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Data shows cancer patients forego preventative care, use EDs more often
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareCancer patients with financial hardships are more likely to forego preventative care and are therefore more likely to seek care for pain, urinary tract infections, respiratory distress and other ailments in an emergency department. That's the result of a data analysis of more than 10,000 cancer survivors who responded to the National Health Interview Survey. While most of those who participated in the study had some form of health insurance, patients struggle to pay coinsurance, deductibles, copayments, and other out-of-pocket expenses, lead author Jason Zheng, Ph.D., said.
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How llama antibodies could help fight COVID-19
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareScientists around the globe are exploring ways to fight COVID-19 as we self-quarantine and wait. Though a potential treatment for COVID-19 may not be the first thought that comes to mind when you hear your kids watching episodes of "Llama Llama" on Netflix during your Monday morning conference call, llamas may be part of our ticket back to normalcy.
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Researchers grow livers using human stem cells
Chelsea Adams Medical & Allied HealthcareResearchers at the University of Pittsburgh have grown five tiny human livers and successfully transplanted them into rats. The most significant aspect of the study is that the livers were grown from stem cells, not from the structures of rat cells. Human volunteers donated skin cells for the study, which was published in Cell Reports in June. The cells were reverse engineered into stem cells before being directed to become the cells needed to form a liver. Next, scientists seeded the cells into a rat liver that had had all its rat cells removed.
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Study: How doctors can identify the kinds of stress patients are dealing…
Lisa Mulcahy Medical & Allied HealthcareAs a healthcare professional, you know the abrupt and traumatic physical impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on your patient population. The life-changing emotional ramifications for those patients are much harder to assess for your organization but are no less important to address. A new study can help your doctors determine which stressors are causing your patients the most difficulty so action can be taken to help them get relief quickly and effectively.
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Infographic: How do clinical vaccine trials work?
Brian Wallace Medical & Allied HealthcareThe development of the H1N1 vaccine, which built upon existing influenza knowledge, took five to six months, and the fastest vaccine to be created from scratch, for mumps, took upwards of four years. This infographic outlines the process of developing and testing vaccines, including the 19 trial vaccines being tested for COVID-19.
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Report: HHS must do more to ensure an adequate number of effectively trained…
Scott E. Rupp Medical & Allied HealthcareThe nation's ability to respond to natural disasters and pandemics is currently being strained. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for leading the public health and medical response to such emergencies. During the push to battle COVID-19, HHS deployed caregivers enrolled in the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), who are individuals, including doctors and nurses, that usually work outside the federal government and are used intermittently. However, the Government Accountability Office found HHS didn’t follow critical principles of competent strategic workforce planning.
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RECOVERY trial update: Dexamethasone shows promise for treating COVID-19
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trial, with an estimated enrollment of 12,000 patients, is currently testing some suggested treatments for the disease. Although the results of this trial are not available until July, interim trial results indicate that dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases, reduced death rates by about a third among the most severely ill COViD-19 patients admitted to hospitals.
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Study reveals surprising connection between asthma, oral health
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareWhat in the world could asthma have to do with gum disease? Apparently, a lot. A recent study published in the Journal of Periodontology reveals that people with asthma are one-fifth more likely to experience gum disease than people who do not have asthma.
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5 tips for top-notch customer service while social distancing at your spa
Elizabeth Donat RetailWith spas and medical spas opening up or on the cusp of reopening, it's time to reevaluate our customer service strategy in light of the changes in society and our daily lives. We cannot continue with the old styles of communication and customer care in a new, socially distant world. Read my expert tips to learn five helpful pointers for making your clients feel close, even though we are forced to keep space between us.
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COVID-19 and national responses, part 2 of 2: The United States and around…
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareAs the summer of 2020 begins, the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of abating. In fact, as many economies open up, spikes in infections are on the rise. While some attribute this phenomenon to increased testing, others also point to increased community transmission. Now that we find ourselves on the brink of six months of this global battle, what can we say about the pandemic response in the bigger picture?
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