When heart-failure patients were re-hospitalized within a month, those who returned to the same hospital were discharged quicker and were more likely to survive than those who were taken to a different facility, according to new Canadian research in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American… Continue reading A Crucial Factor in Heart-Failure Survival
Category: Medical Care
More than Half of Eligible U.S. Travelers Don’t Get Measles Immunization
A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators found that 53 percent of people seeking pre-travel consultations at clinics across the country who were eligible to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine were not vaccinated during the clinic visit. The research team also documents reasons why patients were not vaccinated and recommends ways… Continue reading More than Half of Eligible U.S. Travelers Don’t Get Measles Immunization
How Fear Can Influence Treatment for Chronic Pain
A leading psychology professor at The University of Texas at Arlington has focused international attention on how a chronic pain patient’s irrational doubts about never getting better can influence both his reactions to pain and even treatment outcomes. Chronic pain costs the U.S. up to $635 billion each year in medical treatment and lost productivity,… Continue reading How Fear Can Influence Treatment for Chronic Pain
Heightened Risk of Heart Attacks with Common Painkillers in Routine Use
People who use commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat pain and inflammation could be raising their risk of having a heart attack, as early as in the first week of use and especially within the first month of taking high doses of such medication, suggests a study published in May 2017 in The… Continue reading Heightened Risk of Heart Attacks with Common Painkillers in Routine Use
Ten Tips for Effective Communication with Your Doctor
Like any healthy relationship, good communication is fundamental and that applies to the doctor-patient relationship as well. When that vital link of understanding is broken between doctor and patient, a cascade of negative consequences can result. If the patient hasn’t been able to fully explain his or her symptoms, an incorrect diagnosis might be made.… Continue reading Ten Tips for Effective Communication with Your Doctor
Oral Corticosteroids: A Hazard?
Short-term oral corticosteroid use, a common remedy for millions who want to reduce back pain or allergy symptoms, may have some serious consequences, according to new research. People taking the pills were more likely to break a bone or have a potentially dangerous blood clot or bout of sepsis in the months after their treatment,… Continue reading Oral Corticosteroids: A Hazard?
Finding A Doctor You Can Talk to
Finding a main doctor (often called your primary doctor or primary care doctor) who you feel comfortable talking to is the first step in good communication. It is also a way to ensure your good health. This doctor gets to know you and what your health is normally like. He or she can help you… Continue reading Finding A Doctor You Can Talk to
Working for Improvements in Geriatric Surgery
An alliance of medical and health organizations has completed the first comprehensive set of the highest possible surgical care standards for older adults. The report was published in the Annals of Surgery. “Hospital Standards to Promote Optimal Surgical Care of the Older Adult” is the culmination of a two-year evaluation by the Coalition of Quality… Continue reading Working for Improvements in Geriatric Surgery
Location-Tracking Apps Could Help with Chronic Health Problems
Location-tracking apps on smartphones could be used to help track and manage care for thousands of patients who suffer from chronic diseases, and possibly even provide feedback to them on lifestyle changes that could help, according to an initial assessment by researchers at UC San Francisco. Their findings were published online March 21, 2017, in… Continue reading Location-Tracking Apps Could Help with Chronic Health Problems
A New Approach to Giving Penicillins
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) investigators have developed two approaches to increasing the use of penicillins and cephalosporins – highly effective antibiotics that are not as problematic as many alternatives – in hospitalized patients previously believed to be allergic to penicillin. Their report, which has been published online in the… Continue reading A New Approach to Giving Penicillins
Predicting Outcomes in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
Researchers have developed a “predictive tool” to help determine the outcome for older patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI). The tool developed by the team of investigators at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., accounts for variables such as age and severity of brain injury to help physicians and hospital staff… Continue reading Predicting Outcomes in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
How Devices in Public Places Can Save Lives
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping blood. It can happen to anyone, at any time, and signs include sudden collapse and immediate loss of consciousness. Unlike heart attacks, which are caused by a blockage in an artery to the heart, sudden cardiac arrest is caused when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions.… Continue reading How Devices in Public Places Can Save Lives
Ways to Improve Doctor-Patient Communication
A hospital-wide communication training program, outlining best practices for doctors to follow in interactions with patients, improved patients’ perception of doctor communication by 9 percent. That is the finding of research published on February 23rd 2017 in the American Journal of Medical Quality (SAGE Publishing journal). The study details the largest known experiment of its… Continue reading Ways to Improve Doctor-Patient Communication
Recycling Unused Medication To Save Lives
In a 2012 survey, over a quarter (28%) of American adults with chronic conditions reported skipping doses or not filling a prescription because they could not afford to pay for it. Among those who were uninsured or under-insured, rates of cost-related problems getting medications were 30-60%*. At the same time, hospitals, pharmacies, manufacturers and nursing… Continue reading Recycling Unused Medication To Save Lives
What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your MRI Scan
So, your doctor ordered an MRI scan. You may be wondering, how do MRI scans work? Is an MRI machine safe? An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses a large magnet and radio waves to look at organs and structures in your body. It is a painless process in which you lie on a table that… Continue reading What to Expect and How to Prepare for Your MRI Scan
10,000 Medicare Patients Die in the Seven Days after Discharge from the ED
Nearly one in five Americans will visit an emergency department (ED) each year, meaning that physicians make the decision to admit or discharge a patient from the ED hundreds of thousands of times daily, but little is known about how patients fare after they are sent home from the ED. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s… Continue reading 10,000 Medicare Patients Die in the Seven Days after Discharge from the ED
New Expectations for Nurse Practitioners in Clinics
Just as primary care provider shortages are becoming acute, retail-based clinics in pharmacies and supermarkets are set to fill the gap in accessible patient care. Yet in some states, access to this convenient care is constrained due to restrictive laws that limit the duties of the nurse practitioners who staff the clinics. A new University… Continue reading New Expectations for Nurse Practitioners in Clinics
What Patients Say Compared to What Doctors Document
Compare a patient’s self-reported eye symptoms to their electronic medical record, and clear discrepancies can be seen. That is the finding of a study from the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center published January 26th 2017 in JAMA Ophthalmology. The research revealed wide disparities in the content of pre-appointment patient questionnaires and what a clinician… Continue reading What Patients Say Compared to What Doctors Document