuticalA brand-new study from the Salk Institute may change the way doctors treat their patients. A team of researchers looked at the second-most prescribed diabetes drug, metformin, to see the exact ways it controls blood sugar levels — information that has eluded doctors previously. As a result, the researchers think metformin could be used to target new cellular processes; therefore, a great number of patients dealing with other medical issues may benefit.
-
Investigational HBOT indications: Inflammatory bowel disease
Eugene R. Worth Medical & Allied HealthcareIt is time for the third installment of diseases that are considered "off-label" for hyperbaric oxygen...yet, these diseases have some evidence supporting effectivity and plausible pathophysiology for HBOT use. This blog installment will cover inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Like our cardiac pre-conditioning blog, there will be a number of papers to consider. We are in luck because there are several "review articles" that have taken the literature to that point and reviewed or attempted to classify the research by effectivity.
All Pharmaceutical Articles