Medical Care – Page 3

Widely Used Catheter Device May Harm Some Patients

A widely used intravenous device may in fact be harming some patients, a study shows. The study, by researchers from the University of Michigan, examines the risk of a tiny device called a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter). In just a decade, the university said in a news release, the PICC has become the “go-to… Continue reading Widely Used Catheter Device May Harm Some Patients

How Much Health-Care Privacy Do You Have?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enforces the Federal privacy regulations commonly known as the HIPAA Privacy Rule (HIPAA). HIPAA requires most doctors, nurses, pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers to protect the privacy of your health information. Here, from HHS, is a list of common questions about HIPAA… Continue reading How Much Health-Care Privacy Do You Have?

Despite Potential for More Money, Doctors Aren’t Uniformly Adopting Medicare Wellness Visits

Medical practices that adopted the annual Medicare “wellness visit” for patients saw increased revenue, and their patients were also likelier to stay with them for any given three-year period, researchers say. But other medical offices, most of which care for the underserved, had lower rates of adopting the practice of the wellness visit – a… Continue reading Despite Potential for More Money, Doctors Aren’t Uniformly Adopting Medicare Wellness Visits

Many Older People with Type 2 Diabetes Are Over-Treated

In a January 2018 Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism analysis of individuals aged 70 years with type 2 diabetes, almost 40% with recommended HbA1c levels (which indicate blood glucose levels) were over-treated. A release from the publishers explains that the majority of over-treated people were frail and used five medicines. Hypoglycemia occurred in 20.3% of these… Continue reading Many Older People with Type 2 Diabetes Are Over-Treated

Herbal Products May Compromise Prescription Drugs and Cause Serious Side Effects

A 2018 analysis of published studies and reports indicates that a number of herbal products may affect the properties of prescription drugs, leading to alterations in the drugs’ effectiveness as well as potentially dangerous side effects. The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology analysis included 49 case reports and two observational studies with 15 cases of… Continue reading Herbal Products May Compromise Prescription Drugs and Cause Serious Side Effects

Cancer Patients with Stroke Less Likely to Get Standard Medication

When a stroke occurs in patients with cancer, they are one-third less likely to receive standard clot-busting medication as patients without a malignancy, according to preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2018, a world premier meeting dedicated to the science and treatment of cerebrovascular disease for researchers and clinicians. Cancer… Continue reading Cancer Patients with Stroke Less Likely to Get Standard Medication

More Senior Patients Should Be Tested for Influenza

Adults 65 and older who are hospitalized for fever or respiratory symptoms are less likely to have a flu test than younger patients – an especially sobering finding given the seriousness of this year’s flu season. The research, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, is especially important given the fact that the… Continue reading More Senior Patients Should Be Tested for Influenza

Patient Satisfaction Linked to Number of Nurses on Staff

Hospital patients’ satisfaction with their care drops when the patients believe that staffing levels of nurses are too low, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southampton, UK, and King’s College, London. The study results were based on the British NHS (National Health Service) Inpatient Survey… Continue reading Patient Satisfaction Linked to Number of Nurses on Staff

What Should I Ask My Doctor During My Checkup?

Editor’s note: A visit to the doctor can be an intimidating and at times overwhelming experience, so it might be difficult to remember everything you’d like to ask your physician. Here, the experts from the National Institute on Aging share what questions you should ask, and how to ask them. You might want to read… Continue reading What Should I Ask My Doctor During My Checkup?

Removing and Downsizing Breast Implants

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women in the United States receive breast implants, either to reconstruct a breast lost to cancer or for cosmetic purposes. But three out of four reconstruction patients will experience at least one complication and many will be unhappy with the way their implants look and feel. Women who have… Continue reading Removing and Downsizing Breast Implants

Lack of Communication Puts Older Adults at Risk of Adverse Medication Interactions

Most older Americans take multiple medicines every day. However, a 2017 poll suggests they don’t get – or seek – enough help to make sure those medicines actually mix safely. The poll was conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, and sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical… Continue reading Lack of Communication Puts Older Adults at Risk of Adverse Medication Interactions

The Truths about Your Doctor You’ll Never See on TV

What makes a drug-addicted people-hating doctor with zero regard for laws so popular that millions of people chose to spend time with him every week? Who am I talking about? Gregory House, MD. For eight years, we loved every episode. One year, House was the most watched television show on the entire planet. The newest… Continue reading The Truths about Your Doctor You’ll Never See on TV

7 Things to Check Before You Leave The Pharmacy

Did you know that your pharmacist can work with you to help you take medications safely and reliably? Here are a few things to check when you fill a prescription, especially for a new medication: Make sure the label has your name on it and the directions from your doctor. If it doesn’t have directions,… Continue reading 7 Things to Check Before You Leave The Pharmacy

New Guidelines for Managing Blood Transfusions

After analyzing data from clinical trials about approaches to blood transfusions, experts from Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic and NYU Langone Medical Center have come up with recommendations that reduce blood use as well as improve patient safety. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, also provides a how-to guide for launching a patient blood management… Continue reading New Guidelines for Managing Blood Transfusions

The Patient/Doctor Relationship Is Improving

Patients report an increased partnership with their physicians in making medical decisions, new research shows. The pattern represents a departure the previous pattern of all-knowing doctor and dutiful patient. Shared decision-making between patients and their clinicians increased 14 percent from 2002 to 2014, according to the study, done by Northwestern Medicine and Harvard University. The… Continue reading The Patient/Doctor Relationship Is Improving

A Non-Opioid Alternative for Pain in the ER

A combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen proved as good as opioids in treating arm or leg pain for adults coming to the emergency department, new research shows. According to a release from the JAMA Network Journals, in the randomized clinical trial researchers analyzed 416 patients, aged 21 to 64 years, in two urban emergency departments.… Continue reading A Non-Opioid Alternative for Pain in the ER

Dry Mouth Linked to Dozens of Medications

In an effort to combat dry mouth, a common side effect of medications, researchers are recommending that health care providers monitor that effect and adjust doses of medicine as needed. Having dry mouth means you don’t have enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. The condition can lead to problems chewing, eating, swallowing, and even… Continue reading Dry Mouth Linked to Dozens of Medications