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Healthcare’s crucial human capital
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareThe healthcare system runs on people power. From nurses and physicians to food service and housekeeping, the hearts, minds, and hands of real people are the engines behind many aspects of healthcare delivery and organizational infrastructure. As the use of artificial intelligence and robotics increase, how we approach the management of human resources will say a great deal about our values, workplace culture, and the healthcare industry writ large.
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New ways to help patients with chronic conditions
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareAs a physician, bringing relief to patients with chronic conditions, which include everything from diabetes to high blood pressure to arthritis and more, is a top priority. Yet aside from prescribing the proper medication and charting your patients' progress through appointments, there are a number of strategies you can employ to make them feel better on a daily basis. These strategies are low-tech, easy to implement and follow, and can make a huge difference in terms of quality of life, according to recent scientific research. Try these proven tips.
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Study: Controlling blood pressure with blue light shows promising results
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareAbout 75 million American adults (32 percent) have high blood pressure — that’s 1 in every 3 adults — and 1 in 3 adults has prehypertension. High blood pressure costs the nation $48.6 billion each year, a cost that includes healthcare services, medications, and missed days of work. A new study suggests that blue light can reduce blood pressure. Blue light increases levels of nitric oxide, an important signaling molecular that protects the cardiovascular system.
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FDA to strengthen compliance for electronic nicotine products
Tammy Hinojos Civil & GovernmentTeens are more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional cigarettes, according to a recent report put out by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. This probably does not come as a surprise to anyone with decent youth culture awareness. Perhaps the more telling statistic — and certainly more alarming one — states that teen e-cigarette users are much more likely to start smoking. In fact, 30.7 percent of e-cigarette users will start smoking within six months versus only 8.1 percent of non-users. The Food and Drug Administration is responding to this alarming trend.
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Better broadband needed for telehealth access in rural areas
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareRural Americans are going online for a variety of health-related services, but better availability of broadband internet is necessary to meet future telehealth demand, a new U.S. Department of Agriculture report suggests. Telehealth is rising in popularity for rural areas because of doctor shortages, hospital closings and lack of reliable transportation options. "It allows people to be more engaged in their own health while facilitating care of minor ailments and monitoring of chronic conditions," researchers said.
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A pharmacist’s thoughts on Florida suing CVS, Walgreens
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWe are struggling as a nation to manage the devastating impact of drug diversion, abuse, addiction, and overdose deaths. Florida has taken a unique approach to deal with the crisis: sue the pharmacy. As a pharmacist I want nothing more than to see us reduce the nonmedical use of opioids and to get help to those patients who find themselves locked into a pattern of addiction and abuse. That being said, I respectfully believe that suing pharmacies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, is an inappropriate and unhelpful response.
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Boost patient safety at your hospital by reducing little-known risks
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs an administrator, patient safety is a top priority — and you no doubt are on top of as many established health risk elements as you can be. Research has shown that little-known environmental risks can be surprisingly detrimental to patients' welfare, however. How can you cut these potential hazards before they become bigger problems? Use the following science-driven info to recognize and reduce risk.
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Study: Poor hospital work environments put patients at risk
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcarePatients are at risk because of poor hospital work environments, which need to be improved. So says a new Health Affairs study. We’ll let that sink in. Hospital work environments are a danger to patients. Researchers said they analyzed nurse and patient appraisals at 535 hospitals in four states between 2005 and 2016 — a fairly exhaustive study — to determine whether the work environment had improved and the extent to which those changes affected patient safety.
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Pilot study showcases breathing device for acute migraine
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareMigraine is the third most prevalent neurological disease in the world, affecting 39 million men, women, and children in the United States and 1 billion people worldwide. In the U.S., nearly 1 in 4 households includes someone who suffers with migraine. Treatment has included both pain-relieving and preventative medications. Many patients attend pain clinics and endure countless trials of different medications. For some, the medications work for a short time, others not at all. According to a new study, however, some migraine patients may be able to cut down on medication or stop taking medication at all by using a newly developed inhaler that changes the composition of the air that they breathe.
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6 professional skin care strategies for the winter months
Elizabeth Donat RetailFor many skin care clients, winter weather brings a whole new set of problems and concerns. Dehydration, dryness, chapping, and itchiness are common complaints. Some winter skin woes can be fixed with minor adjustments and some are so severe that they can really derail your clients' skin health for the season. Read my expert strategies below to help your spa clients conquer the harsh side effects of winter skin during the cold months to come.
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