health-care

Conversion Makes it Easy to Upgrade to Digital Imaging

2008-11-07T03:49:00.000-08:00

Many small medical clinics, radiology departments, imaging centers, dental and veterinary offices are making the switch to digital imaging. DICOM Solutions allow you to do this easily and economically. By using ordinary personal computers, you simply add PACS software, which allows for film imagery to be converted to digital images. No more high costs for purchasing film, film developing as well as the risk of exposure to toxic developing chemicals when moving to dicom conversion software.

DICOM Solutions stands for digital imaging and communication in medicine solutions. The beauty of digital imaging is that these pictures can be sent at digital speeds to any doctor, hospital or clinic that has Internet access. This has revolutionized the transfer of patient images for consultations with the best doctors no matter where in the world they are located, because with the click of a mouse those images can be at the doctor's computer in a matter of seconds.

A dicom conversion is possible because of PACS software. PACS stands for picture archiving and communication system, and is the software that allows for digital imaging of films. Another nice feature of the dicom conversion is that images can taken in several modalities, including x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, mammograms, ultrasounds and others, and all can be converted to digital images. Making the change to digital is very cost effective, because you can focus on the specific digital features that your medical office needs, and switch over by retrofitting the radiology equipment you currently possess.

Many medical clinics switch to DICOM because of the ease of using the dicom archive. In order to comply with HIPAA standards of patient record retention of seven to ten years, hospitals and clinics in the past have had to use a great deal of space to physically store the paper records. It also took a lot of hours of work in terms of filing, archiving and retrieval of patient records. Now with the dicom archive, the physical space you need for storage of patient records is only the size of your server. Patient information is easily recorded, stored and retrieved from a computer workstation that has the correct software installed.

The dicom archive also helps clinics to provide better patient care. Although rare, it did occasionally happen that hard copy patient records were misfiled, leading to unhealthy results for patients. With the dicom archive, there is a much reduced chance of such errors occurring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Hemrick

Medicare Supplements Standardized

2008-11-07T03:48:00.000-08:00

It's true, Medicare supplements aren't as glitzy as you might like, but sometimes boringly predictable is a good thing. That's what makes Medicare supplements a good bet if you're looking for extra health care coverage and don't think you want to make the leap to private health care insurance carriers.

The various plans offered in Medicare are truly standardized, meaning they all offer the same thing and there isn't any guesswork about it. They all have the same networks and are literally identical from one health care insurance company to another. Well--almost.

The only one area in which these plans are not equal is in the pricing. Each insurance company can sell these plans at any price they set. Now that either means they're charging what the market will bear, or someone thought they'd run a number up the flagpole to see if anyone saluted.

There you have it-- the big differences in these plans is the price. So that means it actually makes good sense to shop around for Medicare supplement plans and do some price comparisons. The pricing issue isn't really a secret. It's just that a lot of people don't bother to call around because they hate talking to insurance agents. Pity, because even calling just three agents could save you money.

If you don't believe insurance companies would actually charge you more for the same thing other companies sell, then read page 15 of the document called Choosing a Medigap Policy which states in black and white "There can be a big difference is premiums that different insurance companies charge for exactly the same coverage." Now in polite company this would be called taking advantage of consumers. In not so polite company this may be regarded as a rip off.

If you want a deal on your health care coverage, be smart and talk to an agent who has a large pool of companies to work with. That way you can be assured of getting a decent price for your premiums.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cantu

Medicare Advantage Plans

2008-11-03T23:42:00.000-08:00

Medicare Advantage Plans may be an advantage to some people, depending on their requirements. For others, however, there is no advantage to them at all; in fact, they are oft heard to be called major pains in the - pocketbook. Texas health insurance agents can tell you this information if you ask.

So let's talk finances for a bit. There are people looking to be totally covered, not having to pay a dime when they need services. Then there are others who can afford to pay the 20% difference between what the doctor charges and the insurance company pays (the other 80%). Each group has its own wants and needs, but how each group is actually serviced is another matter entirely.

For instance, let's say you are in one smaller network and have a doctor that you really like. Things are going well for about a year or so and then the doctor decides s/he wants to opt out of the network. Great, this leaves you stuck unless you try and follow your doctor. Good luck on that one.

Following your doctor involves finding out if s/he will take other Medicare plans/ supplements or not. In the alternative, you may see the doctor and pay full freight to do so. If your doctor makes the decision to go the fee for service route, you might find out s/he refuses to accept the terms of the plan. That means you pay the bill.

What's going on here is that coverage options are so confusing it's difficult to get straight answers. With the Medicare Advantage Plans their coverage is fairly black and white - what you see is what you get (mostly). If you choose to go with private health insurance you might think you're covered. Wrong, as the insurance company may say they don't have to cover your particular case. This is a little like playing Russian roulette.

To get Medicare Advantage or not to get the advantage and go private are haunting questions that are usually only resolved when you've had personal experience either way. The bottom line is, for coverage that makes the most sense Medicare supplements are the better route.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Cantu

A Couple of Things

2008-11-03T23:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of things happened today that I thought I would like to share with you. All elements of your practice can learn from these experiences; the front office, nursing staff, medical billing staff, management, cleaning personnel.

The first involves the use of illicit substances. An employee in a local school system cafeteria burned her hand. On the surface a simple matter to be sure, but once she presented at the medical office for care, the board agreed to accept her as a worker's compensation case and shortly after that conversation the practice phone rang again. This time the board requested a drug test. The patient was advised and consented to the test. Now remember, this is now a worker's comp case and the patient in accepting that status does not maintain the right to privacy with respect to this or any future visit regarding this injury. Once the report on the drug test came back the patient now wants that information to be held back because it is damaging. Most boards of education are dependent on state and federal money to pay the bills and along with that money comes certain strings; one being the safe and drug free schools program. The likelihood is that a job will be lost, could be some criminal consequences. What do you think?

The second thing that happened today involves a practice that we have helped for many years. The front office employee left the practice in a lurch. But that is not half of the problem. She left with the front office copy of the protocols and in that copy were most of the current log ons and passwords for the various insurance companies they serve. That in itself was bad enough except that just before leaving, she took the liberty of setting herself up as the administrator on the accounts and changed all of the passwords. The provider was in a panic because they are in the habit of verifying all insurance companies and most of those they are doing on-line. I assured him that we would get on top of it for him and that in the interim we could use our log ons and/or we could use the phones to get insurance verification information for him. This is a task that is usually performed in the provider office, but it is just one more little thing that we bring to the table in medical billing. For no extra charge we are happy to cover that base on a short term basis and in the meantime re-establish all of the log ons and passwords the ensure HIPAA compliance. By close of business we had managed to get all of the log ons and passwords changed with the exception of two and the proper paperwork on those two were being mailed so they could be changed. The provider was ecstatic at the promptness of the actions and my staff is to be commended for going above and beyond. Also, the staff member doing the work had arranged to take the day off tomorrow, but has now volunteered to come in just to be available should this practice need our assistance.

Now how do both of these tie into your practice? Both deal with the legal liabilities of the practice. Before these matters appear, you need to establish the proper protocols to handle each of these occurrences and to ensure that you are not plagued by a staff that presents with either or both of the issues above.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nat_Wynn

The Future of Technology - Software As a Service

2008-10-31T05:26:00.000-07:00

Software as a Service: The Future of Technology Arguably one of the most important inventions of the twentieth century, the Internet has revolutionized the way we live. From communicating with friends to transacting business, shopping and paying bills, the Internet impacts almost every aspect of our lives. Yet the benefits of this massive shift are still being realized in the field of business software applications as the technology behind them evolves. Client servers vs. remote computing Put at its simplest, business software applications have at least two "tiers" - the client tier (the part that the end user sees), and the rest of the system, which consists of the hardware and software that supports it and makes it work. Until relatively recently, users have had to pay for and support both tiers, by housing and maintaining the "back end" of the system in order to use the front end. Intuitively this makes as little sense as buying a whole switchboard and miles of telephone wires just to be able to make a phone call. Not only would you have all the expense of the equipment, you would also have to pay for an in-house telecommunications specialist. Fortunately for businesses, especially the smaller and mid-sized ones, technology has now developed an alternative - remote computing. Remote computing, also sometimes known as "software as a service" (SaaS), is offered with the idea of providing a service without making the end user pay all the associated costs. To use the telephone analogy again, with this model, hundreds of thousands of customers can have a telephone service cheaply and the telephone company manages all of the hardware apart from the phone on your desk.

What are the benefits of SaaS? First, it is important to note that as with any other product or service, some remote computing models are superior to others. The basic concept of SaaS has a number of advantages over the client-server model, but before you invest in a SaaS application for your business, it is worth checking how many of the bonus criteria your potential provider meets -'y these really indicate dependable and good-quality systems. 1. Less "down time" Server faults are inevitable, whether you are using a client server or a remote server. The difference is the effect this will have upon your ability to use the application. With a client server model, server faults will cause "down time", when the application can't be accessed. With software as a service from a reliable application service provider, you can use the application as normal with minimal down time. This feature is called fault tolerance and it occurs because every component of the back end of the system has another component that can perform the same function if necessary. With a client server model, this kind of functionality is impractical for cost reasons. Ask your SaaS provider: if the system can identify and replace the faulty component automatically. This level of sophistication means that there is no delay between a fault occurring and normal operation being restored, so no down time will be experienced by the user at all.

2. Better disaster management

One of the greatest advantages of SaaS is that in the event of a disaster befalling your office, your data is safe. No foolishly-placed cup of coffee, fire or tornado will cause you to lose your data,. By contrast, if you have your data on a server in your office you are at the mercy of any disaster that impacts your server. . Ask your SaaS provider: if they have replicated computing centers at geographically distributed locations. This means that even if a disaster impacts the computer center where your data is held, nothing is lost. 3. Access from anywhere Unlike client server models, remote computing allows users to access the application from anywhere with an Internet connection. Whether you are at the office, at home or on the road, you can access your data and get your work done. Client server models generally restrict access to particular workstations that are connected to the network on location. Ask your SaaS provider: what provisions they make for PDAs. Being able to access the application from your handheld device can be very convenient!

Internet-based versus browser-based software. A common misconception is that the Internet and the World Wide Web are interchangeable terms. In fact, they are different but related. The Web is a collection of interconnected documents and other files. The Internet, on the other hand, is a series of interconnected networks through which data can flow. Essentially, the Internet is the highway and Web files are just one type of data-rich vehicle capable of traveling along it. A Web browser, whether it is Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari, is a software application that allows users to view these Web files. The distinction between Internet-based and browser-based is far from pedantic. SaaS can be either, but a truly Internet-based application has fewer limitations than a browser-based application for the following reasons: 1. Security from hackers Applications that rely on browsers can only transmit data in a way that browsers will understand. That means that even if the data is encrypted, it can (with some effort) be unencrypted and the data pieced back together and read. This is disastrous if the data is of a sensitive or private nature. If your application is Internet-based without relying on a browser, the application can transmit data in any way it chooses, as no other application has to be able to interpret it. If someone hacks in and intercepts and unencrypts your data as it is being transmitted across the Internet, they will just see tiny pieces of unintelligible data. Security-wise, it is similar to the difference between tearing your bank statements in half and cross-shredding them. 2. Security from viruses

Internet-based applications create a private platform between you and your data, unlike the public Web sites that a browser-based application relies on. Truly Internet-based applications therefore are less susceptible to viruses. 3. Faster running The other benefit of the Internet-based application is speed - because it stores a small amount of unique user information on each workstation the first time a user logs in, it subsequently will run similarly to any other program on your desktop, rather than having to get that information from the server each time, as a browser-based application does. Why, then, would application providers choose a browser-based model? Often, it is because they have moved from a client server model to take advantage of the economies of scale of a remote computing model, but rather than re-engineer the architecture of the entire system, which is expensive and requires considerable technological expertise, they have gone halfway, and provided remote servers and a browser-based interface with the application running on a Web site. Not that browsers are all bad; they are, of course, convenient and easy to access, and most SaaS providers provide a way to log in to the application via a Web site. However, the application will launch securely and independently from the browser. Where is the technology headed? Gone are the days when buying software for your business meant purchasing a disk and implementing the application yourself. More and more business application providers are seeing the advantages of software as a service and jumping on the Internet bandwagon. Once you know the questions to ask, you should be able to easily find a business solution that can offer high availability, good performance and security at a fraction of the cost of "client server" competitors. Because of the benefits outlined above, it is probable that the business software landscape will be almost entirely Internet-based within a decade. If you do your research, you can take advantage of this trend sooner rather than later.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Jo_Barton

Alternative Health Care Debate

2008-10-31T05:24:00.000-07:00

Many people are pretty polarized on the alternative health care debate. They are either completely for or completely against it. On the one hand, there are people who stand with tradition entirely and are unwilling to compromise. They believe that normal medical health is the highest level that the treatment of diseases has ever reached. They don't believe in any alternative health treatment at all, viewing it as unscientific and probably unhelpful as well.

On the other hand, there are alternative health fanatics. I know some people who will only use holistic health services and nothing else. They won't even take prescription drugs if they believe they can get better with herbs. They believe that science is overrated and that some things can't be measured in numbers.

I always try to avoid either extreme in my own practices. I have had some great success with alternative health, and definitely wouldn't give it up. On the other hand, I think that science is very valuable. Traditional Western medicine has done a lot of great things for us. It has brought us a new understanding of the physical body, excellent drugs and treatment options, incredible scans which allow us to see inside the body, and many other helpful technologies. To throw it all away based on a vague belief in the power of herbs is foolish.

That is why I use both alternative healing and traditional medicine. I think that improving your diet and taking health supplements can do great things for you, and is often a better solution than costly medications with side effects. When you are not treating something severe and acute, you shouldn't put a lot of stress on your body during the treatment. Otherwise the cure can be worse than the illness. Using herbal treatments can remove the need to strain your body by introducing antibiotics and things like that into it.

On the other hand, I like to keep traditional medicine as an option. Sometimes, things get really bad and you just need a pretty strong treatment. You might not want to start with an operation or even prescription medication, but it might come to that in the end. This is why I have always viewed complimentary medicine as the best approach. It allows you to use both Western and Eastern medicine, combining the best of both worlds. After all, the more tools you have, the more options you have for treatment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dominic_Ferrara

What Social Security Benefits Are Available?

2008-10-21T05:43:00.001-07:00

Types of Social Security Disability Benefits

The Social Security Administration has established a number of different types of disability programs. Although the medical rules are similar under each program, the technical rules on eligibility set each program apart. What program you may be eligible for depends on a number of factors, including your work history, age, household income and marital status. You may be eligible for more than one type of benefits, but generally SSA will pay you the higher benefit amount of any one program you may be entitled to.

Disability Insurance Benefits: This program, also known as "DIB" or Title II benefits, awards benefits to individuals who, because of a physical or mental impairment, are unable to work at a "substantial" gainful level, and their condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period. By "substantial," SSA means the claimant would be unable to earn over $900.00 per month because of their disability. This dollar amount increases slightly every year. To be eligible for DIB, a claimant must have worked long enough and paid enough into Social Security through their FICA taxes to be "insured." As a general rule, if a claimant worked at least five of the last 10 years, he would be "insured" for purposes of DIB. How much a claimant receives each month if found disabled and entitled to DIB is based on how much he "paid into" the system during his working life. Generally, the longer someone has worked and the higher his earnings, the more he would be paid if found disabled. Individuals found disabled and entitled to DIB benefits may be awarded retroactive benefits. Retroactive benefits can only go back one year from the date of the initial application. There is a five-month waiting period from the date the claimant is determined to be disabled until entitlement to DIB benefits begin. To illustrate this, if a claimant files a claim for DIB on January 1, 2006 alleging disability as of February 2005, and SSA determines he is disabled and his disability began February 1, 2005, he would be eligible for retroactive benefits starting in July 2005. In addition to receiving individual DIB benefits, your minor children may also qualify for auxiliary benefits based on your disability. These benefits are granted in addition to any benefit you receive. To ensure any minor children are awarded any benefits they may be entitled to, it is important you furnish the names and Social Security numbers of any minor children you have to SSA. The children do not have to live in the same household to be eligible for auxiliary benefits.

Supplemental Security Income: This program, also known as SSI or Title 16 benefits, is a "needs-based" program in which individuals with little or no resources or assets may receive disability benefits. The medical criteria for SSI eligibility is the same as that used for DIB - a physical or mental impairment which prevents you from working at a "substantial" gainful level, and the condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period. Effective January 2007 the SSI payment for an eligible individual is $623 per month and $934 per month for an eligible couple. There is no retroactive eligibility for SSI benefits: benefits can go back only to the month in which your claim was filed. Unlike DIB, there is no five-month waiting period for entitlement to SSI, so your eligibility would begin the month in which you filed your claim or were determined to be disabled, whichever is later. A claim for SSI benefits can also be filed on behalf of any minor children with a disability; however, as with Adult SSI claims, to be entitled to SSI benefits the household income must be below certain limits.

Disabled Adult Child: This program provides disability benefits to adult children of deceased or disabled parents. In addition to the medical requirement that you have a physical or mental impairment which prevents you from working at a "substantial" gainful level, and the condition has existed or is expected to exist for at least a 12 month period, you must also show that your condition has existed and has been disabling since before your 22nd birth date. In addition, you must be the adult child of a parent who is currently receiving DIB benefits, or the Adult child of a parent who is deceased and was "insured" for purposes of eligibility for DIB benefits. It is not necessary that the adult child ever worked because benefits are paid on the parent's earnings record. The adult child must not have worked and earned "substantial earnings" for an extended period at any point after turning 22; however, certain expenses the adult child incurs in order to work may be excluded from these earnings. An adult child already receiving SSI benefits should check to see if benefits may be payable on a parent's earnings record. Higher benefits might be payable and entitlement to Medicare may be possible.

Disabled Widow's/Widower's Benefits: If you are a disabled widow or widower age 50 or older you may be able to receive benefits off your spouse's (or former spouse's) Social Security record. If you are a widow or widower from a spouse you were divorced from, to be eligible for benefits you need to have been married to your spouse for 10 years or longer and your disability must have started before age 60 and within seven years of the date in which the worker died. If you were married to your spouse when they passed away, Social Security does not require that you were married for 10 years. In either case, you will need to provide proof of relationship in the form of your marriage certificate or divorce decree, along with your spouse's death certificate when you file for benefits. If you file a claim for Disabled Widows/Widower's benefits and DIB or SSI benefits, you will receive only the higher monthly benefit amount of the two programs.

Medical Insurance: Once you are found disabled and entitled to Social Security disability benefits, you will also be eligible for medical insurance though Medicare or Medicaid. If you filed a claim for DIB, Disabled Adult Child or Disabled Widow's/Widower's benefits, you may be eligible for Medicare. However, eligibility for Medicare does not start until you have been disabled for 25 months. If you are approved for Social Security benefits under any of the above-listed programs, SSA will contact you approximately two months before your eligibility for Medicare begins. If you have already been disabled for 25 months, be sure to keep a record of all medical bills as you may be reimbursed by Medicare for these expenses. There is no waiting period for Medicaid; however, your income and resources must be very low to qualify. If you have applied for and have been approved for SSI you probably qualify for Medicaid. You may think that Medicaid and Medicare are the same, but actually they are two different programs. Medicaid is a state-run program that provides hospital and medical coverage for people with low income and little or no resources. Each state has its own rules about who is eligible and what is covered under Medicaid. Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. For more information about the Medicaid program, contact Social Security or your local social services or welfare office.

This article has been written to give you a general overview of the Social Security disability programs and the disability process. As this article may not address all questions you might have, please contact us for further information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Greeman

How is an Attorney Paid For Social Security Disability Claims?

2008-10-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

Attorneys who represent Social Security disability claimants generally do so under a "contingency fee agreement." That is, the client does not pay the attorney unless and until the case is resolved and Social Security benefits have been awarded. A representative who wants to charge or collect a fee from a claimant for services provided in any proceeding before the Social Security Administration (SSA) under the Social Security Act (the Act), must first obtain SSA's authorization. To do so, a representative must use one of two mutually exclusive fee authorization processes: the fee agreement process or the fee petition process. Under the fee agreement process, an attorney can collect no more than 25% of of back benefits recovered, or $5,300, whichever is less. If the attorney is unsuccessful in obtaining benefits, there is no charge.

Fee Agreement Process Before SSA decides the claim, the representative or the claimant may file a fee agreement. Generally, SSA will approve an agreement (under § 206(a)(2)(A) of the Act) if the other statutory conditions are met and no exceptions apply. If SSA approves the fee agreement and no one requests administrative review, the fee specified in the agreement is the maximum fee the representative may charge and collect.

Fee Petition Process After the representative's services in the case have ended, he or she may petition for a fee. SSA reviews the fee petition and authorizes a "reasonable" fee (under §206(a)(1) of the Act) for the specific services provided.

A fee agreement is a written statement signed by the claimant and his or her appointed representative specifying the fee the representative expects to charge and collect, and the claimant expects to pay, for services the representative provides in pursuing the claimant's benefit rights in proceedings before the Social Security Administration (SSA). For SSA to approve a fee agreement, the representative must submit it before the date of the first favorable determination or decision SSA makes on a claim after the representative's appointment. If the representative does not submit a fee agreement by that date, SSA assumes the representative either will file a fee petition or waive a fee.

If the representative submits a fee agreement before the date SSA makes a favorable decision, SSA will approve the fee agreement at the time of the favorable decision if the statutory conditions for approval are met and no exceptions to the fee agreement process apply. Once SSA approves the fee agreement, the fee specified in the agreement is the maximum fee the representative may charge and collect for all services in the claim.

A fee petition is a written statement signed by a claimant's representative requesting the fee the representative wants to charge and collect for services he or she provided in pursuing the claimant's benefit rights in proceedings before the Social Security Administration (SSA).

SSA presumes that the representative will either file a fee petition or waive his or her fee if the representative does not file a fee agreement before the date SSA makes the first favorable determination or decision. A representative who elects to use the fee petition process generally files the petition after his or her services in the case have ended. Based on this petition, SSA will authorize a reasonable fee for the specific services provided.

The fee agreement and fee petition process are not interchangeable. However, if a representative elects the fee agreement process but SSA does not approve the agreement, or if an SSA reviewing official upholds a disapproval of a fee agreement on administrative review, the representative must file a fee petition if he or she wants to charge and collect a fee for their services.

The Social Security Act and SSA regulations prohibit representatives from charging or collecting any fee for representational services that SSA has not authorized, or that is more than the maximum amount SSA authorized. Any representative found to have charged or collected an unauthorized fee may be suspended or disqualified from practice before SSA and will be barred from appearing before SSA until full restitution is made. The representative also is subject to fines and imprisonment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Greeman

The Internet Surfing Heart Device

2008-10-17T04:09:00.001-07:00

Technology has proven over time that there is no problem that cannot be overcome given the will to succeed, the time to develop the appropriate knowledge, and the inherent ability for the human mind to imagine. This astonishing component of the human existence has occurred once again in the area of medical treatment.

George Woods, a 73-year-old Canadian man, has received a revolutionary device that will inevitably change the way heart healthcare is handled all over the world. The device is called the Vision 3D and is about the size of a quarter. In order to monitor the heart, it has wires that extend to specific veins and also directly to the heart.

Mr. Woods has suffered from numerous heart attacks and two bypass surgeries. His doctor decided to give him the device because of his week heart and also the long distance that he has to travel to get to the hospital.

What is remarkably unique about the device is that it links to a transmitter about the size of a keyboard. This transmitter is able to download vital information about the patient allowing the doctor to determine what to do for the next visit, or if the patient needs to come in immediately. This unique property allows the patient to do periodic check-ups with the doctor from home.

The doctor is able to even fix very minor issues remotely as well. Medtronic is the company responsible for creating this revolutionary device. The device is not for everyone, as it is recommended for individual with only very serious heart conditions.

Experts anticipates that the device will reduce wait times, the number of hospital visits throughout the year, and will also open up space for very serious and urgent conditions that require extensive medical treatment.

However this milestone could bring about concern for what lies in the future. The ability to access physiological information about an individual remotely and possibly manipulate that physiology has some people worried. Researchers have discovered that these devices are capable of delivering deadly electric shocks to the heart, which means that it could be possible for individuals to commit murder from the click of a mouse.

Even with Medtronic current devices, malfunction has been a problem. These machines are entrusted with lives, and through technical error take them away. If big companies like Medtronic are going to play the game of medical treatment, they must be held accountable for the seriousness of mistakes made.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Devine

Medicare - Dispelling the Myths

2008-10-17T04:09:00.000-07:00

To say that Medicare is a labyrinth of legal jargon that's beyond the comprehension of the average American is an understatement. When it comes to Medicare and a Texas Medicare supplement, what you don't know can definitely hurt you. In fact, many people simply don't have the right information to make educated decisions - something that could come to haunt them down the road. Here are some common myths about Medicare, and some facts about finding a Medicare supplement in Texas.

Myth #1: Medicare automatically covers me after I retire.

Retirement and Medicare are unrelated. Unless you receive Medicare for a disability, you must be 65 years old in order to be eligible for Medicare benefits.

Myth #2: The government will automatically enroll me in Medicare.

You won't necessarily receive automatic enrollment; rather, it depends upon your work history. If you've worked 40 quarters in the United States, you'll be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A. If you started receiving Social Security benefits when you were 62, you'll automatically be enrolled in Part B, but have the option of declining the coverage if you're covered by, for example, a group health plan.

If you haven't worked 40 quarters, you have to enroll in Medicare through your local Social Security office. Similarly, if you aren't collecting Social Security benefits, you have to go to the Social Security office to enroll in Part B.

Myth #3: Medicare will cover all of my medical expenses.

In truth, Medicare Part A covers your room and board while you're in the hospital or in a skilled nursing facility. It doesn't cover any medical services. Plus, there's a $1,000 deductible for the length of your stay in the hospital, plus 60 days. In other words, if you spend a couple of days in the hospital in January, and have to go back in April, you'll have to pay $1,000 each time.

Medicare Part B partially covers services like doctors' fees, lab visits, costs associated with surgery, x-rays, and so forth. Typically, you have to pay a deductible each year, as well as 20 percent of your medical bills. Keep in mind that, if you receive care that is not covered by Medicare, you'll be responsible for 100 percent of the cost.

Myth #4: Medicare Parts C and D will fill in the gaps in my coverage.

Medicare Parts C and D are seemingly even more convoluted than Parts A and B. Part C is optional coverage offered by private insurance companies. In order to get Part C, you have to give up your coverage under Parts A and B. Part D is optional prescription drug coverage that has myriad variables, such as premiums, co-pays, coverage gaps, and co-insurance. You can choose which prescription drug plan best fits your needs.

Finding a Good Medicare Supplement

When you have gaps in your medical insurance, it's as though you're constantly standing on a precipice, never knowing if an illness or hospitalization is going to wipe out your life savings, force you to sell your home, or otherwise wreak havoc on your finances. With the right Medicare supplement in Texas, however, you can fill in the gaps and limit your medical expenses to your cost of Part B, Part D, and the supplement.

Fortunately, it's easy to find the best Texas Medicare supplement for your needs. While calling one insurance company after another and trying to compare apples to oranges can be a nightmare, you can easily go online to find Medicare supplement quotes. The best companies allow you to fill out your information online, and even have agents who can instantly provide you with pricing for the 10 leading companies in the state. This way, you can find the best company and rate for your supplemental plan.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson

Arthroscopic Shoulder Treatment in India - Get It

2008-10-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

Indian orthopedic surgery hospitals provide very good treatment facilities to abroad patients for their arthroscopic shoulder treatment in India. Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is most advanced surgical technique available for the treatment of shoulder disorders. As the surgical technique is performed by most expert surgeons of India, the risk involved in the process is very less and the success rate of shoulder surgery in India is also very high. Thus many abroad patients are getting attracted to India for their treatment in India at low cost. The cost of treatment in Indian orthopedic surgery hospitals is very less as compared to the cost of treatment in abroad orthopedic surgery hospitals. Getting arthroscopic shoulder surgery done from Indian orthopedic surgery hospitals has become most adoptable option for abroad patients.

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is a common orthopedic procedure that is used to diagnose and treat problems in joints. The most common type of arthroscopy is arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Other common arthroscopic surgeries include knee, elbow, wrist, ankle, and hip arthroscopy. Arthroscopic surgery is most commonly performed on the knee and shoulder joints. The reason the knee and shoulder are the most commonly arthroscoped joints is that they are large enough to manipulate the instruments around, and they are amenable to arthroscopic surgery treatments. In technical way, any joint can be arthroscoped. The most common arthroscopic procedures include repairing cartilage and meniscus problems in the knee, and removing inflammation and repairing rotator cuff tears in the shoulder. Shoulder arthroscopy is a surgical procedure for arthroscopic shoulder repair. With this procedure complete disorders of shoulder can be removed. Shoulder arthroscopy is performed through "portals". These are small incisions, generally about half of an inch to an inch long in the skin, are located over particular areas of the joint that the orthopedic surgeon will need to operate upon. Small plastic tubes, called "cannulas" are then inserted into the portals so that instruments can easily be placed in the shoulder joint. Shoulder arthroscopy itself involves inserting a specially designed video camera with a very bright fiber optic light source into the shoulder joint so that the important parts of the joint can be seen. Once the procedure is finished, the instruments, camera, and cannulas are removed, the wounds are closed with either suture or staples. Shoulder arthroscopy is an advanced surgical procedure for the correction of shoulder disorders and highly result oriented surgery. The success rate of shoulder arthroscopy is very high worldwide and the recovery time after the surgery is very less as compared to other surgical procedures as the surgical technique is most advanced.

Arthroscopic shoulder treatment in India is a very good option nowadays for those abroad patients seeking low cost shoulder arthroscopy. With arthroscopic shoulder treatment in India patients can get free from shoulder disorders at the most affordable price. The success rate of arthroscopic shoulder treatment in India is very high as the surgical procedure is performed by most expert arthroscopic surgeons of India. The surgical technique available for the treatment of shoulder disorders are most advanced thus the risk involved in the process is reduced and the recovery time required after the surgery is very less. The cost of treatment in Indian orthopedic surgery hospitals is very less as compared to the cost of arthroscopic shoulder surgery in abroad orthopedic surgery hospitals. Thus many abroad patients are getting attracted to India for their low cost treatment.

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Why Should Health Care Be Affordable?

2008-10-14T04:30:00.001-07:00

Access to proper health care has become a major problem in the contemporary America. Millions of people, insured or uninsured, are facing escalating medication costs. This pathetic condition affects not only the health of the individuals' but also the economy and quality of the life. A drastic rise in the health care premiums over the past decade has made health insurance not affordable for many families and has resulted in the increase of the percentage of the people who are uninsured. The number of people who are uninsured has mounted to over 47 millions in the past few years. Overall, in simpler terms, we can say that the reason why people are uninsured is because they cannot afford it.

Many people, today, are in a kind of a situation where one medical emergency can bring in financial ruin and this is mainly because of the expensive health care costs and the prescriptive medicines which take a largest share of their pocket. This situation calls for grave measures that have to be taken in providing affordable health care to everyone. In fact, it is not only the responsibility of the government but is the duty of everyone right from organizations to individuals to work together in making health care affordable to everyone.

With a motive of making health care affordable to all, some companies started offering plans that allows one save up to 80% on the medical bills. Providing huge discounts on the bills will definitely reduce the burden on the individuals.

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Hospital Acquired Conditions and Your Health System's Bottom Line

2008-10-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

The current Medicare payment system is considered to be prospective, in that the amount paid to a hospital for a patient is fixed in advance and depends only on the diagnoses and major procedures reported at discharge. In reality, payments under this system have never been completely prospective, being influenced to some degree by what happens to an individual patient during a hospitalization. For example, higher payments are made on behalf of patients in whom clinically significant complications develop after admission than for those with the same diagnosis who have no such complications. There are also so-called outlier payments that partially compensate hospitals for the additional expenses incurred for very-high-cost cases. With regard to preventable complications, these retrospective features of the DRG payment system have harbored a perverse incentive: hospitals that improved patient safety and eliminated problems such as nosocomial infections saw their Medicare revenues, and sometimes their profits, reduced.

Believing that this counterproductive incentive should be eliminated, Congress instructed the Secretary of Health and Human Services in 2005 to "select at least 2 conditions that are (a) high cost or high volume or both, (b) result in the assignment of a case to a DRG that has a higher payment when present as a secondary diagnosis, and (c) could reasonably have been prevented through the application of evidence-based guidelines." After issuing a proposed set of measures and considering comments from stakeholders and experts, CMS decided to disallow incremental payments associated with eleven secondary conditions that it sees as preventable complications of medical care. These conditions, if not present at the time of admission, will no longer be taken into account in calculating payments to hospitals after October1, 2008.

The eleven selected conditions include:

1. Foreign Object Retained After Surgery (750 cases nationally in 2007)
2. Air Embolism (57 cases)
3. Blood Incompatibility (24 cases)
4. Stage III and IV Pressure Ulcers (257,412 cases)
5. Falls and Trauma (193,566 cases)
6. Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (12,815 cases)
7. Vascular Catheter-Associate Infection (29,536 cases)
8. Surgical Site Infection-Mediastinitis after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (69cases)
9. Surgical site infections following elective procedures
10. Glycemic Control issues such as diabetic ketoacidosis, nonketotic hyperosmolar coma, diabetic coma, and hypoglycemic coma (16,060 cases)
11. Deep Vein Thrombosis / Pulmonary Embolism (140,010 cases)

While the new reimbursement rules present significant risk to hospitals and health systems, they also create great opportunity to develop world class quality management processes, infrastructure, and organization.

Significant Financial Impact

The new rule will result in hospitals seeing substantial reductions in payment for the care of individual patients with preventable complications. For example, if a patient were admitted to a Boston-area hospital with pneumonia and developed a urinary tract infection or bed sores during the hospitalization, the hospital would currently be paid $6,253.58, under DRG 89 ("pneumonia with complications"); under the new rule, if there were no other complications, the hospital would be paid only $3,705.38, under DRG 90 ("simple pneumonia"), a difference of $2,548.20 (a reduction of approximately 40%).

A study of the reimbursement impact on nosocomial urinary tract infections alone at one New York hospital was reported in AHIMA Perspectives online journal. The urinary tract remains a significant site for hospital-acquired infections, with 66 percent to 86 percent of UTIs being associated with urinary catheterization. The prevention of UTIs represents a potentially rich opportunity to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections. Analysis of w/CC vs. without CC DRG-pair reimbursement for patients having a secondary diagnosis of UTI, and under the assumption that the UTI was the reason for upcoding to the with complication DRG, resulted in the hospital receiving $4.5 million greater reimbursement due to the nosocomial infection. Three DRGs were randomly selected for detailed chart review, and within that subset it was determined that the nosocomial infection was the sole reason for about 15% of the higher DRG assignment. Extrapolation of this to the entire population resulted in an estimation that the hospital would have received $675,000 less in Medicare reimbursement for the UTI issue alone.

Vascular catheter associated infection represents another major area of risk for hospitals. A significant number of patients rely on vascular access devices, like PICC lines, to deliver needed medication. The line has to be placed and maintained in a specific manner, or it has a potential to cause a catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI.) CRBSI, along with ventilator-associated pneumonia (which CMS is considering adding to the selected conditions list for FY2009), are the two most costly infections to treat. Analysis in one Midwestern hospital identified that the average cost to treat a CRBSI was $91,000, whereas the average reimbursement was about $67,000; an operational loss of $24,000. As of Oct. 1, 2008, reimbursement will be zero. The CDC estimates 250,000 central line-associated infections occur in the United States annually, with an attributable mortality rate of 12 to 25 percent.

This reimbursement change represents the leading edge of a series of anticipated CMS reforms of provider payment, which include a shift toward pay for performance. Hospitals may therefore view the new policy as a harbinger of things to come and act in anticipation of more substantial reimbursement changes. Nine additional HACs are being considered for addition to the reimbursement exclusions in October, and 43 additional are being considered for implementation in FY 2010. Finally, as was observed with the DRG reimbursement system, private third party payers will be expected to adopt a similar approach.

Proactive Solutions

Just as advent of the Prospective Payment System revolutionized hospital Cost Management in the two decades ago, pay for performance will revolutionize hospital Quality Management over the next decade. To prepare your health system for this change in the game, we recommend you take the following steps:

* Assess your Health System Quality Management Readiness. Evaluate how your Health System stacks up in the five Critical Markers of quality management effectiveness: Strategy, Process, Infrastructure, Organization and Culture. Identify Gaps and corrective strategies.
* Estimate the impact on your Hospital or Health System. Using macro data analysis and chart sampling estimate your risk exposure by major diagnostic category and HAC.
* Identify the Gaps. Identify major problem areas and identify the required metrics, clinical and process improvements, available technology enablers, and organizational enhancements required to significantly reduce your risk exposure.
* Design the Fix. Assemble multidisciplinary process improvement teams to develop effective Present on Admission (POA) assessment processes, address the root cause of quality gaps leading to hospital acquired conditions, and to design innovative sustainable solutions.
* Implement the Fix. Test and refine the designed solutions in innovation labs and adopt a Quality Accelerator approach to integrating the solutions into the fabric of your health system.
* Measure the Results. Design and implement monitoring systems that measure the effectiveness of your efforts and provide closed loop feedback to ongoing quality management activity.

When healthcare quality is high, everything else follows. Patients are delighted. Physicians and employees are happy, efficient and effective. Market share rises. Margins increase. Your organization grows and thrives.

Scott Hodson is a Principal in Maverick Healthcare Consulting.

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How to Minimize Your Healthcare Costs?

2008-10-12T04:53:00.000-07:00

Health is concerned with the well-being of an individual and is imperative for all of us. It gives an incisive picture of the physical, mental, and social status of one's self. Good health is a key to enduring success which reflects the status of the mind as well. To maintain a good health everyone has to take good nutritious food, do regular exercise and have a positive learning and mental attitude which can reduce the chances of falling ill. Lethargic and lassitude life style can bring in health problems. To be fit and agile everyone needs to work hard in whichever way possible.

Apart from all these, positive thinking also plays a major role in maintaining our health. One needs to maintain an optimistic approach of things and get rid of pessimism which can bring in all the good things in life. These simple changes in your life style can improve your health and make you feel strong and physically fit. Ignoring all this measures would put you in a state where you can lose your health, mental peace, and the hard earned money.

As everyone is aware of the fact that the medical costs in America are escalating more than the inflation rate which makes most of the Americans lose access to quality health care. Most of the people are uninsured or under-insured which makes the situation even worse. Still, Americans have a choice to dodge the costs of health care which comes in the form of discount plans. These plans are best judged to be an alternative to the traditional insurance plans. Discount plans usually offer huge discounts of up to 80% on the medical bills which allows one to save considerable amount of money. Discount plans also offer a lot of other benefits which provide access to complete health care for Americans. More information on these discount plans can be had by visiting http://www.health-dental-discount-plans.com

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Health Care - What Adventurous Employers Are Doing

2008-10-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

Health care costs are an issue that every business faces-from the smallest nonprofit to the corner family-owned drug store to major corporations. A new trend is taking shape in which employers take the initiative in encouraging employees to "own" their health. Part of this strategy involves recognizing that insurance alone cannot create a healthy workforce. Employees must be encouraged to take ownership of the aspects of their health that can be impacted by their own actions.

So more and more employers are adopting innovative strategies to advise and encourage their employees to make healthy choices in life:

1) By creating intranet systems that inform employees about their health plans while providing individualized fitness and wellness advice;
2) Providing links to health information on the Web;
3) Making gym facilities and nutrition information available to employees;
4) Creating employee newsletters that deal with health issues;
5) Holding health workshops and fairs;
6) Incentivizing healthy choices among employees, such as good diet and exercise, regular medical checkups, and yearly screening.

Companies continue searching for working strategies in these areas. One Detroit-based holding company, adopting the last-named strategy above, recently embarked on an innovative program which it calls the Million Minute Challenge.

Many people know how easy it is to make resolutions about exercise-and how hard it may be to keep them. Hard-working, competitive American employees, who pour their energy into their jobs, know that career and personal demands can make it hard to dedicate the time to exercise. Still, it is important to get the doctor-recommended thirty minutes of physical activity per day. For all types of workers, including those white collar workers who may spend hours in front of a computer, sitting at a desk, taking a half-an-hour to rejuvenate may have great impacts on physical health and energy levels.

With the Million Minute Challenge, one of the foundational principles of modern business is used to encourage employees to make that sometimes-hard, healthy decision: competition. Divisions of the company are being positioned against each other, with those divisions whose employees log the highest number of hours of exercise being eligible for prizes. Individuals who log heroically high number of hours will also be awarded. Over a nearly six-month period (twenty-four weeks), working with a base of two thousand employees nationwide, the company has set the ambitious goal of logging a million total hours of exercise. No particular sport is mandated: you can walk, swim, cycle, run, lift weights ... Each company site will have a log book, where the minutes of exercise are written by each individual employee on an honor system.

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What Are Clinical Trials?

2008-10-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

Simply put, a clinical trial is a research study that allows doctors to test new treatments on humans who agree to participate. There are many definitions but they are generally defined as biomedical or health-related studies that follow a pre-defined protocol. A protocol is a method or treatment plan that is adhered to by the doctors. The reason for a clinical trial is to find better more effective methods of treating or preventing a particular disease. You can look for clinical trials at a variety of locations including some local places like the Manhattan Illinois Healthcare facility or the Kankakee Illinois Healthcare facility but more likely you'll find them at larger facilities that have research arms like the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic. It's not to say that there aren't trials at Momence Healthcare and if not, they may know of one that your particular health situation may fit into. Often times if a researcher or investigator can't find enough people with a specific disease or condition, he or she gathers investigators at other locations and spreads the trial out over the country or the world.

There are both interventional and observational types of studies. In interventional studies the research subject, patient, is assigned a treatment or other intervention which may include a placebo, and their outcomes are measured. Observational studies are where individuals are observed and their outcomes are measured. The investigators recruit patients with predetermined characteristics and administer the treatment or intervention and collect data on the patient's health for a defined period. These statistics are then analyzed by researchers.

Some areas that a clinical trial may be designed to focus on include assessing the safety and efficacy of a new medication or device on a specific kind of patient, assessing the safety and effectiveness of a different dose of medication than is commonly used, assessing whether the new medication or device is more effective for the particular condition than the currently used medication and several other trials for assessing a variety of medications and their uses. Often clinical trials may be required before the new drug or device is approved and marketed for its use on new patients.

Speaking from family experience, the most encouraging aspect of clinical trials is they may be a last resort for treatment, especially in cancer treatments. This may not always be the case but when it is there is hope yet guarded hope. If you are lucky to be getting the treatment verses being given the placebo, you may have more hope than otherwise experienced as the treatment options seem to have been running out.

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Structured Cabling in Healthcare Facilities and TR-42.1

2008-10-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Gartner's Inc. independent research had shown that as much as half of network problems in the healthcare industry are due to an inadequate or substandard cabling infrastructure.

The network infrastructure represents the backbone supporting most IT functions. Today's healthcare centers' networks need to accommodate not only an enormous volume of data generated by the modernizations that technology brought to medicine but also need to comply with regulatory standards.

Telecommunications Industry Association's (TIA's), TR-42.1 Engineering Subcommittee formed in 2004 a task force group with the mission of bringing awareness within the healthcare industry of the benefits of having a comprehensive strategy for structured cabling design and installation that is unique to this industry. Most seasoned structured cabling contractors are aware that TR-42.1's developing guidelines. These guidelines are meant to assure that telecommunications infrastructures for the health-care industry are adequate and universal.

Some of the areas covered in the guidelines TR-42.1 are listed below:
# Voice, data, video network infrastructure cabling, (i.e. security alerts and surveillance, CCTV, and CATV);

# Professional, patient and asset information systems and tracking;

# Remote consultation/telemedicine, diagnostic imaging, digital transfer of X-rays, pharma applications;

# Mobile applications including nurse call and patient monitoring;

# Bio-analytical systems, clinical equipment monitoring, lighting control;

# Fire and life safety systems, (i.e. alarms, sprinkler systems, Master clock);

# Public network; and others;

The cabling infrastructure is critical in designing networks that are flexible, fully integrated and accessible. In today's healthcare environment Ethernet networks that are IP-based are most suitable to provide the transmission of the large quantities of healthcare related data in a rapid and accurate manner. They support the many applications such as voice, data, video, monitoring and control.

Transmission speed and bandwidth are important factors that determine a "high performing" network. Having a robust network infrastructure is more than a mere necessity. In healthcare facilities a network that fails can lead to far bigger problems than poor network performance, it can be life threatening. Gartner Inc. research firm concludes that "The wiring plant is arguably the most important part of the network. Spend the time and money to ensure that what is installed will be able to support the environment well into the future. ..."

Considering that hospitals are built to last for more than 50 years the cable plant needs to be built to perform adequately for its lifecycle of about 10 years. Gartner research has shown that cabling infrastructure represents a very small percent of the IT designated resources (around 2%-5%) yet it can account for up to fifty percent of the problems. This demonstrates that an incremental increase in cabling investment can lead to an exponential increase in network performance, robustness/reliability as well as productivity and patient safety, patient safety being a major driver of the healthcare facilities network design.

Given these statistics hospitals in North America should project and plan for the total cost of ownership of the network infrastructure over its expected lifespan, rather than initial installation costs as well as consider hiring contractors that comply or exceed the TIA's TR-42.1 guidelines.

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Is Fish Oil A Quick Fix For Your Memory?

2008-10-04T02:49:00.000-07:00

A lot research has focused on omega-3 fats as good for body and brain function. Scientists have scrutinized these fats in everything from heart disease and diabetes to depression, bipolar illness, schizophrenia, ADHD and Alzheimer's. The latest papers to add to the experimental pile come from a recent edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The new studies evaluate omega-3s in people in their 70s and 80s and relate to cognitive function, mood and mental well-being. The bottom line to the new findings is that having higher levels of omega-3s in your blood protects you from many cognitive problems of old age. The downside is that you can't just start taking them in your 70s and expect quick results. However, longer use may still be beneficial.

So what's the best way to boost omega-3 levels in your blood. First, you have to understand that there are different kinds of omega-3s that come from different sources. The kind of omega-3s that are good for your brain are called 'long-chain' omega-3s, most commonly DHA and EPA, and fish is the best source for these.

You may have heard that things like flaxseed oil and walnuts are high in omega-3s as well. Although this is true, these foods are only high in 'short-chain' omega-3s, which are not the kind that appear to have the most brain benefit.

To complicate things even further, most animals can convert the short-chain to long chain forms, but humans are not very good at this. If we want to increase long-chain omega-3s in our blood and increase our odds of aging with a healthy brain, eating sources of long-chain omega-3s is our best bet. Fish is the #1 source.

If you don't eat about 3 servings of fish per week, you should really consider taking a fish oil supplement on a regular basis. If you are a vegetarian who does not eat fish at all, don't fret, there are also algal oil supplements out there that have the long-chain omega-3s. After all, fish can't make omega-3s either. They get them by eating marine plants (or eating other fish that eat marine plants). Fish are just good at concentrating omega-3s in their meat, so are a great source for us folks that don't like chewing on seaweed.

Fish has been considered brain food for the better part of a couple of centuries. Whether you like it or not, our bodies are designed to run best on a diet high in marine sources. If you look at the cultures around the world who enjoy longevity and vibrant health into their old age, you will find fish as a staple in all of them.

There is nothing new to this advice. Only that we are now beginning to understand why fish and the omega-3s they give us, are important for many aspects of our mood and metabolism. Once again, science finally catches up to age-old wisdom to support what we have known all along - Fish is brain food, eat it and prosper.

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Rehabilitation Hospital: What Are 7 Important Questions

2008-10-04T02:48:00.000-07:00

When you (or a loved one) are scheduled to be released from the hospital, you may make a detour to a rehabilitation hospital before you get to go home. You may need to get stronger, and the rehab hospital will provide an intensive therapy program. Here are seven questions for you to ask first.

1. How much therapy is planned?

At a rehab hospital, each patient is placed in an intensive therapy program, based on individual needs. A patient will often receive several hours of therapy per day to aid in recovery, which may be a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

2. Why is a rehab hospital being recommended for me?

In most cases, you are sent to a rehab hospital when you are too "well" for the acute care hospital but not yet strong enough to return home. Usually, you will receive more therapy in a rehab hospital than you would receive in a skilled nursing facility. (You will also receive more therapy in a skilled nursing facility than in an assisted living facility.)

3. How many days of insurance coverage you will have at the rehab hospital?

Do not assume that because you have Medicare and supplemental insurance that all of your days of admission will be covered. And, on the flip side, the rehab hospital may be motivated to try to use all of your days (to maximize their insurance payments) even if you do not need them. It is astounding, but sometimes family members have to argue to get a patient discharged before all of the days are used up.It is often a delicate balance to determine how much time in a rehab hospital is "enough." If you leave the hospital before staff recommends it, you may have to sign documents acknowledging that you are signing out "AMA" or "against medical advice." If you do leave "AMA," you will have to do extra planning to return safely to your home.

4. How much therapy does my insurance cover? How many visits? How much per visit?

You cannot assume that all of your therapy charges will be coveredask this before you get transferred there. See if your insurance requires therapy preapproval, and if so, how many visits will be covered. In some cases, you may end up with a bill for the unpaid therapy services. You will want to confirm whether you will be required to pay any residual balance after your insurance(s) have paid.

5. Which rehab hospital is being recommended?

You may have a choice on which rehab hospital to choose, depending on where you live. There could be a rehab hospital that specializes in brain injuries, for example. If you had head trauma, it might make more sense to reside there and get the utmost benefit available, and maybe have a shorter stay than one at a rehab hospital that does not have the same experience and expertise. If you have a choice to make about which rehab hospital to choose, you will want to gather some information about each. You will want to get the name, address, phone number, and name of the contact person for each facility. See if the facility specializes in treating people with your particular diagnosis. You will need to know what therapy services are being recommended for you, and if they are available at each facility.

6. What should I bring?

The rehab hospital will provide the medical equipment and other adaptive devices to aid in your recovery. You may want to bring other items to add to your comfort and ease. If you brought clothing and toiletries with you to the acute care hospital, you may want to bring them to the rehab hospital. Things you might consider bringing include the following: robe, socks, sweater, scarf, headband, slippers, pillow, blanket, sleep mask, ear plugs, earphones, razor, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, books, magazines, DVDs, DVD player, radio, and basic toiletries. Bring several sets of loose and comfortable clothes, and don't forget sturdy walking shoes. You have to get dressed every day, and the staff will not allow you to stay in your robe and slippers.

7. Should I bring my prescription medicines?

It is also a good idea to have a 2- to 3-day supply of your medications to bring with you to the rehab hospital. In this way, in case there is a mix-up of some kind, you are assured that you will not miss any doses of medicine.

In conclusion, a stay at a rehab hospital will give you the chance to recover from your illness to the greatest extent possible. The therapy program is designed to meet your specialized needs so that you can get as strong as possible to return to your home.

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The Benefits Of Playing Sick: Using A Doctors Excuse

2008-10-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

More and more people are identifying a number of benefits of the doctors excuse that they can get online instead of the ones they get from their doctor. Many consider the printable fake doctors excuses instead of getting a real one from the doctor for a number of reasons which we will discuss below. Although the reasons listed below are discussed in this article, they are not the only reasons that people are turning to fake sick doctors notes. These reasons can be as varied as the people who use them.

Although there are some who are a bit uncertain about utilizing this concept, there are actually quite a few people who find them a better solution than what they've had in the past. Review the upsides below that have been reported by people who have used printable fake doctors excuses.

The First Upside - For those with no medical insurance, they are saving money on a needless visit to the doctor - whose bill can range anywhere from $55.00 to $145.00. It is a strong reason why the fake sick doctors notes becomes a solution.

Also, maybe you have insurance, but your policy is very restrictive and/or has lots of different types of things that you have to pay for. All this adds up for the worker. He needs to keep his poor insurance plan available for when he really does need to go to the doctor. So, if you use an excuse that is fake, you'll save on what you'd have to pay at the doctor, and also save your insurance for when you really need it.

The Second Upside - Don't worry about losing your job because you couldn't afford to go to the doctor. You may just find it helps you to keep your job secure when you use fake sick doctors notes.

In today's stringent workplace, there are more and more employers who fire their employees if they do not have an excuse from a doctor. The last thing you want to do is to lose your job because you had a cold, but people stopped going to the doctor every time they got a cold long ago! So, if you need to keep your job, these excuses can offer another option.

The Third Upside - Don't Get Your Pay Docked Because You Needed a Doctors Excuse - There are many companies today that seem to think you can only take sick pay if you are sick and it has been proven by the doctor. It is just getting more and more for the company and less and less about what the worker can afford. These companies demand that for you to receive the pay you produce a doctors note. So, in order to collect your sick pay, you have to spend money to go to a doctor to get your money, which just shows the company is making it easy for them to keep your wages and for you to have to spend, spend, spend to prove that they shouldn't.

When you come in with a doctors' note, you'll be able to make sure that you don't miss any pay.

The Fourth Upside: Your Time Is Valuable Too - How long does it take you to go to the doctor? If you are only out for a day and it takes you half a day at the doctor's office - especially when you really didn't feel well enough to be going out! Of course the fake sick doctors notes really solve that problem for many of us. Think too when you don't feel well enough to drive yourself to the doctor's office, then you have to take the bus and be sick around others who object.

Just make sure to avoid the far out printable fake doctors excuses as they are not really great if you need doctors excuse to get out of work or school, they may be a great way to play a prank and get a good laugh. So ensure you have quality excuses from a quality site!

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Wheelchair Stair Lift to Suit Your Budget and Needs

2008-09-30T05:21:00.000-07:00

Wheelchair stair lifts ensure increased mobility and independence to physically disabled and aged people. These lifts are also referred to as vertical platform lifts, wheelchair lifts, or vertical lifts. They are more cost-effective than elevators and offer speedier movement from one floor to another.

Wheelchair stair lifts are conceptualized to suit your budget and needs. Earlier, the wheelchairs had to be moved or lifted manually. With the arrival of wheelchair platform lifts, the uncomfortable process of lifting a wheel chair can now be avoided. Nowadays, wheelchair lifts are available in different sizes and designs for both commercial and residential applications.

Wheelchair stair lifts are available in two specifications, AC and DC types. A DC operated electric wheelchair stair lift can work even during power failures. Electric wheelchair lifts can be connected to telephone jacks or automatic (mechanical) door openers. The smooth operation of the motor ensures a comfortable ride. Wheel chair stair lifts are ideal for individuals with limited mobility caused by old age, diseases or accidents.

Wheelchair stair lifts find use in:

o Schools
o Hospitals
o Shops
o Offices

Wheelchair stair lifts feature:

o Optional remote controls with key lock to prevent unauthorized access
o Rated load - 340 kg (750lbs)
o 3 Drive systems: A/C powered belt driven ballscrew, battery powered belt driven ballscrew, battery powered hydraulic
o 90° and 180° entry/exit configurations
o Emergency stop button

Highly sensitive sensors are unique features in these equipments, which will automatically detect when an object is blocking the lift's path and stops, thus preventing damage to the lift. Once the path is cleared, the wheelchair stair lift continues its operation. In addition to this, there are multiple safety features and user friendly features, which make wheelchair stair lifts immensely popular products.

The customer can see the working of the lift in the demonstration centers and can even test the operation of the device themselves. These lifts can be quickly installed and are comfortable to use. Most of the wheelchair stair lift providers offer regular maintenance services; moreover, spare parts are also easily available. After ascertaining the kind of wheelchair lift you require, purchase one that suits your budget and needs from a reputable manufacturer.

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Wheelchair Lifts - Commercial and Residential Models

2008-09-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

Wheelchair lifts are largely used by physically handicapped individuals and old people. As wheel chair lifts are used in homes, offices, and a variety of public buildings, commercial as well as residential models are available in the market. Most of the branded wheel chair stair lift manufacturers have attractive and high utility lift models for commercial and residential purposes. Since the usage of wheelchair lifts in houses and commercial buildings varies and the way in which the lift is handled differs with different users, residential and commercial vertical platform lifts differ in their features so as to match different situations.

In some countries, there are laws that insist on providing facility for handicapped and physically weak people to access places of worship, airports, railway stations, schools, hospitals and more. Commercial wheelchair stair lifts available in vertical lift models are for this purpose. A commercial wheelchair lift has a motor driven platform that can move through different floor levels. These lifts are provided with internal switches which provide the facility for the rider to control the lift. Call-send controls and other necessary safety measures are provided in these lifts. Commercial stair lifts are not accessible to people who cannot bend their knee because these lifts are not provided with swivel seats.

Stair lifts having platforms can accommodate habitual wheelchair users, cane-users, and other physically challenged people who are unable to climb stairs. The mechanism and technology used in residential and commercial stair lifts are almost the same. Wheelchair lifts feature a heavy duty mechanism for withstanding wear and tear due to constant use of the public. Commercial wheelchair stair lifts are flexible to install in varying building architectures. As a precaution against the misuse of the lift by children, the controls are provided high enough so that children cannot reach them.

For residential use, straight and curved stair lifts in different models and brands are available in the market. When deciding to purchase stair lifts for your house, you can request for the assistance of a technician from the lift manufacturing company who can advise you on selecting the stair lift suitable for your home interior. For home use, luxurious cushioned lifts are available in the market. As wheelchair lifts are usually meant for individual purposes, the users are free to buy models of their choice. Thyssenkrupp Access, Savaria Concord, and Bruno are some of the world class wheel chair lift manufacturers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Robbins

Surgical Loupes - Helping Surgeons See at Critical Times

2008-09-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

Surgical loupes are an essential tool for any physician that has to perform surgical procedures. Surgeons use loupes when it is necessary for them to see a magnified version of what they are working on. They allow doctors to view a small area up close in case they need to see a detailed view of the working area. Many surgeons have come to rely on loupes because they improve their vision so well, that performing without them would actually be a disservice to their patient.

Surgery can be risky for the patient but what many do not realize is that each and every surgery procedure that a doctor does is also a risk to them. Liability insurance is the largest overhead that most physicians face. This insurance protects them from being sued in the case they are found to be negligent. Surgical loupes are just one more tool that doctors can arm themselves with to make sure that their procedures are done with accuracy and precision.

While most people may not be familiar with loupes surgeons are becoming more and more reliant on them. They know that they are becoming more of a necessity becuase the procedures they are performing today are far more intricate.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sara_Linden

The effect of health insurance disparities on the health care system

2008-09-28T05:15:00.000-07:00

Maintaining and improving the health of individuals is key to a healthy society. Health is connected to every aspect of people's lives and affects their capacity to work, live, and play. The health of Americans is intrinsically tied to the American health care system and is influenced by the way social and economic resources have been organized. The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not guarantee health care for its citizens. As the divide between the "haves" and the "have-nots" grows wider in this society, everyone suffers as a result of the strain that is put on the health care system by those who do not have health care coverage.

Health insurance is the gateway to the US health care system. Without it, even routine health care services can be too expensive for many Americans, resulting in delayed care, prolonged illnesses, and poorer health outcomes. Uninsured patients are more likely than their insured counterparts to

* forego or delay treatment for acute illnesses or injuries,

* go without needed treatment for chronic conditions or illnesses, and

* die prematurely. (1)

Nearly 45 million Americans were uninsured for all of 2005. (2) Many of the uninsured are working but are not able to afford health insurance. This is not only a burden for uninsured individuals, but it also affects private health insurance premiums.

Prices in the private health insurance market are spiraling upward, leading employers to raise the share paid by workers, cut back on benefits, or drop health insurance coverage altogether. As more people lose coverage and the cost of their care is added to premiums for the insured, still more employers will drop coverage. This is a vicious cycle, and the underlying issues contributing to this problem must be addressed. This nation cannot prosper without addressing health disparities and ensuring access to high-quality and affordable health care for its citizens.

HEALTH DISPARITIES

Health disparities have been defined in a number of ways. (3) This article uses the National Institutes of Health definition of disparity, which states that disparities are

differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of
diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among
specific population groups in the United States. (4)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Nationally, the commitment to understanding and eliminating health disparities is strong. The Healthy People 2010 initiative, (5) a set of health-promotion and disease-prevention objectives for the nation, aims to eliminate health disparities by the year 2010. This initiative has led to the development of a number of federal programs designed to support this goal through data collection and research. The US Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies spearhead these efforts.

Health disparities analyses typically compare groups and differences in their rates of incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other health conditions. (6) The most common type of disparity analysis makes comparisons among racial or ethnic groups. (6-9) It is well documented that minority populations--generally classified as African Americans, Native Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics--have more chronic diseases, higher mortality, and poorer health outcomes than individuals classified as Caucasian." (10) Race or ethnicity, though important, is not the only characteristic for which disparities can be assessed, however; health disparities can be examined by additional variables such as

* gender;

* income, education level, and other socioeconomic indicators;

* geographic area of residence;

* insurance status;

* primary language; and

* level of acculturation. (11)

The purpose of this article is to examine disparities in health insurance coverage and access to health care services, specifically in the Houston, Texas, area, and the effect these disparities have on the health care system.

THE NATIONAL LEVEL

With an increasingly diverse population, the health of the United States depends on the ability to keep minority populations healthy. According to Census 2000 results, minorities represent approximately 25% of the nation's population. (12) Hispanics, now the nation's largest minority group, represent 13% of the total population, with 12% of the US population citing Spanish as their primary language. (13) Hispanics and Asians account for more an 50% of the nation's population growth; between 2000 and 2050, it is projected that the Hispanic and Asian populations will more than triple, with Hispanics representing nearly a quarter of the total population and Asians representing 8%. (14)

The US Census Bureau estimates that nearly 45 million Americans (ie, 15.3% of the population) are living without health insurance. (2) Levels of health insurance coverage are lower among minority populations, and minority Americans account for half of the uninsured population. (2) Approximately 17% of Asians and Pacific Islanders, 19% of African Americans, and 32% of Hispanics are without health insurance coverage at any given time compared with the national average of 15% and the average for Caucasians of 11%.

Health care system called 'broken'

2008-09-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

Americans, from the young and invincible to the old and frail, need access to health care for reasons much broader than their actual physical well-being, a local health policy expert said Friday.

"Insurance protects your wealth. It does not protect your health," said Roberta Herzberg, a Utah State University associate professor of political science who specializes in public policy.

An insured population protects the government's wealth, as well. The cost shifts of the uninsured, such as those who seek trauma care at emergency rooms, have a growing impact on state budget, she said.

For too long, policymakers have emphasized the "health" in health insurance, equating having insurance with purchasing health care. For instance, a middle-class woman whose insurance policy doesn't cover regular mammograms simply will not get the potentially life- saving test rather than pay for it herself.

"That's just stupid," Herzberg said. "We need to make people less stupid about health insurance. And that's my goal."

Herzberg spoke over breakfast Friday at the Little America Hotel at part of USU's Sunrise Series. Sponsored by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, the series attempts to expose Utah community and business leaders to university research on current issues, USU President Stan Albrecht said.

The health care discussion was particularly timely, he said, given the ongoing push by state and federal lawmakers to address the rising number of the uninsured. In Utah, some 12 to 16 percent of the population is without health insurance. Nationally, some 46 million Americans are uninsured.

"I think we all recognize it is a broken system," Albrecht said of the health care system. "And to find a way to fix the broken system, we're going to have to engage everyone."

Scott Ideson, president of Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, agreed. "It is our belief that the system is broken. Too many people lack health care."

The answer is not an easy one, or one that can be fixed with a one-size-fits-all solution, Herzberg said. A single-payer system, for instance, with its mandated coverage and government-defined benefits will bring many people in from the uninsured population, but may result in less comprehensive coverage for those already insured in the private market.

"So just getting people into the system isn't a silver bullet," she said.

Regence has identified two particular pieces of legislation passed this year as improvements to the state's health care system. The first allows for increased transparency of cost and quality data and the second allows Utah insurers to offer increased incentives for participation in things such as wellness programs.

Prison health care system in disarray

2008-09-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

At least 18 and perhaps as many as 66 California prison inmate deaths in 2006 were preventable, according to a report released Wednesday by the receiver put in charge of the state's prison health care system by a federal judge.

The data is a "sobering reminder" of the deep disarray in which the prison health care system exists now after decades of disarray, said receiver Robert Sillen on Wednesday.

"When six inmates die of asthma in one year, we all know something is terribly wrong," Sillen said in a letter accompanying the report. "No one should die of asthma in California in 2006, and yet, in its prisons, that is the No. 1 cause of preventable death."

And none of this is new, he said.

"These tragic deaths depict the very problem that the court ordered the state to solve years ago, and that the receiver must now take on," Sillen wrote.

An analysis of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's death review reports dated Aug. 20 found that of 381 inmate deaths -- not counting 43 suicides, one execution and one death review that was unavailable -- 18 were deemed preventable. Among them were:

-A two-year delay in diagnosis of testicular cancer in a 30-year- old patient with chronic pain; medical information was lost as this inmate was transferred between prisons, and by the time the cancer was diagnosed, it had spread beyond the point at which it could've been treated.

-A five-week delay in referral to a specialist for a patient with recurrent, severe abdominal pain, vomiting and known hernias; he died of an incarcerated hernia, in which the intestines became trapped outside the abdomen's muscular wall.

-Failure to diagnose a patient who complained nine times in three days of severe abdominal pain; he died of acute pancreatitis.

Another 48 deaths were deemed "possibly preventable," including deaths from heart attacks, AIDS, bowel perforations, drug overdoses, cancer and other causes. The most common lapses in these cases, the analysis found, were errors by individual caregivers -- failures to adequately evaluate "red flag" symptoms, to follow up on abnormal test results, to keep tabs on already-known medical problems and so forth. Next most common were delayed referrals for specialty care or special tests, followed by delayed responses to inmates' requests for care and poor communications including medical information being lost during inmates' transfers between prisons.

And even among the 315 deaths deemed non-preventable, more than half had lapses in care that may have contributed to earlier death or suffering.

Sillen wrote that his team of health care and corrections experts has developed a plan to address the shortcomings.

"It is clear that every aspect of the system contributes to its current problems and each area must be addressed," he wrote.

Senior U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson of San Francisco tapped Sillen, formerly the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System's executive director, in February 2006 to seize prison health care's reins after finding the state failed to fix it even since a class-action lawsuit's settlement in 2002.

Sillen answers only to the judge, has a free hand and a blank check -- on California taxpayers' dime -- to enact reform.

He has estimated it will take him five to 10 years to bring the system up to constitutional snuff, and perhaps that long again to transition its control back to the state.

The data in this new report reflects deaths that occurred during Sillen's first year on the job as he began overhauling the prison pharmacy system, raising medical staff salaries to market levels, reworking contracting and personnel practices, building an adequate emergency room at San Quentin State Prison, launching a project to build 5,000 new medical beds and 5,000 mental health beds in prisons across the state and more.

Personal Health Records - Your Solution to Minimizing Health Risks

2008-09-26T04:15:00.001-07:00

How do you feel, is not it will be nice that you have a health assistant to give you a reminder about perhaps a blood sugar level test or any other health related test that you have to undergo within a month or a year. Isn't it will be nice if there is an alert emergency record about your personal health and you do not have to remember all the records and history of your health before visiting your doctor for the second check up. This help can be at your fingertips in the form of a computerized personal health record, where you can store all health care information in one place. Now while visiting a doctor you do not have to arrange your files and prescriptions and test history just with a few keystrokes, you can electronically send information to the provider or can take a copy with you.

It is very essential for a doctor to know what medicines a patient is in taking and what other health related problems he has before doing any emergency treatment to him. You will be stunned to know that over 1.5 million of patients each year are hurt by taking the wrong medicine or dosage. And it is believed now that many errors can be avoided if a proper information is provided. But do not ever confuse a personal health record with an electronic health record which are created and controlled by hospitals and doctors for their own use.

Just imagine your close one has met with an accident and he has been carried to the hospital unconscious and unaccompanied. The nurses have to look for a patient's wallet hoping to gather some information which will tell them about the patient's medications, health conditions or at least a phone number. Many patients have contact lenses and the doctors and nurses in lack of any proper information are totally unaware of the fact and many patients ended with scratched corneas. Even some patients have to loose their life in lack of any medical records. I still remember one of my friend who has an accident, has been given blood thinners in the ER. The doctors are totally unaware of the fact that the patient is taking Vitamin K which has a terrible interaction with blood thinners and he has to loose his life only in lack of a personal health record.

According to the American Health Information Management Association, keeping a personal health record is important even when you're not in an emergency situation. Most of the times while going to a doctor do not remember to tell him about every nook and corner of our health history. Store all your detailed health records, including all the information that you will need, is it for visiting a doctor or for an emergency. Keep a track of your health from now in your computer and keep a hard copy of it in your car also for emergency. Several organizations are now offering various ways to organize and store a personal health record Remember a simple piece of paper might bring a lot of difference between life and death.

Clinical Equipment - The Key to High-Quality Patient Care

2008-09-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

Clinical equipment covers a wide array of medical products that are used for medical procedures, diagnoses, and general patient care. Medical professionals must use proper examination equipment and procedure room equipment in order to ensure that proper patient care is observed. High-quality clinical furnishings are important pieces of medical equipment which enable health care facilities to provide the highest level of care possible.

All of the equipment within the category of clinical furnishings is widely used throughout health care facilities. During medical examinations, it is important for the clinical diagnostic equipment to be fully functional, easy to use, as well as sanitary since it is involved in such a large amount of procedures within the health care industry. Examination equipment is designed to help assist doctors and nurses by easily carrying out procedures in a simple and effective manner while causing the least discomfort or inconvenience to the patient it can.

Exam room furniture should be long-lasting and durable to ensure patient safety. It is especially vital that the clinical furnishings used as ER room equipment is up to standard due to the fact that ER patients are generally more vulnerable to injury if the equipment being used is not of high quality.

Only the finest clinical furniture should be acceptable to any health care facility. The use of reliable and quality procedure room equipment raises a facility's level of care immensely. Patients deserve first-rate treatment and the highest level of care is only achieved by medical professionals when top-notch clinical furnishings are chosen. Some examples of the wide array of products that fall under the category of clinical furnishings are examination tables, portable bassinets, scrub sinks, surgical utensils, hazardous waste receptacles, and high performance scales.

It is essential for hospitals and medical centers to use the highest quality clinical equipment. This is the equipment that professionals rely upon to deliver their patients the highest quality of care during the times they need it most.

How to Choose the Right Facility For Your Medical Care Abroad

2008-09-26T04:14:00.000-07:00

Some 4.3 million people in the U.S. do not have insurance, due to the high cost of insurance premiums. Uninsured and the under insured are tired of the rising medical costs and the astronomical costs of insurance coverage in developed countries and are looking for alternatives. Medical tourism offers a viable alternative to the high cost procedures that would be impossible to pay otherwise.

Countries and corporations are realizing that in order to draw the medical tourist to their area, rather than another, it is essential to provide a state of the art facility. Many of the marketed medical tourism destinations are state of the art facilities that more resemble a five star resort than a hospital.

It is not enough to offer resort type accommodations in brand new buildings. Administrators recognize that in order to attract medical tourists, it is necessary to meet the strictest of standards and provide top quality service. The majority of marketed facilities that offer medical tourism are accredited by the IOS (International Organization of Standardization) and the JCI (Joint Commission International).

The IOS is an organization made up of members from countries all over the world, as is the JCI. Both organizations offer standards that have been drafted with the intent of providing a framework for operation and measurable outcomes. The JCI website is www.jointcommissioninternational.com and gives a complete listing of all international facilities that are accredited. Each listing gives the date of accreditation and the date of re-accreditation, if applicable. You can also review what some of the standards are, what the accreditation process is, and pending standards. Both organizations have developed the standards with the input of members that represent all world regions. (North America, Central and Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Rim, Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). A wise person would consult the accredited facilities listing, prior to determining which to have a procedure done at.

It is unfortunate that there are some facilities that are brand new and fully staffed, but are not adhering to sanitation guidelines. Phone and email conversations with former patrons of the facility will give you critical information concerning the cleanliness of the building and is well worth your time and effort. Bear in mind that each facility has its own set of policies and procedures and adhere to those, in addition to any put forth by the IOS and JCI. A wise consumer will ask for a copy of the policies and procedures and review them prior to making a final decision.

When trying to decide which are the best facilities, be sure to look beyond the nice building and paintings. You need to find out what equipment the facility has and how old it is. Because state of the art diagnostic equipment can be as costly as erecting a building, some are opting to purchase outdated and second hand equipment. Still others have equipment that looks good in the pictures, but is malfunctioning.

It should be pointed out that this is not the norm. Most new facilities are also equipped with the latest equipment such as heart mapping equipment, CT Scanners, Open MRI machines, heart catheterization labs, digital ultrasound and mammogram machines and more. Contact with the facility to inquire about their equipment, reference checks and using a medical tourism travel agent are some ways to safeguard against problems.

Most of the doctors who work in these medical tourism facilities have studied in the developed countries and then have returned to work in their home countries. If you are having a medical procedure done, rest assured that you will be cared for by highly qualified staff.

Anyone who has had a medical procedure done knows that the post-operative stage is as important, and sometimes more so, than the actual procedure. Checking the policies for recovery is important. Decisions should be made, in part, based on the type of care that is provided post-recovery. In developed countries, there are plenty of documented cases of being discharged from a hospital too soon after a procedure, and having complications develop. Medical tourists report the opposite, to a large degree. Most tourists report that they were allowed to stay for a full recovery period, and that staff were very attentive. Many facilities have translators standing by who are fluent in every language. Again, taking the time to check the specific practices and staffing of the facility you are considering will save potential problems later on.

It is true that all countries have good facilities and bad, all countries have highly skilled doctors as well as those who are poorly trained and running less than desirable operations. Purchase a well researched medical tourism guide and/or contact a medical travel agent to assist you with your decision. The information is already researched for you, and you would be wise to access those resources.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Siva

Ameriplan(R) Discount Health Programs

2008-09-24T22:52:00.000-07:00

Health care is out of reach for many people these days. When it comes to healthcare, Americans are probably the least insured in the world. The plans that are offered as a part of their job package are expensive so most people opt out of these. They rely on low cost clinics and emergency rooms if the condition is serious.

However, there are no discount dental plans available at the emergency room or most clinics. These types of clinics are often few and far between. Therefore, most people put their dental problems at the bottom of the list.

An alternative to the gloomy forecast of putting healthcare on the back burner is Ameriplan(R). They have been serving the public's needs since 1992 and have over one million members.

Discount Health - The Types

They offer discount health programs that are affordable. When it comes to your health you should not take chances. This is what Ameriplan(R) believes as well. They have two plans for medical care. A basic health program and a total health program.

Their basic health plan gives you access to many thousands of physicians from which to choose. This includes mental health care as well. They also give you access to a Nurse Line program to answer you health questions. If you need immediate care for a problem but are unsure of what to do or where to go, the Nurse Line program can help.

The total plan from Ameriplan(R) has all the same services of the basic plan however, they also include the Dental Plus program which not only has dental but vision, prescription, and chiropractic services as well. Discount dental plans are extremely important. The cost of going to the dentist is escalating and many people just cannot afford to go.

Discount Dental

Did you know in 2004, more than half of the children who had no health insurance had not been to a dentist in a year? More than one in five needed to go but could not because their families could not afford either the insurance or the cost of the visit. Since that time the price of everything has gone up, including dental insurance.

Ameriplan(R) Dental Plus has a solution to this problem. If you join today, you do not have to wait. You can make an appointment with a dentist without delay. By being a member of the Ameriplan(R) dental plans, you can receive discounts of up to 80% off your dental needs. The services they cover are not the basic low cost services either.

They cover braces for children and adults. The availability of specialists ranging from Periodontists to Oral surgeons to take care of your dental problems are covered. Even problems that you may have had for a period of time are covered unless the treatment for these problems has already been started by another dentist.

The Ameriplan(R) dental plan has many healthcare providers that are a part of their network To get an idea just how many options you will have for their medical providers look at the following information:

* Dental Providers - 30,000+
* Chiropractic Providers - 7,500+
* Pharmacies - 50,000+
* Optical Providers - 12,000+

These numbers are growing daily so the above mentioned numbers are subject to change at any time. The need for optical care is another problem that many people face when the insurance they have is just not enough or they cannot afford the insurance at all.

Discount Optical

When you join Ameriplan(R) discount health programs, the options are many. You will have access to national names such as Pearle Vision, Lens Crafters, and Sears. Percentages of savings vary from 10% to 60% depending on the service that you require. You can even save from 10% to 55% on lasik surgery.

The plus side of belonging to this health plan is the benefit of having all your medical needs under one plan. In addition to the medical, you also have the dental, vision, and chiropractic services. It is great to be able to have one company handling all your medical needs without having to contact a separate company for each issue. It also makes it easier to keep track of for all your family members.

Discount Chiropractic

Ameriplan(R) offers discount chiropractic as a part of their Dental Plus program. The savings are instant. Your chiropractor will discount fees up to 50% for your services. There are more than 7500 doctors in their network so there should be not problem finding a chiropractor in your area.. The first visit to determine your needs is free. With 50% on diagnostic, 50% on x-rays that are necessary, and 30% on treatments, the savings are affordable.

Choosing a Country For Your Medical Treatment Abroad Can Be Downright Scary

2008-09-24T22:51:00.001-07:00

Medical tourism is simply the practice of going to another country to obtain medical services. This practice allows the patient to receive top quality medical services in a country of choice.

Traveling abroad for medical services is a new concept to many of us, yet the elite have been traveling to foreign countries for years. Medical tourism is not just for the rich and famous anymore, and Switzerland is not the only destination. About ten years ago, countries in Asia realized that the opportunity exists to fill the unmet needs of millions worldwide. Top quality medical care is available, at a fraction of the price, in a plethora of countries across the world. India and Thailand are currently competing as the forerunners in the medical tourism industry; however they are not the only destination options. Countries like Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Poland and others are offering world class services at third world prices!

There are still many skeptics that wonder if it is same to consider medical services in a foreign country. There is expressed concern of safety, the knowledge and skill of the staff, and the quality of services that are offered. If a person would travel thousands of miles to vacation, why not travel that far to have a medical procedure done? If a person is willing to risk having a foreign doctor perform the procedure in the developed country (E.G. a cardiologist from India, working in Chicago) why does that person not trust going to the same caliber cardiologist in the country of India itself? If a person is willing to fully research the hospitals and credentials in their homeland, why not check the ones abroad and save money by choosing a facility abroad?

Because of the decreased costs and ready access of air travel, medical tourism is a viable option for ALL people now! A person can obtain timely and quality medical services in a vacation paradise, for a fraction of the cost of the same medical procedure in the home country.

How does a person begin the task of choosing a country to consider traveling to as a medical tourist? It is advisable to begin by researching which countries offer medical tourism services and which are safe to travel to. There are medical tourism travel agents that can aid you with your research, as well as well researched books that will give you the guidance that you need.

Regardless of the country that you choose to receive services in, including your homeland, you will need to search out and choose a facility and doctors that you are confident in. It is true that all countries have good facilities and bad, all countries have highly skilled doctors as well as those who are poorly trained and running less than desirable operations. Again, the information is already researched for you, and you would be wise to access those resources.

All that is left for you to decide is which continent you want to go to, and which country in that continent you have always wanted to visit. Once you have decided that, you will need to think about particular parts of the country you desire to see while there. The process that you need to use in determining the country of choice is similar to if you were planning a vacation. As stated earlier, medical tourism is simply the practice of combining vacation and medical procedures. Where is it that you have always wanted to visit? There are several medical travel agencies available that offer a full menu of choices of destinations, and procedures offered in each!

India has a mission of becoming the leading medical tourism country in the world. There are multitudes of hospitals, located all over the country, that are top quality and accredited by the international organizations. Their doctors are often U.S., Canadian or U.K trained and they are fluent in English. Their intent is to cater to tourists from the U.S., Canada, the U.K and Australia; in particular. If a prospective medical tourist has always desired to see the Taj Mahal, then Arga would become the destination of choice. Kerala is another choice destination, with the Western Ghats towering 500-2700m to the east and is the meeting of forty four rivers. If it is the hustle and bustle of the Indian city that a person wants, then New Delhi or dozens of others might be a better choice.

Although India has been highlighted, the other choices are equally as beautiful. The destination is really a matter of deciding where it is that you have always longed to visit, and then combining that with your vacation, to create a "health holiday". Thailand offers some of the most pristine beaches in the world. Brazil offers rain forests, Costa Rica offers jungles and beaches both, France offers beautiful countryside and the glitter of Paris, Italy offers romantic villas, and Switzerland (of course) offers the Swiss Alps! There are many more, unnamed that are options that a qualified medical travel agent can assist you with searching out.

How to Choose a Doctor

2008-09-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

This may be the most important decision that you will make after deciding to add to your family. The doctor that you choose will be the one that you put the possibility of your future child in. Ask yourself this, what kind of doctor do you want to have? One that will answer your questions so you understand, take your calls, no matter the reason, tell you what is going on, and is ready and willing to take the steps needed to help you achieve pregnancy. Or a doctor that doesn't really answer your questions, has the nurse take and answer your calls, and then dances around what is going on by telling you to keep trying and stop worrying.

Yeah, I would take the first one too! So how do you find a great doctor? Easy! Interview them! As soon as you and your partner decide that you would like to add to your family, start interviewing. You and your spouse need to come up with a list of questions that are important to both of you that you can ask the prospective doctor.

You already have a doctor? Great!! Now ask yourself, are you satisfied with your doctor? Do you feel that your doctor is doing everything possible to assist you? Can you reach your doctor anytime?? If one of your employees acted and treated you the same way your doctor does, would you give them a raise or fire them? If you really, and I mean really, would give him a raise, then you have the best doctor you could possibly find. If, on the other hand, you would rather fire him, THEN DO IT!! Walk into his office and tell the staff that you need to see your doctor. Then tell him why you are unhappy. If your doctor is willing to do more for you, then give him another chance. If he tries to brush you off, tell him he is fired and you want all of your medical records NOW!! Do not leave the office without them in your hands, or without them having been transferred to your new doctor.

That was step one of how to choose a doctor. Step two is getting references from friends, family, and co-workers for an OB/GYN (or RE). Take five doctors that were given to you the most. Call their offices and let them know that you are interviewing for a new doctor. All good doctors are more then willing to sit down with prospective patients. Try to get as many lined up in one day as possible, and if you need to interview on more then one day, don't let it be more then two days apart. Make a list of questions, and enough copies for all the interviews. Leave enough space between each question for notes. Both you and your partner need to go to the interviews. Both of you need to be comfortable with and trust your doctor. This is the person that will be bringing your baby into the world and making sure that you both are healthy.

Step three is deciding on a doctor once the interviews are over. It may be obvious to some couples which doctor is the best choice. Others may not see it as an easy choice. For those couples the best thing to do is take the top three names, write them on pieces of paper and put the papers in a hat or another container that you can't see through. Draw out a name, and that will be your new doctor. Not happy with the choice? Then that was not the doctor that you really wanted to see. If you pull out a name and are happy, then that is the doctor for you.

Once the decision has been made, call your new doctor. If you didn't need to change doctors, call your doctor anyhow! Now is the time to make your appointment. This will be a preconception appointment and you need to tell them when you call to schedule.

This procedure for finding a doctor can also be used if you and your partner feel it is time to find a reproductive endocrinologist, or any other type of doctor. I wish you all good luck with finding the best doctor possible!

The Significance of Health Care Education

2008-09-22T23:01:00.001-07:00

Before we come to the practice of health care education, we must know the principles involved. Health care education brings together the art and science of medicine along with the principles and practice of general education. The link is to be found in the social and behavioral sciences which include sociology, psychology and social anthropology.

Health care education can not be 'given' to one person by another. It involves, among other things, the teaching, learning and inclusion of habits concerned with the objective of healthy living.

The definition adopted by World Health Organization in 1969 and the Alma Ata declaration adopted in 1978 provide a useful basis for formulating the aims and objectives of health care education that may be described as -

o To promote the proper use of healthcare service available to the general people.

o To encourage them to adopt and maintain health promoting lifestyle and practices.

o To develop interest, endow with newer knowledge, improve skills and change attitudes in making rational decisions to solve their own problems

o To stimulate the individual and community self-reliance and participation to achieve health development through individual and community involvement at every step from identifying problems to solving them.

The educational objectives are aimed to the group to be taught in the health care educational program. The objectives flow from the health needs which have been discovered or invented. They should be carefully and unambiguously defined in terms of knowledge to be acquired, behavior to be to be acquired or actions to be mastered. They must be pertinent if the program is to be appropriate and successful.

The focus of health education is on people and on action. Its goal is to make realistic improvements in the basic quality of life. Many health education programs hope, in some way, to influence behavior or attitudes. The implication of these newer concepts is that health care education is an integral part of the national health goals. The fact remains that effective health education has the potential for saving many lives than has any one research discovery in the foreseeable future.

We all know that 'Prevention is better than cure'. Health care education will bring us the knowledge how we can prevent the disease before it surfaces in any individual. In the US, more than 130 billion dollars are spent last year to treat the patients suffering from diseases. By paying one fifth of the amount, incidence of many fatal diseases can be prevented. The surplus amount can be spent to another developmental work for the society.

Healthcare educating will make the standard of living better. Therefore, the status of a particular society will be lifted up. Better habitation, living, education, trade will make us a better human being. This is particularly important for the developing countries where there is not enough money to spend treating diseases through modern approach. It is always better to spend some money to healthcare education in order to lift the level of health consciousness among the common people.

Revolutionized - Cotton Surgical Scrubs

2008-09-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

All through the eighties little children were distressed when they used to get hurt while playing or doing mischievous activities. A lot of them used to find the aged looking hospital in their boring cotton surgical scrubs. You all must be aware of this fact as your grand parents must have told you. All the people were always trying green Cotton Surgical Scrubs.

According to "MASH" a T.V. show concerning armed forces doctors revealed that the people used to wear armed green cotton surgical scrubs. The show, though, was not now concerning the armed but regarding administering medication during an occasion of battle. The doctor's in the medicinal scenes were portraying wearing surgical olive scrubs. Such a vision of hospice surroundings back then is in huge contrast to a like scene nowadays.

Consider a current medical TV show like "Grey's Anatomy". The people that job at the hospice in "Grey's Anatomy" are often experientially wearing cotton surgical scrub in a diversity of diverse colors, styles & patterns. It appears that as the management of medication is highly developed, so include the uniform worn out by practitioners. Today, medicinal professional have more than a few diverse choices when selecting out their medicinal uniforms.

"Cotton Surgical Scrubs" are also accessible in a multihued of colors. "BARCO Metro Scrubs" exist in color such as lavender, brown, navy, yellow, pink, & black depending on the blueprint of the article. Additional types of inexpensive medical scrubs & "cheap nursing scrubs" are obtainable in colors such as fuchsia, mint green, peacock & electric blue. Such energetic colors not simply cheer up the vista, but are as well highly possible to cheer up the human being patient.

In totaling to color, "modern scrubs" are also accessible in diverse patterns. This pattern lets medicinal professional define themselves by the kind of medication that they carry out. For instance, those functioning in pediatrics may decide to sport scrubs with storks or clown in print on them. Such a setup might help a worried child feel extra calm in the hospice. Scrubs obtainable in diverse patterns as well let remedial staff express themselves. Patterns such as block, cherries, and circle blended with dissimilar colors help carry some living into a dull scrub.

Change is unavoidable. As machinery improves, the mode people accomplish their big business changes. Anywhere is this idea more factual than in the medicinal profession. Nowadays doctors perform medicine in a different way than did the doctor's of our grandfather's. Providentially for them, they do so in a lot improved looking "cotton scrubs".

High Quality Dental and Healthcare at an Affordable Price

2008-09-22T22:59:00.001-07:00

Media has been covering a lot of healthcare issues these days as many people are getting affected by health problems. This is perhaps due to the unaffordable healthcare. The expenses of new technologies, treatments, hospitality charges and prescription drugs are raising the costs of healthcare. The increasing costs of healthcare have a major impact on the people and pose a grave threat to the country's economy.

Providing affordable health care and dental care programs for Americans would not be possible in the next coming days due to the uncontrollable rising costs. These escalating costs raise a serious concern over the accessibility and affordability of health care to a common man. Degradation of overall health also poses a major threat to the country's economy. It is the Government that has to take initiatives in creating an effective framework for controlling medical costs and improving the health of all the citizens. This solves the problem to a large extent but as we all know there is no implementation of such policies which would benefit the people.

High Quality Dental and Healthcare at an Affordable Price

2008-09-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

Lead Aprons - Reducing X-Ray Radiation Risks

2008-09-20T03:03:00.001-07:00

Lead aprons are primarily used for bodily protection during x-ray procedures. X-rays provide detailed images of muscles, bones, tissues, and other bodily masses so that doctors are able to diagnose tumors, bone fractures, and other internal conditions that need treatment. Despite the many medical benefits these images provide, prolonged or excessive exposure is known to cause cancer and other serious medical conditions. Lead, as well as other elements, has x-ray attenuating properties as a result of its high density and high atomic number. These aprons are designed to block harmful radiation and minimize the risks associated with radiation exposure.

Standard radiation protection lead aprons have a successful history of use during radiation procedures in hospitals and any medical procedure that involves x-rays. However, in recent years, more varieties of radiation aprons have been developed.One option of radiation aprons are Xenolite leaded aprons, which are a lightweight lead apron, weighing approximately 30 percent less than standard-grade radiation protection lead aprons. Their lightweight property is largely due to the radiation apron's use of a 3-element attenuating material rather than a using 100 percent lead construction. An added benefit of Xenolite radiation protection lead aprons is that they can be recycled.

The main purpose of lightweight lead aprons and lightweight lead free aprons is to reduce strain and increase comfort for both patients and technicians during x-ray radiation procedures. Lightweight aprons are especially important for use during these procedures that occur for long periods of time, such as interventional radiological procedures, which can cause back, leg, or other bodily pain.

Many medical professionals are frequently surrounded by radiation, which is why lead aprons are vital tool for protection. Without the assistance of radiation aprons, the medical field would not be able to reap the benefits that diagnostic images provide.

Ameriplan(R) Discount Health Programs

2008-09-20T03:03:00.000-07:00

Trends in Pediatric Critical Care Nursing

2008-09-20T03:02:00.000-07:00

In the interest of providing cost-effective and high-quality care, a growing number of health care organizations are enhancing their pediatric critical care nursing staff, by hiring nurses with an even higher professional scope of practice. Two such examples include; the pediatric clinical nurse specialists (CNS) who tends to work within the hospital setting and the pediatric nurse practitioner (NP), who often works in outpatient clinics.

The need for more specialized pediatric critical care nursing stems from changes in health care delivery systems and the fact that patients are having more dynamic and complex health care needs. In an effort to create a more seamless, synchronized and effective method of care delivery, some health care professionals are advocating that these two roles, the CNS and NP, be merged into one advanced nursing role.

Pediatric critical care nursing is specialized, in that it focuses on the pediatric patient. However an advanced practice nurse, such as the NP, has further training and the knowledge required for taking histories, performing physical exams, making a diagnoses, and prescribing medications. The CNS focuses more on patient and staff education; they are valued for their unique contributions to case management, care coordination, and patient teaching.

he exact scope of the CNS and NP roles can be governed by the policies and procedures of their employer, as well as their state licensing board. Advocates for merging these roles, suggest that an advanced pediatric critical care nurse should be able to perform both of these roles, of CNS and NP.

Health care organizations are concerned about containing costs, ensuring patient and family satisfaction and improving quality of care. Pediatric critical care nursing benefits by having access to these higher level specializations. Some specialty physicians, such as pediatric cardiologists, recognize that employing a pediatric NP may support the expansion of his/her current practice. However, not all professions will necessarily be supportive of a merger between the CNS and the NP roles; some Physician Assistance may perceive the new Advanced Practitioner role as a threat to their current positions.

Moving forward with this proposed merger will require restructuring at the academic and institutional levels. Educational administrators will be required to find innovative ways of facilitating the enrollment process for nurses who wish to progress from pediatric critical care nursing, toward advance practice nursing. Offering these courses via distance education or through evening courses, may facilitate the nurse's ability to pursue professional development and career advancement, while at the same time balancing work, family and school.

Beyond physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology and diagnostics, the APN is expected to be knowledgeable in the areas of health promotion, counseling, and management of common pediatric conditions from birth through adolescences. The APN is also expected to support the administration team.

Therefore, the course curriculum is expected to cover management principles such as budgeting, creating and developing corporate policies and procedures and managing human resources; each of these issues affects the APN's role.

Pediatric critical care nursing has become increasingly complex. The merging of the CNS and NP roles into one advance practice nursing role is expected to produce a more efficient and effective form of care delivery. However, the benefits of such a merger continue to be hotly debated amongst academic circles. Time will tell whether the CNS and NP roles merge or remain distinct and separate positions; in either case, these advanced level roles play a critical role in providing cost-effective and efficient quality of care.

What Makes a Children's Hospital Different?

2008-09-18T01:39:00.001-07:00

Hospitalized children often cope with pain, separation, and an unfamiliar environment. Their vulnerability demands a highly specialized team of professionals. Arguably, one of the most integral members of a children's hospital team is the Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS).

According to the Child Life Council, the main role of the CCLS is to improve the child's ability to understand stressful healthcare and life experiences, by fostering an environment that offers both emotional and developmental growth opportunities. Since a child's welfare directly depends on the wellbeing of the entire family, the CCLS also provides parents, siblings and extended family members with information, support and guidance. Becoming a CCLS requires a university degree, covering topics on human growth and development, psychology, and counseling; it may also require an internship within a hospital for sick children.

Play activities are universal across cultures and essential to human development. More specifically, the CCLS supports children through the use of "therapeutic play" activities. These include; encouraging the child to work through their emotional issues by having them re-enact their accident using toy cars, stuffed animals and/or dolls; teaching the child about an upcoming procedure by allowing them to touch and feel some of the equipment; demonstrating a procedure on a stuffed toy, or using dolls and props to help explain the child's diagnoses.

Children who work with a CCLS tend to show fewer physical signs of fear; such as sweaty palms or an elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Therapeutic play is not only about supporting the child emotionally and psychologically, it can also be used to strengthen the child physically. For instance, taking deep breaths to blow bubbles can help strengthen a child's respiratory status. The benefits of working with the CCLS are measurable. The American Academy of Pediatrics (September 2006) recognizes that child life services improve pediatric care. Employing a CCLS may also contribute to shorter hospitalization periods and a decreased use of pain medications.

Children's hospital websites are often proud to highlight the CCLS role within their organization. For example, within one Texas area children's hospital the CCLS prepares children for tests, surgeries and other procedures; provides information and education surrounding the child's diagnosis; helps develop children's hospital policies and uses teaching dolls, stuffed animals and medical equipment as a way of preparing and educating the child. The CCLS also supports the child's siblings and helps children prepare for school re-entry.

These services are not unique to hospitalized children. The trend toward outpatient services has led many facilities to develop Child Life positions within their outpatient clinics. When possible the CCLS conducts pre-admission tours of the hospital; thereby facilitating the child's subsequent admission. In 2003, one Dallas area children's hospital began receiving funds from a charitable organization, to fund a "Child Life Assistant" within their outpatient setting. Their Child Life Assistant creates some much needed distraction, through educational activities, such as individual and group games. The CCLS role allows for continuity of care for families that are returning to the children's hospital outpatient clinic week after week.

Parents and children come to view the CCLS as a "safe" person, who is well equipped to provide emotional, cognitive and developmental support. This level of focus is what makes a children's hospital unique. Nation wide, children's hospitals have found this position to be instrumental in helping to decrease fear and anxiety amongst all family members.

Patient Transfer - Safely Moving Patients

2008-09-18T01:39:00.000-07:00

Patient transfer is an important component when it comes to medical care. Easy room to room patient transporting is essential in hospitals and other medical facilities, especially during emergency situations. Transfer devices must be available for bariatric patients, paralyzed patients, and patients with other handicapping conditions that need special patient moving equipment. These individuals with loss of mobility would otherwise have difficulty being transferred to check-ups and procedures. Additionally, general patient transfer equipment is a hospital requirement for patients whether they are on their way to surgery or are just changing to another hospital room.

In order to safely move recovering or injured patients on a stable surface, a wide variety of transfer boards are offered by patient transfer products suppliers. Some specialty patient moving equipment that is specialized for bariatric and pediatric use is available for medical uses. Some special features offered in the design of the patient transporting boards are convenient sliding, unique shapes, lightweight boards, and static-treated carbon material. Most transfer devices have a specific manner of transfer: either in a seated, supine, or prone position.

For obese, immobilized, and injured patients, a wide range of wheelchairs are available that boast sturdy aluminum frames, smooth-rolling performance, durable upholstery, and versatile widths. Specialty medical lifts are also engineered for bariatric patient transporting. This obese patient moving equipment allows overweight individuals to move with ease and saves them the embarrassment of needing extra medical personnel assistance.

Personnel safety should be one of the main focuses when it comes to patient transfer. When researching patient transfer equipment the main focus aside from patient safety one should consider staff safety. Find ergonomically designed devices so that personnel will not get injured while they are moving patients.

MRI Equipment Surround Your Patients Appropriately

2008-09-15T05:31:00.001-07:00

MRI equipment used to be a rarity in the medical industry fifteen years ago but now they have become quite common place in the United States medical field. The MRI industry is expected to reach almost two billion dollars in the year 2008 alone. This industry is especially growing at an even faster rate outside of the United States because the technology is still new to less developed countries.

MRI Equipment is relied on extensively today in the diagnostic imaging field because it provides such detailed images for physicians. This way they can properly diagnose their patients. MRI is slowly being introduced to developing countries and in the United States a new MRI technology is coming to market. This new technology is called 3T machines. 3T stands for 3-tesla which provides superior imaging capabilities in less time than a standard MRI machine. The old MRI equipment standard was 1.5 Tesla.

Better image quality is important with these new machines since it can give doctors a cleared picture of their patients ailments, which lead to a proper diagnosis. Also, with the older 1.5T machines the MRI took a significant amount of time to take. With these new machines the time factor has been significantly reduced. This is important for the patient because MRI machines have a couple of downsides. The machines are loud and enclosed, which encapsulates the patient as the image is being taken.

With the new technology coming out patients will not fear having these images taken with MRI equipment. With patients being less reluctant to have these procedures done the MRI industry will continue to grow at a fast pace. Physicians will continue to rely heavily on this emerging technology and will be able to make better diagnosis' for their patients an which will in turn help cure their ailments.

Yanhee General Hospital, Bangkok (Part III) - Where Should Visitors (Patients and Relatives) Stay?

2008-09-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

If you are having a treatment procedure at Yanhee General Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand you and any family members that are with you are going to need a place to stay before, during and after your treatment. Fortunately, there are many options available for your lodging needs.

For some reason, many people seem to view Thailand as a destination that doesn't have much to provide to its international visitors. This could not be further from the truth. Bangkok, Thailand has all of the comforts of home that you will need during your stay there. There are many options for you to choose from when deciding where to stay including luxury hotels, boutique hotels, business hotels and even serviced apartments. Deciding on where to stay is simply a matter of deciding which accommodations you feel may be best for you.

First and foremost, there is nothing suitable close to the hospital. The closest suitable accommodations would be in the Ladprao area or Rachadaphisek area. This is so because the hospital is located at the outskirt of town. This may be one reason why the service prices here are so reasonable.

There are many luxury hotels in Bangkok that will offer you service that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. The luxury five star hotels in Bangkok offer outstanding service, sumptuous environments and facilities that are unsurpassed. The best part is, these luxury hotels are more affordable than you think. If you and your family are looking for a unique experience before, during and after your surgery procedure at Yanhee General Hospital, consider staying at one of the many luxury hotels located in the area. These facilities are generally located in the middle of town. Although as mentioned, you can find something nice in above two areas.

If luxury hotels aren't really your style, there are still many extremely nice and accommodating hotels for you to choose from. There are many affordable and budget hotels in the Bangkok area that though not five star, can still provide you with the first-class service you deserve at unbelievably affordable prices. Many of the Boutique hotels that are available in Bangkok also offer guests an affordable stay with an extremely unique experience. These hotels offer guests all of the comforts of home in a trendy environment, for a fraction of the cost of luxury hotels. You do need to check these out carefully before you make the final decision.

If you are planning on staying in Bangkok for a period of time because your procedure at Yanhee may be lengthy, you may want to consider one of the many serviced apartments that Bangkok has to offer. These serviced apartments are quite popular for international travelers that will be traveling with their family and feel a hotel is not the right choice for them. These apartments offer many of the same amenities as a hotel such as room service and house keeping, however they also offer more space than a hotel room and are stocked with their own fully equipped kitchen and living quarters. Staying in a serviced apartment in Bangkok truly gives you all of the comforts of home, at affordable prices.

Any of these lodging options are available to you when you have a procedure at Yanhee General Hospital. Do expect to use taxi and hotel transportation to get to the hospital. Anyway, you should have no problem finding the right place for you.

Why Don't Doctors in the US Trust Electronic Health Records?

2008-09-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Computers have become a ubiquitous presence in all fields of business. From the farmer who keeps stock of his crops and field rotations to teachers who plan their lessons and keep track of attendance, everyone has gone electronic. But not everybody believes in the power of computing. According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine, many doctors and medical professionals in the US have been slow in converting to electronic health records. As far as conversion to electronic health records goes, the US lags behind many other nations. This is a fact that is rather surprising, considering they are among the most technologically advanced countries in the world.

The study, which included a national survey of 2758 physicians, found that 4% of respondents used a comprehensive electronic records system and 13% used a basic system. Of those who made use of electronic health records, the majority are young and likely to work in large practices, hospitals or health centres. The majority of physicians who don't make use of electronic records are more likely to be from older generations with small practices.

Reasons for not converting to electronic records included the difficulty in finding an appropriate system and the rather irrational fear of a chosen system becoming obsolete. Another possible reason, which wasn't cited, is perhaps the fear that data could be lost, leaked or contaminated. But with the sophisticated protection and data recovery systems available today, that seems a poor excuse.

Physicians in the survey who made use of electronic records reported that the benefits far out-weighed the potential risks; many of which could easily be avoided with proper care and monitoring. Electronic health records have been instrumental in detecting and preventing drug allergies, as well as potentially dangerous drug combinations. They also alert doctors when lab results are available, which dramatically reduces the time spent chasing down results. As soon as doctors know that results have come through, they can implement plans of action timeously and prevent a great deal of pain and suffering.

One positive element that can be taken from the study is that the number of physicians making use of electronic health records is up at least 4% since a similar survey was undertaken in 2006. The progress may be slow, but at least it's steady.

Transport Costs Can Make Hospital Visits Expensive

2008-09-12T05:14:00.001-07:00

We are lucky in this country that if you have an accident or become ill you are able to go to an NHS hospital, and seek treatment at their accident and emergency department. Most hospitals are located in central city locations and provide treatment around the clock in order to cater for largest number of people as possible.

Whilst this service is paid for through national insurance contributions there can be additional costs incurred when attending hospital especially if you do not live close by. Recently an elderly lady was taken to Ninewells hospital by ambulance as she was feeling unwell. On arrival she was treated by hospital staff until she was well enough to be discharged and go back home. Now while this may seem like a success story for the lady involved, it turned out to be a very expensive trip. This was because the lady was discharged at 2:30am in the morning and had no means of getting home. Ambulances are typically used only to transport sick people to hospital, and while there are some community ambulances which will transport elderly people they typically do not run a 24 hour service. Stranded at the hospital at 2:30am the lady had not other option but to take a taxi home which cost her lb35 pounds.

Unfortunately this was not an isolated case. Another lady took her son to Ninewells hospital in March as there was no available out of hours doctor close to where she lived. The boy was treated at the hospital and was well enough to go home at 4am. Public transport did not start running until 6:30am and therefore mother and son had to take a taxi home costing more than lb30 pounds. Only a week later the mother herself felt unwell and return to Ninewells hospital in an ambulance to be treated. Again the time that the woman was well enough to be discharged was in the early hours of the morning and she was forced to take another taxi to get her home. Because the mother was claiming benefits, money was tight so she tried to claim back the cost of the fares from the hospital. She received a cheque for twelve pounds to cover both journeys.

The lady then contacted the hospital and made a verbal complaint but was told that it was expected that she would have waited at the hospital until public transport became available at 6:30am. NHS Tayside who oversee the hospital argue that when a patient attends an accident and emergency department of a hospital and is well enough to go home then the hospital staff often try and contact relatives or friends to pick them up. It is only if a patient requires hospital transport for medical reasons that this would be provided. The question is should patients who have been in an accident and feel unwell be able to claim for transport expenses if no public transport is available to them? Perhaps in cases where there is a lack of medical facilities available close by then this should be considered. But ultimately it is the patient's responsibility to get themselves home.

Health Care Information - Must Read, Must Know!

2008-09-12T05:14:00.000-07:00

Cancer: the silent killer

Cancer has been known to be one of the most deadly diseases. Till date there has been no comprehensive cure for it even though there is a lot of health care information on the subject. If any lump or swelling is noticed on the breasts a doctor needs to be informed immediately. Health care information on breast cancer is freely available on the net and offline.

Ageing healthily

People get old and with age come the vagaries of old age. Brittle bones, poor eyesight, lack of energy, arthritis, weight gains etc. In order to ensure a healthy lifestyle even in one's Golden Years it is essential to follow a regular exercise regimen from one's younger years. Proper diet and nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits also need to be followed. A lot of books and health care information about the subject has been published.

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is one of the deadly diseases can has wrecked homes and ravaged many lives. That is why it is so important to diagnose and treat this condition before it reaches monstrous proportions. There are many organizations that can help people get into rehabilitation by the usage of medication and therapy. If you prefer doing it yourself you can look up some of the health care information on combating alcoholism on the net.

Eye health

Sitting for hours in front of the computer and watching television will all take a toll on our eyes someday. This is why proper eye exercises and eye care needs to be inculcated as part of one's daily routine. There are many allopathic and alternative medicines which can help alleviate any eye discomfort. There is a lot of research being done and health care information being published about eye care and maintenance.

Consumer Directed Healthcare - A New Trend

2008-09-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

Gone are the days when the maxim that ruled the healthcare industry was "Build it and they will come", under the impression that that if people knew where services were located they would find their way to the clinics.

In post liberalisation India the healthcare industry is waking up to the fact that the consumer has to be pursued and enticed into visiting healthcare facilities of a particular brand and to buy healthcare products of a particular brand. With the government permitting 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the health care industry, there is a deluge of private players in the Indian Healthcare market today. And this has dramatically changed the facade of healthcare marketing and communications in India.

Taking the case of hospitals, there is a wide variety of services (that are not just medical) on offer for the patient. From in-house multi cuisine restaurants, swimming pools, walking tracks, indoor games facilities, libraries and play areas to travel desks that arrange sightseeing tours and shopping for patients, you name it and they have it, all in a bid to woo more and more patients. Hospital promotions take on the form of Public Relations, VIP and visitor hospital tours and walk in exhibitions, loyalty and outreach programmes, support groups etc.

Similarly the pharmaceutical industry is going overboard in its attempts to appease the two routes that they have to reach out to the end consumers- doctors and pharmacists. For retailers it is boom time as they get free supplies of medicines, expensive gifts, holiday trips and also huge margins for promoting and selling particular brands at their outlets. With doctors the gifts, incentives and schemes are getting wilder by the day. The trend is to customise the gift to the doctor so that the pharmaceutical company actually meets a relevant need of the doctor rather than flooding him with things that he throws away or hands over to others. Taking examples of customised gifts it could be admission of a doctor's child to a reputed school or even the reimbursement of shopping bills. All in an attempt to get a better hold on this indirect consumer. For over the counter drugs there are advertisements in all shapes and sizes visible just anywhere. With sponsoring TV programmes to conducting mass consumer contact programmes to free sampling, pharmaceutical companies are trying innovative marketing ideas to get a share of the consumer's wallet.

One look at the statistics and the reason behind this intense competition gets clear. According to a Confederation of Indian Industry - McKinsey study on India's health industry, the country's spending on health care is expected to increase from Rs 86,000 crore at present to Rs 200,000 crore in the next decade. Health care's contribution to India's GDP will increase from the current 5.2 per cent to 8.5 per cent by 2012. The players in the healthcare industry fully realise that these predictions will come true with harnessing the burgeoning purchasing power of the Indian consumer.

When Medical Skills Are Not Everything - Logistics Making Better Doctors

2008-09-10T05:25:00.000-07:00

How long do you wait to see a doctor? When an epidemic breaks out, how fast can government health officials assess and decide the next course of action? Most importantly, what can health care personnel do to tackle these questions?

Traditionally, medical school emphasized on medical competency. Because of this, it has resulted in doctors who know their stuff, but it has not touched so much on improving the health care experience as a whole.

It must be noted that to the patient, reporting sick is not just about seeing the doctor. It also encompasses a lot more details such as the ambiance of the clinic, the customer service level provided and so on.

Most doctors do not have much experience in dealing with mass casualties, save for a few exceptions, such as military doctors and those involved in treating infectious diseases. Thus, there is little incentive for doctors in private clinics to further improve the flow of patients, when they are busy with treating them.

When we apply a logistic framework to this context, it is possible to dissect the entire consultation process (from admitting the patient to outpatient care) into smaller steps, and then experts evaluate the efficiency of each step (i.e. what could have been further improved).

Using logistic solutions, all the small steps will then be further improved, and hence wastage of the patient's time will be significantly reduced.

As a result, more patients are treated; they are satisfied with their experience, and medical expertise has not been compromised at all.

Mentioned below are three innovative ideas that have been suggested for adoption.

"Mystery shopper" programme

No patient doubts the competency of their doctor, but not all can claim to be satisfied with the health care experience that they received from the clinics.

From making an appointment to outpatient treatment, the entire process is under heavy scrutiny from the patients themselves. Patients nowadays are not concerned with just seeing the doctor; if the nurse has a bad attitude, it may discourage the patient from seeing the doctor for a second time.

The ethics council of the American Medical Association (AMA) has suggested doctors to adopt the use of undercover patients, to test the level of health care experience that their patients received.

In short, these "mystery shoppers" are paid to fake certain illnesses to evaluate the type of inpatient care and treatment that was provided to them.

This approach is obviously controversial, as fake patients may deny true patients of their consultation time. However, it does serve as an effective way to evaluate customer service level in clinics.

Cell phone tracking

When an infectious disease breaks out in the neighbourhood, tracking down who had been in contact with the patients is extremely difficult, and it could take days before health officials have any results.

Thus, Sir Roy Anderson, rector of Imperial College London, has suggested that in countries which have a high mobile phone penetration rate such as Singapore, it may be more effective to track people down through their call log.

The idea may sound new, but to logistic experts, tracking down their designated warehouses and contacts through Global Positioning System (GPS) and other forms of real-time data collection system in their cell phones is already the norm.

Using of electronic health records

It's an old joke, but everyone knows no one except the nurse and the doctor knows what's the doctor scribbling. In the past, the patient's health records were written by hand on paper. As expected, there were several shortcomings to this method, such as the doctor's style of writing and natural wear and tear of the records.

This may sound like a surprise, but fewer than one in five of US doctors have started to record their patient's information digitally. The reason is because doctors in small practices feel unmotivated to change their records to digital platforms due to the financial costs. However, it has been proven that electronic records are able to reduce operating cost and improve patient care for clinics.

Fortunately, the US government recently announced a US$150 million Medicare project that will offer doctors to invest in electronic records. Hopefully, this will result in better storage of patient's data other than writing it on paper.

Conclusion

This report is not to say that medical competency is no longer important; it must still be main priority for trainee doctors. However, they must realise that being a doctor is not just about giving the best treatment to patients. It should also be about making sure that the patient feels happy on seeing the doctor, and not having his feelings being dampened by unnecessary paperwork and wasting of the patient's time.

How to Overcome Rising Healthcare Costs?

2008-09-10T05:24:00.001-07:00

Over the past few years there has been an increase in the chronic diseases. In addition to this, the cost of medical treatment has also gone up. Whatever the conditions might be, at the end, it is the people who has to suffer.

A few days ago, one of my friend's father was suffering from health problems; he was fed up of going for routine checkup's to hospitals and doctors due to the expensive treatment. He shared this problem with his family doctor and asked him for a suggestion to reduce his health care expenses. The doctor, in turn, suggested him that opting for discount health plans would be a good idea to reduce the costs. When asked about the best discount plan available in the market, he gave a spontaneous answer 'Ameriplan'. He also said that keeping the skyrocketing costs and 43 million individuals without health insurance into consideration, Ameriplan has started the discount health plans.

On hearing the doctor say about Ameriplan health insurance, he raised his doubt about the coverage of the plan to his family members. To his surprise, he got an answer 'Ameriplan health plan covers the entire family'. He got to know many interesting things about Ameriplan such as the affordable premiums that start at $19.95 a month, no waiting periods, no paper work, no limits on usage and more. Satisfied with Ameriplan, he joined Ameriplan health plan that is suitable for his requirements. Now, he stopped worrying about all the issues pertaining to health care. When he came to know that Ameriplan also offers its members to work from home that can fetch them unlimited income depending on the time they spend on the business expansion, he became an Ameriplan Independent Business Owner (IBO) that gave him an opportunity to earn unlimited income working from home.

Just like him, there are many more people in America suffering from rising health care costs and insurance premiums. The only solution would be to opt for Ameriplan health plans, which allows one to save a lot of money spent on health care. It is learnt that, once you join Ameriplan health plans, a clear change is visible in your life which can also influence other's lives.

How Does Health Care Issues Play a Prominent Role in Life?

2008-09-10T05:24:00.000-07:00

Healthcare is one of the contemporary issues that has brought a great attention in America. Statistics show the prevailing pathetic conditions of health care in America. It has been estimated that over 47 million adults, 8.5 million children are uninsured, 18,000 adults die and a lot many underinsured can't afford to meet the health care expenses. Government's efforts to provide affordable coverage for all turned futile because of the complex convoluted system. It has been unable to come up with a policy to provide affordable healthcare at the grass root level. Recent presidential candidate's focus on providing quality coverage for all shows the complexity of the problem. Efforts by many individuals with regard to this showed no development in the healthcare condition of people.

Companies who have taken it as a part of its corporate social responsibility also failed to make any impact. Interestingly, healthcare providers like Ameriplan have played a very good role in making it possible to a great extent. Ameriplan USA, with over fourteen years of experience in providing discount health services, has contributed a lot in making health care affordable to everyone. Ameriplan has changed the structure of the healthcare industry to a large extent. As a part of this initiative, Ameriplan started discount plans that provide discounts up to 80% which ultimately makes the healthcare bills affordable. Moreover, these Ameriplan discount plans offered by Ameriplan are multipurpose plans. Ameriplan discount plans cover all the services such as dental, vision, prescription and chiropractic care. With a wide network of over 400,000 medical practitioners, 30,000 dental providers, 50,000 pharmacies, 12,000 vision care providers and 7000 chiropractors, Ameriplan offers complete healthcare solutions starting at $19.95 per month for one and all. With a high customer growth ratio, Ameriplan serves as an ultimate example of solving critical problems. More information on Ameriplan discount plans can be had by visiting http://www.health-dental-discount-plans.com.

Nursing Homes Prison 101 - Part Four in a Serious Series About Rehab & Care Centers & Nursing Homes

2008-09-10T05:22:00.000-07:00

One day, while visiting in a bad rehab and care center, I saw a woman in a wheelchair. She was complaining to someone (Staff) that she was missing clothing. As usual, staff said that she had to wait (because they were busy), and then they would have to go downstairs to see where her clothing was.

The man waited, in fact, the woman stated that her clothing had been missing for more than one week, so figure that must be enough waiting, correct? Anyway, time passed and passed and the woman again came back to staff and complained about her clothing but bottom line is that no one went downstairs to find her clothing. And my guess was that even if someone went downstairs, they probably would not find the clothing anyway. After all, isn't this the place where all the residents are wearing everyone else's clothing? How can you find clothing in a basement, when the clothing is on someone else's body on the fifth floor?

The point that I am trying to make is this--that clothing is a very important issue when it comes to living in or to temporarily staying in a nursing home and a rehabilitation and care center. Practically none of these residents want to live here or stay here. Out of everyone that I saw there, from the ones that were able to express their opinion, NONE of them liked it there, none of them enjoyed their stay and none of them wanted to stay there, yet they are forced to be there because no one is helping them get out of there. And even those who have family members who are there to get them out of there, are met with red tape, long waiting periods, and total non-attention. Everything works against those who want to leave the place. Why? The reason is that most times the only way a resident gets to leave there is if they are fortunate enough to be brought to a hospital emergency room.

Under ordinary circumstances, residents of any other place in the world, would not want to be sent to the emergency room. However there is a rehab and care center in Staten Island, that is so bad, so uncomfortable and so horrible that residents would probably jump for joy if they had to go to the emergency room. Why? Because in this case, in this horrible case, the emergency room is their only ticket out of the place --while they are still alive. Emergency rooms--for these prisoner residents of this rehab and care center --are seen as a blessing, as a God-send, to those individuals who were previously destined to stay there in that place forever.

Can you even imagine hoping that you had to go to the emergency room? Probably not. Most normal individuals would not want to be in a position of going to the emergency room. However, in a certain rehab and care center in Staten Island, NY, many residents hope and wait for that day that they get their dishcharge from this place--even, yes even if it is to go to the emergency room. Practically any place other than this place is considered a blessing from God.

Please, politicians if you are reading this, please have mercy on those inside of those nursing homes that are abusing their powers and that are neglecting their residents and patients. Please, politicians, please hear this plea, that we need your help to change things for the better inside of these locked nursing homes and rehab and care centers.

Why Healthcare Marketing is Essential

2008-09-08T04:08:00.001-07:00

Healthcare can be defined as the field dealing with the maintenance and restoration of the health of our physical or psychological state. It is offered in two ways - from the healthcare organizations like hospitals and private nursing homes to the patients who are in distress and from the pharmaceutical companies to the doctors and other healthcare professional to sell their products.

For a healthcare center run by the government, much publicity is not needed. Patients are well concerned these days and they do choose their healthcare provider from the government service. They have trust upon them as their true guide to well-being. Still marketing is needed in the terms of incorporation of modern technologies, newly appointed skilled doctors and paramedics. In the healthcare organizations, trust is the main basis for choosing any healthcare provider. And it spreads from a person to his family members, relatives and friends. Even any illiterate person will consult somebody before visiting a doctor or going to a hospital. They will enquire about the facilities and the cost involved in the treatment. Referral marketing has immense role in any healthcare organization to enhance their credibility.

For the private healthcare provider or any organization, proper marketing is mandatory in terms of services offered, specialist doctor's list, facilities and low cost of service; like for a super specialty hospital, you need to publicize all the information regarding laboratory facility, instruments and equipments available and the competent doctors. Here also trust is the key to success. A word from a person, who has a first-hand experience in a particular healthcare facility, decides the fate of the organization.

To sustain in the top, branding is very much needed. And to become a brand name in healthcare facility, you need to build trust among not only in the patients, but to the relatives also, which is equally important. The more individuals are satisfied about your healthcare; more are the chances to get the brand equity. To become the leader in the healthcare sector, you need to spread the message to your catchment area that you are the best and of course the reasons behind it. All the branches of your organization should speak the same language. Proper communication in between the staffs and the patients is very much essential.

Now let us discuss why marketing is essential in the filed of pharmaceutical companies.
There are millions of pharmaceutical companies and all of them have one motto - selling and increase the amount of selling of their product. In any country, there must be hundreds of companies making the same merchandise. The best one in accordance with the quality and marketing will thrive.

To achieve your goal, again you need to build trust among the doctors and paramedics. As many medical representatives continuously meet doctors to endorse their product, you have to come out with such thing that other are not providing. You need to brief the doctor about the beneficial aspects of the product. The best way to achieve this is to take help of the audiovisual media. E-detailing is becoming popular these days. But all these need a personal touch.

In the healthcare field, the proverb 'Survival of the fittest' is equally applicable. You have to market the healthcare facility to the right person in right ways to endure.

What Would They Say Today?

2008-09-08T04:08:00.000-07:00

Eighteen months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, America's healthcare leadership announced that while they had not been ready on September 11, 2001, now they were. On March 13, 2003, in a much ballyhooed statement, still sited to this day, the American College of Healthcare Executives announced:

"HOSPITAL CEOs SAY BIOTERRORISM PLANS ARE IN PLACE CHICAGO
Since September 11, 2001, hospitals have faced new challenges protecting and caring for their communities, especially the threat of bioterrorism. According to a new survey conducted by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), 84 percent of hospital CEOs agree that since 9/11, their hospitals have worked more closely with public agencies (e.g. fire, police, and public health departments). Further, 95 percent of the respondents said their hospitals already have, or within six months will have, a bioterrorism disaster plan in place, developed in coordination with local emergency or health agencies."
Little did they know the sense of false security and the cooling of momentum this assertion would cause from that day forward.

The Clear View of Reality
Since 2003, multiple independent evaluations of hospital preparedness and hospital disaster planning have found the reality in each successive year to be far below that purported in 2003. A brief survey three reports by the Institutes of Medicine in June, 2006 serve as proof that any hint of hospital preparedness is false and that momentum towards preparedness has been lost. These reports, Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point, Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains, and Emergency Medical Services at the Crossroads found a disparity between self reported preparedness on multiple association and government surveys compared to actual preparedness measured across the five core indicators of hospital preparedness.

"Evaluations of ED disaster preparedness consistently yield the same finding: EDs are better prepared than they used to be, but still fall short of where they should be"

At first blush, this seems to confirm the ACHE assertions, but the report goes on to point out that hospitals lack patient surge capacity due to cost related downsizing, nursing shortages, loss of specialists, physical space constrains and overcrowding. Failures of planning and coordination were also identified and linked to erroneous planning assumptions.

"When a disaster occurs, the normal operating assumptions about patients, responses, and treatments often must be jettisoned. Depending on the type of event, some of the nonroutine things that can happen include the following:
· Victims who are less injured and mobile will often self-transport to the nearest hospitals, quickly overwhelming those facilities.
· Casualties are likely to bypass on-site triage, first aid, and decontamination stations.
· EMS responders will often self-dispatch. Providers from other jurisdictions may appear at the scene and transport patients, sometimes without coordination or communication with local officials.
· In some cases, local facilities are not aware of the event until or just before patients start arriving. Hospitals may receive no advance notice of the extent of the event or the numbers and types of patients they can expect.
· There may be little or no communication among regional hospitals, incident commanders, public safety, and EMS responders to coordinate the response region wide."

The Institute of Medicine reports goes on to call for improved communications and integration across disaster response services including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), community emergency operations and most importantly the implementation of the standardized Incident Command System.

"To respond effectively, hospitals must interface with incident command at multiple levels and be prepared to deal with transitions between levels, for example, when incident command shifts from the local to the state or federal level. Each hospital should be familiar with the local office of emergency preparedness and know how hospitals are represented at the emergency operations center during an event, whether through the hospital association, the health department, the EMS system, or some other mechanism."

They Didn't Think of That Either
Beyond the problems common to all disaster care environments, special needs populations (children, elderly, mentally and physically challenged) have needs and preparedness issues unique to them. Unfortunately, the "one size fits none" approach taken by America's hospitals has ignored issues highlighted by the Institutes of Medicine Emergency Care for Children: Growing Pains report.

"The needs of children have traditionally been overlooked in disaster planning. Historically, the military was considered the only target of potential biological, chemical, and radiological attacks, so the focus for training, equipment, and facilities was on the care of healthy young adults."

"Younger patients require specialized equipment and different approaches to treatment in the event of a disaster. Children cannot be properly decontaminated in adult decontamination units because they require adjustments to the water temperature and pressure (heated, high-volume, low-pressure water). Rescuers also need to have child-size clothing on-hand for use after the decontamination."

The problems are compounded for rural hospitals. Despite the fact that many both inside and outside hospital leadership believe that rural hospitals are at lower risk and thus require less commitment to preparedness, the truth is quite the opposite.
"The focus of emergency preparedness has been on urban areas in part because of the perceived increased risk of terrorism in these areas. However, there is a danger associated with neglecting rural areas. Indeed, one might argue that rural areas may be even more vulnerable to a terrorist attack. Many nuclear power facilities, hydroelectric dams, uranium and plutonium storage facilities, and agricultural chemical facilities, as well as all U.S. Air Force missile launch facilities, are located in rural areas and are potential targets for attack. Additionally, if individuals with infectious diseases, such as smallpox, enter the country through Canadian or Mexican borders, rural providers may be the first to identify the threat."

A Problem of Their Own Making
The greatest indictment of hospitals by the Institute of Medicine Reports however dealt with disaster preparedness training and drills finding great variability in the training of even key healthcare personnel with even less training for non-clinical hospital staff.

"Serious clinical and operational deficiencies, fragmentation, and lack of standardization exist across a broad spectrum of key professional personnel (nurses, physicians, ancillary care providers, administrators, and public health officials) in both individual training and coordination of a team response."

This failure to provide training not only effects patient care, but hospital employee safety. Despite public statements by hospitals that "safety is worth the cost" and "preparedness is priceless" The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHQR) separately found a very different financial and leadership commitment to preparedness and training.

"Many hospitals report inadequate funding to cover the attendance costs (e.g., time off, tuition, travel) of training (ACEP, 2001). At the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a disaster drill in the Emergency Department costs $3,000 per hour in staff salaries alone (AHRQ, 2004)."

"Additionally, the failure of hospital administrators or Emergency Department personnel to recognize the importance of training can result in a lack of support (ACEP, 2001)."

Multiple agencies, including the Institutes of Medicine have called for an increased coordinated financial commitment to preparedness on the part of individual hospitals, hospital corporations, hospital management / holding companies, as well as local, state and federal governments.

"This lack of coordination is reflected in the haphazard funding of preparedness initiatives. EMS and trauma systems have consistently been underfunded relative to their presence and role in the field."

"States and communities should play an important role in determining how they will prepare for emergencies. To the extent that they are supported in this effort through federal preparedness grants, the critical role and vulnerabilities of hospitals must be more widely acknowledged, and the particular needs of hospitals and hospital personnel must be taken explicitly into account"

Despite this, funding for preparedness has decreased across the board including congressional cuts in healthcare preparedness funding for 2007, 2008 and again for 2009. These cuts have been mirrored in state funding initiatives; meanwhile hospitals continue to believe that they are prepared despite evidence to the contrary.

So What Should They Say Today?
Given these realities leaders in the field of healthcare and hospital management must now confront the fact that self reporting on preparedness is a failed method, no different than asking a 10 year old to grade their own final exam. With the curtain pulled back it is time for healthcare and hospitals to say:

"It is our corporate and personal responsibility to ensure the safety and preparedness of our entire staff, clinical and non-clinical as well as prepare to respond to the needs of the patients we serve every day and the patients we will serve when disaster strikes."

The problem is that healthcare and hospital leaders have done everything in their power to quietly avoid the need to make this statement much less bring this statement into reality. In the two years since the Institutes of Medicine published their reports, hospitals have lobbied first to delay and forestall the deadlines for both Joint Commission preparedness guidelines and National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance elements. The effect of this has been to make such things as facility beautification a higher financial priority than facility preparedness.

What is Needed?
While the Institutes of Medicine and many other organizations have made recommendations to improve hospital disaster preparedness, the sad fact is that the only way to force hospitals to properly and adequately prepare is to enforce the existing guidelines, mandate meaningful external certification of compliance and engage the public in demanding local hospitals "just do it." There is an old adage in healthcare law:

"No change in healthcare has ever come without regulation, legislation or litigation."

Enforcement of existing guidelines will require that the applicable government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Medicare Services mandate full and complete NIMS compliance by the original September 30, 2008 deadline. Further, these agencies must be willing to use the full force of law to induce hospitals to invest in preparedness rather than pianos and fountains. Federal preparedness legislation carries with it implications of Medicare fraud, Sarbanes-Oxley violations and federal false claims issues. It is an unfortunate reality that government must all too often prosecute to create compliance.

The private sector has a responsibility to enforce preparedness guidelines as well. Joint Commission has repeatedly chosen to "partner with hospitals" rather than "punish" the recalcitrant faculties who repeatedly delay and curtail preparedness efforts. Joint Commission accreditation is a powerful force for change in hospital healthcare. The current tendency of hospitals to do as little as possible as slowly as possible necessitates that Joint Commission enforce the original preparedness compliance deadline in January of 2009 rather than permitting yet another extension.

Perhaps the best thing everyone in healthcare oversight and leadership can say to the American people is:

"We're Sorry and We Will Do Better!

Where Did All the Doctors Go?

2008-09-08T04:07:00.000-07:00

In the fall of 2010, the gulf coast of the United States is again struck by a category four hurricane. Five years of planning and preparation swing into action. Hospitals, structurally reinforced to survive such storms, remain open and operational, serving their communities during and after the storm. State and Federal recovery plans assist displaced people return to home and even find jobs. The criticisms of Katrina resulted in palpable change!

As life returns to normal, people begin to shift their healthcare needs from the hospitals back to the community. To the horror of those who have moved back home, they find that many of their doctors have not returned. Not only are the medical professionals missing, but the all important ancillary providers are absent. In many communities, only one dentist or chiropractor is able to return and restart their practices. Healthcare services become the next disaster to spread across the region.

Where Did All the Doctors Go?

While most hospitals in the United States are corporately owned and supported, most healthcare providers are owners or employees of small, local businesses. Even the biggest medical practices in a community are regionally limited in presence, thus when a community is temporarily displaced by disaster, the most secure healthcare providers find themselves displaced as well.

Few small businesses have the financial reserves to meet fixed costs of business during a forced shutdown. The problem for healthcare practices is complicated by the costs associated with malpractice insurance, general liability insurance, employee benefits, healthcare student loans, equipment leases, licensure and more. In most cases, healthcare practices maintain less than two weeks funds for fixed expenses in reserve. Although the delay in payment inherent to insurance billing and other third party payment systems can help bridge the period of shutdown, the shutdown will eventually manifest as a gap in cash flow.

Faced with the probability of financial ruin, many healthcare providers seek new practice opportunities after only a short period of displacement. Once established in a new community, the likelihood of uprooting the family again and moving back to their old home is very small. This was the experience following hurricanes Andrew, Opal, Charlie and Katrina.

What Should Be Done?

The key need for the community is the return of their most trusted and valued professionals. These professionals have a key need as well; they need to reestablish their practice as soon as possible. The most obvious solution is to include these healthcare professionals in the disaster response and recovery plan. One significant lesson observed during hurricane Katrina is that if a healthcare provider is not part of the response plan before the disaster, there will be no role for them during the response and recovery.

How do healthcare providers become part of their local disaster plan?

The opportunities to participate in a disaster response exist in a matrix based on the intersections of four options:

* Paid vs. Volunteer
* Hospital vs. Office/Clinic

The healthcare provider seeking to survive as a business may initially serve a volunteer role, but they must eventually transition to a paid, fee for service role and reestablish their profitable business operations.

From Free to Fee

How does a healthcare provider make the transition from a volunteer to a paid provider?

Here are some suggestions:

· The healthcare professional must state how long they can offer their services for free. Healthcare providers in various jurisdictions are constrained as to the type of services that can be offered for free and circumstances in which services can be offered for free, thus it is essential that healthcare providers be explicit regarding the commitments they can make. For example,

"I can afford to volunteer for one week. I can afford to bring X amount of supplies. If we run out of materials before two weeks, you supply the material and I'll stay the remainder of the time I stated."

After the two weeks are up, before the healthcare provider pulls out and leaves, the provider should talk with the people they have been helping. At this point, the community can ask the provider to stay and begin providing services for a fee.

· When the community writes the disaster response and recovery plans (before a disaster hits), the healthcare providers should register with the ESF-8 (Emergency Support Function 8) office of their local and state Emergency Operations Center. This office is responsible for ensuring that critical services, including healthcare, are included in disaster planning. Further, during a disaster response and recovery, the ESF-8 office is responsible for ensuring that the critical service provider receives supplies and resources to remain operational.

· Become a community resource as a healthcare service provider and receive referrals for fee based services. This is completely ethical. In fact, it's a win-win solution. The community keeps its healthcare professionals and the healthcare provider has work. What could be better?

The bottom line is that healthcare businesses need to understand the different ways to participate in a disaster response, and they need to get over the stigma of profiting from disaster. Realize that the people receiving healthcare services don't mind paying for them. Similarly, communities and emergency management professionals must expand their plans to include all healthcare professionals in the community, not just the medical physicians, nurses and hospital staff. After all, the healthcare providers in a community were important to the community before the disaster, how much more important are these professionals after the disaster?

Van Elslander Pavilion Features Leading-Edge Technology With a Patient-Focused Design

2008-09-08T04:06:00.000-07:00

When patients and visitors enter the Van Elslander Pavilion at St. John Hospital & Medical Center (SJH&MC), they are greeted by warm reception and waiting areas. Above, natural light floods through the three-story atrium windows. While the recently opened pavilion is the new front entrance to the hospital, visitors are struck by the non-hospital feel of the environment. Part of the $163 million expansion program planned for the hospital, the Van Elslander Pavilion opened in fall 2007 and is part of the largest expansion program in St. John's 54-year history.

The 250,000-square-foot pavilion is also home to the W. Warren Shelden Heart and Circulatory Center, where nearly an entire floor has been dedicated to cardiovascular services. The center features 30 individual waiting rooms.

Also located in the new pavilion, the Fontbonne Diagnostic Imaging Department offers updated digital imaging services, including two 64-slice CT scanners and a 16-slice scanner. Another 64-slice scanner will be located in the emergency room.

In addition, the Van Elslander Pavilion merges the ultrasound, vascular lab and nuclear medicine departments. To date, two additional floors of the Van Elslander Pavilion have opened. The final floor is scheduled for completion in early June. In all, the pavilion will offer 144 private patient rooms. The entire facility features leading-edge technology services arranged in a patient-focused design.

The Van Elslander Pavilion's second and third floors were also recently opened following dedication ceremonies. The second floor, 5 North, will care for cardiac patients. while the pavilion's third floor, 6 North, will care for oncology patients. The floors feature 36 private rooms (including bariatric rooms). Every aspect of the new, large patient rooms has been designed to enhance the healing environment and maximize comfort for patients and their families. Each room has a flat-screen television, conference rooms, physicians team conference room, and custom nurse work spaces.

In addition to the Van Elslander Family Foundation, other donors to the Van Elslander Pavilion have included the John A. and Marlene L. Boll Foundation, the Shelden family, the Manoogian Foundation, Anthony L. Soave and family, Gretchen C. Valade and Jane and Robert Nugent, as well as the Kresge Foundation, Emergency Medicine Specialists and the St. John Hospital Guild.

Also making history, the St. John Emergency Physicians pledged $1 million to the SJH&MC Expansion Campaign. For their donation, the group will receive recognition in the renovated Emergency Center. The pledge is the largest from a physician group in SJH&MC's history. So far, SJH&MC physicians have raised more than $2.5 million for the campaign.

Recently, St. John Health Hospitals were honored as two of the nation's top 15 major teaching hospitals by one of the country's leading sources of health care information and research. The recognition from Thomson (formerly Solucient) recognizes hospitals that achieve or exceed national benchmark scores for hospital-wide performance.

The Sisters of St. Joseph started St. John Hospital in 1952 with 250 beds and 70 employees. Work on the hospital began immediately following a groundbreaking ceremony in 1948. As of 2006, the hospital employed 4,900 employees and a 700-member medical staff. The hospital is comprised of seven hospitals plus more than 125 medical facilities in southeast Michigan. Each year, thousands of lives are improved through services such as heart, cancer, obstetrics, neurosciences, orthopedics, physical rehabilitation, behavioral medicine, surgery, emergency and urgent care.

St. John Hospital and Medical Center, a leading regional destination hospital is a member of St. John Health, the largest provider of inpatient care in southeast Michigan and one of the largest employers in metro Detroit.

National Nursing Shortage

2008-09-01T03:56:00.001-07:00

At one point or another most of us have relied on the care of a registered nurse to provide the aid and support we need to get our health on track. Not only is the nursing profession the largest segment of the healthcare system, but it also makes one of the largest impacts on it, and thus on the lives of everyone. This makes the fact that the United States is on verge of a critical nursing shortage extremely unsettling. Nurse to patient ratios are dropping, jeopardizing patient care in the process. For now, most hospitals with a staffing need can overcome shortages, but a steady decline continues as more and more people don't even consider the viability of nursing as a career. Without steps to ensure the underlying causes are corrected a future worsening of the nursing shortage, as well as healthcare in general, is guaranteed.

Currently, 30 states are suffering from a shortage of nurses. Nearly ninety percent of long term facilities are insufficiently staffed, and are forced to refuse admissions do to the inability to provide basic care. With 126,000 open nursing positions, a number expected to grow to 1.1 million by 2012, the fate of healthcare in the United States is look grim. But with more new nursing jobs expected to be created than for any other occupation, the time is right to reverse the problem.

To avoid the oncoming shortage disaster, and sustain the change, solutions must be developed in: health care systems, image, policy, and education. But, these changes must be developed and maintained by nurse practitioners, leaders, health care executives, media, and government to effectively solve the problem and divert future disaster.

Electronic Medical Records Provide Safety and Convenience

2008-09-01T03:56:00.000-07:00

Whereas in the past, medical records were almost entirely contained in standard ink and paper format, US legislation enacted in 1996 (HIPAA) primarily to protect patient records had the secondary effect of encouraging medical practices to begin implementation of EMR (electronic medical records) software. These programs enable doctors and hospitals to rapidly move information across multiple locations-an office convenience that can also be life-saving, as emergency rooms and physicians in the field have access to accurate, up-to-date electronic medical records for patients who can't speak for themselves.

An unforeseen benefit of the EMR software industry, which emerged as a means to help physicians deal with new federal regulations, has been patient empowerment. Patients are now able to download medical records onto flash drives that go with them wherever they go-giving them more choice in selecting a medical care provider. No longer are patients required to physically move records from one practice to the other when changing doctors; no longer do patients who wish to see a new doctor have to wait on the new practice to acquire their old records. And no longer do practices have to spend time waiting on a patient's old doctor to fax over records.

EMR software has revolutionized virtually every industry attached to medicine. A growing trend in medical and insurance practices is directly related to patient convenience: rather than a hard drive, patients can utilize online medical records. Many offices now host secure websites on which patients can view their records, charts, notes, or test results-even reminders about when to schedule things (like cholesterol tests or immunizations).

Patients love it, because it gives them quick access to things that once required a phone call or office visit. Doctors love it, because a well-informed patient who takes advantage of their physican's EMR practices is easier to provide care for.

Facility Maintenance For Assisted Living

2008-09-01T03:55:00.001-07:00

The family learned a few months ago that Dad would need assistance in his daily life. His slowly deteriorating health was making it difficult for him to take care of himself. They decided to move him to an assisted living facility for now and later as he became worse into a long term care facility. Before taking Dad to the first facility they contacted, they did some research first. One of the areas they found lacking in some units was the facility maintenance program.

Budgets have become tight due to many causes. Many of these facilities have to find areas to cut back. Daily support such as dietary needs are prioritized needs while the facility maintenance of the building does without the needed updates.

Assisted living facilities are treated more like home maintenance than institutional maintenance. The difference from a normal home maintenance is the amount and type of residents. Incontinence and wheelchairs or walkers often cause destruction in the rooms. Regular maintenance is needed to keep walls, carpets and baseboards clean or repaired for the safety and sanitation of the patients.

The HVAC, sprinkler and fire systems are complicated and must comply with local regulations. These regulations call for regular inspections of the systems. Without routine preventative facility maintenance in the budget, these homes can be closed if the systems are not kept up to code.

Regular routine maintenance needs to be done to keep the facility safe. It is recommended to change filters in heating and cooling systems, keep the coils clean and checking sprinkler systems routinely. Keeping the current system well maintained lengthens the life expectancy of the unit.

Maintenance workers should be qualified in what they do. They will be interacting with the residents so they should be good at making the residents feel safe and satisfied with the work. They are often called upon to assist in the changes in a room.

The family found an assisted living facility that met their needs. The home had a reasonable budget set aside for facility maintenance needs. When it came time to move dad into the facility, the maintenance team was called upon to put up shelves and move furniture so Dad could feel at home.

The maintenance team routinely checks the exits for accessibility. The lighting was checked often and new bulbs replaced as needed. The doors had been recently greased and the floors were free of cracks so their dad could easily navigate in his wheelchair.

Their dad enjoyed interacting with the maintenance workers. They often held special activities such as workshops for the men. This allowed them to talk about things they missed in their lives such as working with tools. The family appreciated the extra care and time the team spent with their dad.

The maintenance crew acts as a part of the caregivers. They provide extra eyes and ears because of their continued access to the resident units. They notice when the cupboard doors need repair or painting and see behavior changes in the resident. They can tell when a door is getting uncommonly heavy use, such as when a resident uses the door for support. They are all trained in first aid and CPR.

Assisted living facilities often have higher use than long term care units. Most residents are ambulatory and active. Higher activity levels lead to more intense maintenance programs to keep the building from going downhill quickly.

The family was pleased to find an assisted living home that realized keeping facility maintenance as a priority in their budget was beneficial to the residents.

Getting Healthy - Eliminating a Symptom is Not a Cure!

2008-09-01T03:55:00.000-07:00

"He who cures the disease
may be the skillfullest,
but he who prevents it
is the safest."
Thomas Fuller, 1608-1681

Getting Healthy implies that you are not considered healthy at this time but you want to regain your health and vitality. When you google the tem you'll find that getting healthy is an even more ambiguous concept than "staying healthy". The basic question is, where you come from. Apparently excess weight is one of the starting points, so the Harvard University, School for Public Health web site may have some useful advice. Anyway it seems that for Google "getting healthy" means getting off the couch and start exercising. This may be an important step for all those people living a sedentary lifestyle, but that is - of course - only part of the story.

Most people that read this column are recovering from an illness or injury and are interested to regain their health as quickly as possible and they tacitly define health as Vitality and Energy. If you are one of those people, you are in the right place, because drug-centric medicine cannot get you there. Drugs are designed for and can do a good job in making the symptoms vanish, i.e. get rid of the signs of the disease, but the cause may not subside and still be there when the symptoms are gone. If so, it is just a question of time until other, possibly worse symptoms will occur. So this is a good time to analyze what has made you sick in the first place and then develop a program to build up your immunity, as the first step towards regaining your strength.

Unfortunately, few people are aware of the significance of identifying the cause of disease, particularly when it seems to be over. But having no symptoms does not mean it's over and it rarely is. For example, a survivor of chemo-therapy may celebrate victory, but the immune system is now destroyed and the subject is vulnerable to even the weakest attack. It is vital to build up resistance immediately to ward off any attackers, meaning that the lifestyle has to be adjusted to avoid exposure to toxic elements wherever they occur, in food, water, air, environment, personal care and household detergent products.

The incumbent may be simply overtaxed with the task, but Naturopathic Clinics staffed by NMD's, or ND's are specialized to analyze, remedy and coach the person to regain his or her original strength and vitality. Very often we meet people with so called "unexplained symptoms", that is when the doctor sends you home because there is nothing wrong, but you just feel miserable. These conditions are more serious than what meets the eye, a patient implicitly accused of faking a disease, just because drugs-centric medicine fails to diagnose a cause, may suffer from stress, depression and low self-esteem and these conditions do not help in the healing process.

In any case when you feel "not healthy" - don't wait for it to go away, it is a situation to take action in order to avoid worse things to come. If you have seen doctors that were not able to give the answer, there is no reason for despair, it could be that standard healthcare were analyzing symptoms and they couldn't find any. But we know that many diseases make you feel miserable for no apparent reason, long before any symptoms show up, and when they do, they seem to be unrelated to the cause. A good example is a digestive disorder that you may not know you have, but it causes periodontal disease which, when it occurs is treated as an oral bacteria problem and fails to heal.

Inside Nursing Homes & Rehab Centers - Physical Therapists I Have Known

2008-09-01T03:54:00.000-07:00

Surprise! I am writing this article to tell you some good things concerning nursing homes. Since my associates and I have had the opportunity to visit numerous nursing homes and rehab centers and also numerous hospitals and numerous other medical centers and sections, I can give you a bird's eye view of something that is very important.

I am writing about the physical and occupational therapists -- who are working inside of nursing homes, hospitals and rehabilitation and care centers. This is probably one of the good things that can happen to someone inside of a nursing home IF they are able to access these treatments/training and exercise sessions. Once residents were allowed to actually go to the physical therapy room, and once they actually got their scheduled time with the therapists, the therapists worked hard and long hours to help the residents get independent.

Even in the very worst rehab center, the attitude and professionalism of the physical therapists and occupational therapists was never in question. The ones that I saw working with patients were doing their jobs and earning their pay, each and every day. I observed therapists working hard to help residents be successful in therapy. Most of them were polite, professional and hard-working EVEN in the most horrible rehab center. I have to say that and give them credit. These people were there to do a job and they did it. So the problems are not with that particular department inside of nursing homes.

I witnessed therapists helping patients using wheelchairs, walkers, and all sorts of mild sports equipment. They walked behind patients who were re-learning to use the walkers for the first time. Patient worked on all sorts of interesting rehab equipment.

So, ONCE the residents actually arrived,they could get good therapy once it was there turn. Problem is the waiting. And the waiting is not the therapist's fault, but it is the fault of administration and owners who do not properly supply the therapy equipment needed. So patients would need to take turns on various equipment and it the equipment was not ready, then patients would use other equipment.

Difference between good and bad centers:

In the bad centers, they had less than adequate equipment. And the ones they did have , they did not have enough of. In the good centers, there was great equipment and there was adequate equipment, so patients are not waiting their lives away for therapy.

In the bad centers, patients were told to line up at the elevators upstairs and wait until staff came to get them. THe process was slow, and painful. These residents were waiting their lives away. In the good centers, patients had very short waits if any.

IN ALL the centers, both good and bad:

Most of the physical therapists have not been damaged by the bad medical centers but if they stay there long enough (in the bad places), they will eventually have their reputations ruined. In some of the places, it seems that the physical therapists are the only really caring and concerned workers who are not goofing off. Most of the physical therapists that I spoke with or saw working with patients were giving excellent care. These workers are educated, informed individuals who seem to have a genuine concern for the patients that they work with. As they work, they see improvements day by day and that makes their work more rewarding.

Once I saw a person who began working in one of the better nursing homes progress from not being able to walk two inches to being able to walk for about twenty feet. So there is hope, progress and a good reason to attend physical therapy sessions at these places if you are stuck there as a patient. If you are thinking of going into the physical therapy occupation, you might want to investigate it more thoroughly, and get all the information you can get about schools in your location.

Is Your Doctor Helping You Get Well Or Not?

2008-08-30T00:33:00.000-07:00

It's sad but true the traditional doctor, in most cases, does not help people get well.

In the first place most doctors don't spend enough time with you to find out exactly
what ails you.

Then to make matters worse they usually write a prescription for your ailment because that's is all they know what to do. Because most traditional doctors are not educated well enough in medical school about nutrition they only know how to prescribe a drug to cure your illness.

Getting hooked on prescription drugs is not a smart thing to do. In fact it is more destructive than it is beneficial. All drugs, as you should know, have a variety of side effects that can make you more miserable than before you took them.

Why is the world would you want to subject your body to all those adverse conditions? You are also suppressing the ability of your immune system to function properly too.

It's amazing to me to hear of all the stories of people gulping down multiple amounts of prescription drugs everyday. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that drug overdoses killed 33,000 in 2005, second only to car accidents in the category of accidental deaths. In 1999 the number was 20,000 and in 1990, 10,000 died. I wonder what the figure is today. I'm sure it must be bigger.

Consider that 46% of Americans take at least one prescription pill daily. Are these drugs really solving all your problems? Big Pharma spends billions to promote their products on TV, the radio, in print advertising and even puts tremendous on doctors to promote their drugs. Do you know that America is only one of two countries in the world that allows prescription drug ads? The only other country is New Zealand.

What is so disturbing for me is that Big Pharma has a huge grip on the U.S. Congress. Just take a good look at what is happening. Recent Presidential cabinets and the FDA have been stacked with pharmaceutical executives.

The members of Congress who are really concerned about the Nations health get defeated every time there is legislature presented to protect all nutritional products.

You want to hear a real sad story? Senator Edward Kennedy is a prime supporter in Congress who would like to have legislation destroy our ability to buy nutritional products. Now what is a real mystery to me is why would he want to do that when he has a cancerous brain tumor that could well be caused by him taking statin drugs for his high cholesterol problem and also high blood pressure medicine for that condition too.

Blood pressure medication typically reduces the flow of nutrition and oxygen to your brain, resulting in acid pH and an environment readily suitable for cancer growth.

Now as for as statins are concerned here's even more shocking news to know. Statins cause cancer for a variety of reasons. A fact that is covered up by the 20 billion dollars a year statin industry with the help of Senators on both sides of the political aisle, like Kennedy, who actively supports the Big Pharma agenda.

In addition to statins causing cancer here is some other things to be concerned about many other drugs. Statins is just one of many drugs that interfere with your normal immune function in multiple ways. Statins even interfere with core survival systems that are "branches" in the normal production of LDL cholesterol (that's the good cholesterol). In addition important anti-cancer nutrients such as vitamin D and coenzyme Q10 are also reduced by stations.

The disadvantages of taking statin drugs are unbelievably destructive. Even brain cells are weakened by statins. The longer a person stays on these drugs the worse the problem becomes.

All this information just presented is only about statin drugs and high blood pressure medication. This is just a drop in the bucket of the many other prescription drugs that are extremely dangerous to swallow.

It would take page after page of data to list all the prescription drugs that are harmful for you to get hooked on. What is really disturbing is that traditional doctors still prescribe these poisons everyday to their patients.

I can't emphasize it enough folks. Get smart about how to take charge of your health before you destroy it completely.

How to Choose a Name For Your Cash Pay Medical Practice

2008-08-30T00:32:00.001-07:00

One of the most important aspects of running a cash pay medical practice is choosing a name for your office. While the traditional medical marketing strategy for physicians is simply to put their name on an exterior sign, and perhaps to use a medical advertising agency to help them reach out to their community, there is a more effective healthcare marketing approach.

* Choose a name that advertises your preference for cash pay patients. You do not want to immediately turn any potential patients off; but on the other hand you want your community to know your payment requirements from the very beginning. Although you may not want to put "cash-pay only" in your actual name, you may want to add some soft reminders to this fact in your healthcare marketing strategy. Perhaps a healthcare consulting firm could give you some hints on how to incorporate your payment requirements into your subtitle. For example, your medical practice name followed by "a limited insurance provider." Most healthcare marketing firms can help you create a name that gently lets potential patients know about your payment requirements.

* Choose a name that stands out from the crowd. Healthcare advertising has long been driven by the name of the physician-and rightly so. But how do you make your practice stand out for potential patients who may just be skimming through the telephone book or other physician marketing publications? The answer is to put something unique in your cash pay medical practice name-or at least in the subtitle. An indication about how easy it is to obtain medical service with your practice is always a good option. Fast in-fast out, limited paperwork. In today's hectic world, the easier you can make visiting your practice, the better. Again, a healthcare marketing firm can help you decide how to incorporate fast service into your practice's name.

* Choose a name that indicates your area of medical expertise. In order to make it as easy as possible for patients to know your specialized area of medicine, your expertise should be clearly stated in your name. All medical marketing, including latino medical practice marketing, is targeted towards a specific patient audience, and this is done to ensure that the patients you serve know exactly what they can expect in your cash pay medical practice. While it is perhaps inappropriate to put your specialty directly in your name, a subtitle that states your field is perfect. You want your healthcare advertising to be as clear as possible and to reach as many potential patients as possible.

The Water Purification Process - An Attempt to Explain Water Purification in Simple Terms

2008-08-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

A water purification process may include a number of different steps. To explain water purification in specific localities, it is necessary to contact your treatment facility or visit their website, if they have one. Some plants are very large and some stations only service a few homes. What follows are the steps used by my local facility.

Ion exchange is the first step in the complex water purification process. Ion exchange can accomplish several things. The facility uses it to remove various metal ions. It is sometimes referred to as "softening". In home systems it is used to balance mineral content, pH levels and remove traces of lead that can seep in through the pipes.

When this step in the water purification process is complete, if effective, there will be no heavy metals like lead, iron, mercury or cadmium. All of which can cause health problems.

Step two is Granular Activated Carbon. As, we are attempting to explain water purification, it is important to note that a water purification process may be used in the home or in a facility or both. Carbon blocks are used in both.

At the facility, there is an oversized granular activated carbon bed. In home units and at facilities where they are used carbon removes chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, and other organic contaminants. THM's or trihalomethanes, which are produced during chlorination, will also be removed by carbon.

Sediment filtration is the third step in our local water purification process. It is a simple paper sediment filter which traps larger particles like sand, dirt or grit. They need to be removed early in the process, to prevent clogging later on.

Step four in the water purification process is reverse osmosis. This is a step that has been adapted for home use, but it is only necessary when the source is particularly contaminated. Depending on the size of the pores in the membrane, it can remove a variety of contaminants, but only those that are heavier or larger than the water's molecules.

Step five is called the five micron carbon block filter. It is designed to capture small particles, those that pass through the reverse osmosis membrane.

In the next step of our local water purification process ultra violet lights are used for disinfection. It is easier to explain water purification of this type, because the design is simple. It consists of a chamber with large ultra violet light.

UV disinfection is followed by a one micro sediment filter. Oxygenation is used to further disinfect and purify. Then the resulting product is stored for use by humans.

In our area, chlorine is again added to prevent algae and bacteria growth in the pipes. So, even though our local water purification process is a good one, we still need carbon filtration in our homes to remove chlorine and THMs.

This was a very brief attempt to explain water purification. There are many other stages that can be included and in some areas, all of the ones mentioned here are not used. The best advice is to have a good water purification process for your home, because contamination can happen in an instant.

Why the Statement 'Trust Me I'm a Doctor' Should Be Taken and Thrown Out Through the Window!

2008-08-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

The statement 'Trust me I'm a doctor' should be taken and thrown out through the window. Consider it like this, to get the picture on how the medical / pharmaceutical establishment have caused so much ill health and death over the years. For example, as reported by Gary Null et al, in 1 year the establishment were responsible for nearly 784,000 deaths in the USA through medical intervention. The breakdown off this figure includes adverse drug reactions, medical error, bedsores, infection, malnutrition, outpatients, unnecessary procedures and surgery.
We can see that if the above figure for the total number of iatrogenic deaths (deaths through medical intervention) could be projected over a 10-year period, this would come to just over 7.8 million. -That's more than the number of war casualties in the history of America!

Dr Lucian L. Leape made the earliest known iatrogenic study in 1994, published in the journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Through his studies over various hospital over the United States he could have chosen the average fertility rate, which was about 20%, but instead chose to use a lower figure of 4% (was he playing it diplomatically safe when giving this account to his superiors???). If he had chosen the average figure of 20%, that would have totaled to 1,189,576 iatrogenic deaths for a year instead. -This is the equivalent to reading the headline in our imaginary newspaper: 'OVER 10 FULL 747 AIRPLANES CRASH KILLING ALL ITS PASSENGERS'
Psychiatry, indeed, the medical branch of psychology, is no different. This has more than its fair share of fraud, propagated by the usual suspects with their black money and cabalistic cover-ups: Pharmaceutical company people, the FDA, easily corrupted high-ranking politicians, bad science and a paid off press.

Did you know that psychiatrists are 5 times more likely to commit suicide than the average population? Similarly, Alcoholics Anonymous in the United States have reported a high number of psychiatrists in their groups. So much for psychiatrists being the models of mental health...
They use a manual called the DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual) for diagnosing individuals and identifying disorders. The disorders have been questioned as to whether or not they exist, since they are established by a committee of votes, rather than by sound science. The DSM catalog has hugely increased over recent years, beyond what some might say logic. However, it must be remembered that more diagnosed individual's means more drugs prescribed and therefore more money for big pharma.

-This sounds incredible, but when you look at it in detail, for example, it may be easy to see right through the ruse. Especially when the DSM decides by vote to include what could be called questionable disorders like 'Lottery Stress Disorder' and 'Shaking Leg Syndrome' Does it sound like I'm making these things up? Remember the treatments just happen to rake in drugs profits, if you get my drift...

Medical Insurance For Self Employed

2008-08-29T03:39:00.000-07:00

For the newly self employed, health insurance is a major consideration. If you do not prepare for those unexpected health disasters, you could be in for a major financial setback or worse. Whether you live in California or Georgia, obtaining the right coverage is critical in the early stages of your self-employment.

When you start your own small business or become a solo professional, you need to think about replacing the function of your former human resources department at your previous employer. It is a real challenge to play so many different roles but it is a reality in the business world that you must accept.

What should you look for in self employed medical insurance? I would advise seeking out a general coverage plan that includes most if not all of your former benefits. You need to think about the deductible you think is affordable for you and your family. You also need to think about how much you want to pay for emergency room services and prescription drugs.

Of course, no one can plan for absolutely everything so you need to plan as well as you can, setting your target for the most economical and comprehensive health insurance plan you can find. There are so many websites out there today that make this process simple and straightforward for you.

What is the best free health insurance for self employed individuals? That is a great question! I am positive that free health insurance does not exist, but I suppose it does not hurt to search online for it. You never know. Probably the best route is to search government or local websites for information about that type of coverage.

With so many other self employed benefits, try not to let the health insurance obstacle slow you down. Yes, searching for an affordable premium, completing paperwork, and talking to customer service operators is going to take time away from your busy schedule, but it needs to be done and as soon as possible.

You might also consider contacting local business startup organizations for help with the process just to be sure you've covered all your bases. Since self employed insurance is very different from state-to-state, this is a good idea. Laws, premiums, and systems may be in stark contrast between Indiana, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. You never know what exceptions might exist in each state (or what extra benefits or special programs might be available).

Busy Hospital Days and Nights

2008-08-29T03:38:00.000-07:00

Many of us, after a long days work, simply want to relax and put up our feet. Our days at work can be stressful and full of tiring hours. There is nothing like coming home at the end of a busy day and just doing nothing. The hours we put in at work seem to go on endlessly; for when we come home, it is difficult to not think about work. We come home and think about what needs to get done the next day, or about what we did get done, but need to go back and fix. For a lot of us this solely involves doing, or re-doing in some cases, paperwork or a meeting that we have to attend.

Doctors, however, have an entirely different burden. Imagine, if you will, treating a young ten-year-old girl for cancer or caring for someone's elderly grandfather. Doctors, on a daily basis, deal with the living and dying of their patients. To be a doctor means that you are thinking about your patients for what must feel like twenty-four hours a day. Each doctor walks around in their landau medical scrubs and tries to find the best remedy possible for his patients. Their number one concern is the well-being of each and every individual that they treat.

If a particular medical doctor is a surgeon, they are most likely contemplating their next surgery. They are most likely reading through their patients' medical charts to make sure that everything is looking great before the time for surgery is at hand. An OB-GYN on the other hand, is most likely wearing his cheap medical scrubs and monitoring his patient at hourly intervals to make sure the delivery is progressing normally. There are many things that can weigh heavily on a doctor's mind around the clock.

With another human being's life in their hands, doctors have one of the most stressful jobs around. They are continuously looking out for us; even if it means when they have the day off. Just like the rest of us, they are probably finding themselves looking to the next day they are back at work at what lies ahead of them. Their minds are constantly racing back to the office, just as ours are.

So the next time that you see a doctor without the cherokee workwear scrubs that he normally wears for his day job, just remember that he is probably thinking about the next step he will be taking to treat a patient. Or maybe he will be thinking about a particularly special life that he happened to save that day. Doctor's may carry the burden of saving the lives of complete strangers, but they also have the satisfaction and reward they get from doing their very best to make someone else's life even better and longer.

Top 10 Reasons Medical Insurance Companies Want YOU As a Customer!

2008-08-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

Medical and healthcare insurance companies originally came into being as a way of financing increasingly more expensive healthcare options. However insurance companies be they medical insurance, health insurance, car insurance, home insurance or any other insurance are in the business to make money. They make money by calculating the income they can charge and the costs they will incur by offering the service. If the income is higher than the cost then they are happy to extend coverage and if the income is significantly higher than the cost they spend money marketing to you so as to make sure you buy the service. Truthfully the more profit for them the less you need them.

So what kind of people are medical and healthcare insurance companies looking for? The more of the following items that apply to you the more they want YOU.

1. You know that time tested home remedies such as lemon and honey have been shown to be just as effective at curing a bad cold as everything sold at the local pharmacy
2. You believe in preventive care which isn't covered instead of reactive care which is.
3. You don't watch a lot of TV so you haven't been convinced by the major pharmaceutical companies that the solution to your healthcare problems comes in the form of a pill.
4. You are not a hypochondriac.
5. You are 18-35 and healthy.
6. You exercise regularly.
7. You are not overweight.
8. You don't smoke.
9. You have a "living will" that prohibits invasive procedures, aggressive treatment and resuscitation as you near death.
10. You haven't figured out how profitable a customer you are

If you believe that medicine and healthcare are products to be bought and sold, then the existence of companies such as insurance companies that try to select who buys and sells this product is logical. However if you believe that like education, medicine and healthcare are universal rights to be obtained based on need and not affordability then the mere existence of medical insurance companies is a moral outrage.

To see what a society that believes medicine and healthcare are products to be bought and sold looks like you can travel to pretty much any third world country and look around. Those who buy medical care can afford to, those that cannot afford to buy it don't!

Hematology and Transcription Services

2008-08-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

Hematology transcription is one of the rapidly growing essential services in healthcare and refers to a specialized medical transcription service related to a branch of medicine. What is hematology? It is the branch of internal medicine that deals with the study of blood, the organs involved in blood production, and blood disorders. It covers the biochemical and physiological aspects of blood. Hematology involves knowledge of the blood cells and analyzing the various changes that can occur in diseased cells. The word has its origin from two Greek words, namely haima and logos meaning blood and study respectively.

Hematology includes diagnosis and treatment of blood related diseases along with the study. For diagnosis, certain tests are performed with the blood. Some of the common tests are full blood counts, blood films, bone marrow biopsies, and Coombs test. Full blood count is commonly prescribed by doctors as part of the medical examination. This test is done to check whether there is any increase or decrease in the number of blood cells from the normal level.

In hematology, the treatment varies depending upon the type of the disease the patient has. Some diseases need prolonged treatments and take a long time to recover. Some others need only few days to recover. Diet advice and medications are included in the treatments. For patients with anemia, blood transfusion is done as part of the treatment. Chemotherapy, radio therapy, and bone marrow transplantations are included in the treatment methods for leukemia.

The doctors who are specialized in working with patients of hematological problems are called hematologists. These doctors mainly treat patients with blood related diseases, and later dictate the entire incident onto digital recorders which are later sent to professional hematology transcriptionists who specialize in transcription of audio dictations into typed transcripts.

Discount Health Care Plan That Helps

2008-08-27T00:09:00.000-07:00

A few months back, my brother and I had been to a hospital for some minor ailment and after consultation we were given a prescription by the doctor for necessary medication. In spite of the nature of the ailment, the bill amount was so huge and someone from a normal middle class would not be able to afford it. I really felt the pinch - my purse being significantly lighter when I left the hospital. A few days later, one of my friends shared a similar experience, with me, which he had during one of his hospital visits. We discussed the skyrocketing medical and consultation charges and agreed that there are no chances of escaping the drug prices in the near future. We discussed of a means of surviving this rise in charges for drugs as well as consultation and started doing some research on health insurance.

This is when we stumbled upon a great testimonial for Ameriplan, which is all about the medical discount plans. The medical discount plans offered by Ameriplan Corporation, the nation's premier Discount Medical Plan Organization are said to reduce the expenses by 80%. These medical discount plans are also said to provide multiple benefits ranging from dental care, prescription, vision care, chiropractic care and medical care.

We at once knew that we have found exactly what we were looking for and wasted no time in grabbing the medical discount plan with both hands! When we signed up, we also came to know that Ameriplan provides business opportunity to anyone interested - either through commissions on signing up other members for discount plans or by becoming IBOs (Independent Business Owner) for the program and setting up a sales group for the program.

If you are one of those for whom your family's health is of primary importance and if mounting medical expenses have been disturbing you, Ameriplan may be the answer to all your concerns. To know more about the medical discount plans one of the useful websites would be

health-dental-discount-plans.com.

Health Care Solutions From Outside the Political Arena

2008-08-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

The American health care system is one of the most talked about issues surrounding the upcoming 2008 presidential elections. Both Democratic and Republican candidates have outlined new health care plans that may have a drastic impact on how many voters choose to cast their ballots.

The current economic recession has lead to financial trouble for many American families. With the cost of health care services and pharmaceuticals on the rise, this means some people are not able to afford the health care they need. Thousands of Americans, including children, are currently without any type of health care coverage.

The presidential candidates have each outlined plans for health care reform that should address this issue. Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are lobbying for a more universal health care system supported by the government. Republican candidate John McCain supports the privatization of the American Health Care System.

Research estimates 80 percent of healthcare spending is used by the sickest 20 percent of patients. This uneven distribution of funds can be adjusted if patients are given proper care at the start of their treatment to prevent the worsening of their conditions and the need for readmission to care facilities.

Some companies are already helping to alleviate some of the burden of health care costs from Americans, regardless of the election outcome. Health care services provider, McKesson has recently introduced new programs intended to combat unnecessary health spending through prevention and thorough care.

Community Care Advantage helps hospitals and other provider-based organizations provide high-quality care to indigent, chronically ill and newly discharged patients in a timely manner. This offering comprises three solutions that help to address preventable readmissions that cost Medicare $12 billion each year.

Community Health Services, Community Health Technologies and Consumer Convenience Solutions work together to ensure all patients have access to the high-quality care they need following initial treatment. Through these programs McKesson facilitates the monitoring of recently released patients and provides them and their caregivers with access to information about their condition and treatments, improving patient safety. Community Care Advantage empowers both patients and providers to follow treatment plans for proper condition management.

Patients are being effectively cared for and health care costs are being reduced thanks to community care programs. While health care reform may be getting considerable attention to its political relevance, these solutions are already beginning to improve the heath care situation.

Quality Family Doctors - Why Are They So Important?

2008-08-25T03:44:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a general practitioner or primary care physician, and most have trouble finding the one that is right for them. I want to blow open the mistakes people make and help you figure out how to get it done. Many patients I speak to "make do" with their primary care doctor, and I think that is the biggest mistake people can make when looking after themselves.

Why is the "right" general practitioner important

Your body will travel through life with you and you will be together right at the end.

It will break down and you will get ill multiple times. How well you keep it maintained is vital. If you have a poorly maintained body, you will either have a shorter life, or a more uncomfortable one. Maintenance is all about having a good relationship with a primary care doctor. It won't make you never get sick, but you will be more likely to recover faster, be more productive and be more able to enjoy your life.

It sounds a bit washy, so here is a real life example.

A friend of mine, who we will call Sarah, got ill with pneumonia. She had a great general practitioner who she saw promptly. Sarah was treated well and continued to get better. She trusted her doctor, and didn't want to let him down, so she went for her follow-up appointment, even though she was feeling much better. The general practitioner used that appointment to review the illness and figured out that the type of pneumonia was a bit odd for someone of Sarah's age and general health. So he did some more tests, which showed up a very early uncommon blood cancer. That was able to be treated before causing any other symptoms (except this unusual infection). So Sarah is not cured, but is still happy and functions well, many years longer than she was expected to.

Having the right doctor means:

* You will be more likely to go to the doctor when you are feeling a bit under the weather.
* Your doctor will be able to pick up on earlier symptoms, and diagnose things faster.
* Faster diagnosis means faster recovery. Faster return to work. All those good things.
* You will be more likely to attend for results and follow-up, which is important to look after your long term health.
* When you visit at other times, your doctor will be able to look at all of your health, not just the bit that hurts the most.
* Your doctor will be better at referring you to specialist care (if appropriate) as they will know you better, and be able to pick when you are particularly sick, and what specialist would best suit your personality.
* You will be more confident in the decisions they make.
* You will be more confident in asking questions, and know more abut what is going on, and therefore be more in control.
* You will become more involved in making your own health decisions.
* You will get better preventative care (of diabetes or hypertension, obesity or heart disease for example) because you will attend over a longer period of time.
* Attending more regularly means a better relationship - you will both get along better. More pleasant way to spend the day.

All of this things will make you a better maintained person. You and your body-mechanic need to have a close relationship, and there needs to be trust for one another. Things won't get missed, and if you are sick, it will be a much less traumatic experience.

Replace Your Files With an Electronic Health Diary

2008-08-25T03:43:00.000-07:00

Empty your cupboards; full of pages containing all your health information and files where you have stored all your health records. In long future, no more files will be used to store health records. In this computer age it will be shared electronically so no more files no more data no more pages- all in one. Store all your health information in an electronic health diary which is a secure as well as private means of recording all your health record. This will serve as a storehouse where all your health information is shared electronically to support health care decisions by caregivers. An Electronic Health Record (EHR) provides us with a secure and lifetime record of our health history. You can make this record available electronically to authorized health care providers and individual anywhere, anytime, in support of high-quality care. This helped a lot to health caregivers also to provide you the better service in future. This will bring a new era in the history of health service, a patient friendly system will exist.

All government hospitals, pharmacies, health institutions and other healthcare groups will share a private network that will aid in EHR development. A free software should be used to enable the doctors, pharmacies and labs to securely share and exchange data across the Internet world. A centralized electronic authorized registry system will help us to share our health data with health service providers. Another electronic data exchange should exist between different health information systems covering areas such as admission, discharge, transfer information, order entry and results reporting, scheduling and other referrals. You can keep a good track of your health by taking small steps and thereby can minimize your health risks.

This health system must be capable of supporting many different patient and healthcare provider's relationships. A long term relationship will establish in this way. Your family doctor will get a better understanding of your health history. Not only this if you have to visit your nearby or any hospital for undergoing a specific treatment every year or month, then a track your health history will get stored in the electronic patient record that every hospitals are using nowadays. You can also maintain your health records longitudinally that is typically in a form of a paper and this will contain information provided by the doctor or other external health sources such as laboratory, specialists, hospitals etc. An alert or reminder can also be set as for example in hospitals patient alert are created regarding patient's allergies, immunizations, family history, current medications, any specific disease like diabetes etc. So don't waste your time more on keeping records in files and then maintaining those files just change your habits and start regulating all your health record in an electronic health diary.

Drive-Thru Health Care

2008-08-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

According to the CDC, almost 44 million Americans do not have health insurance. That''s 44 million people who have to pay out of pocket for their health care. However, basic health care is becoming more affordable because of walk-in clinics.

Wanted: Health Insurance

44 million Americans lack health insurance. Unfortunately, all of those Americans need health insurance. They not only need health insurance to get adequate treatment for illnesses and injuries, but also for disease prevention, screening and early diagnosis.

When people do not have health insurance they worry about what they will do if they get sick. That should be the least of their concerns. There biggest concern should be whether or not they have a disease that could be treated in its earliest stages. They should also be worried about preventing chronic diseases.

As adults, you should see a health care provider at once least every two years. You need to get physicals and have "get well" visits. Your weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar should be checked. Many expensive and debilitating chronic disease can be prevented with those simple tests.

Toilet paper, Deodorant and Health care

Do not let the lack of health insurance prevent you from seeing a health care provider. Walk-in clinics are a great option for basic health care. You can find these clinics in multiple locations. They are in certain Wal-Mart, Target, CVS stores and as stand-alone locations. At Wal-Mart clinics a typical Get Well visit cost less than 65 dollars. You can have your cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure checked. You can also have many common health ailments treated. Find a Wal-Mart Clinic near you.

Wal-Mart is not the only place that offers walk-in clinic. Do a Google search or look in your yellow pages for a location near you. Go see a health care provider because prevention is cheaper than treatment.

How to Find an After Hours Doctor

2008-08-25T03:34:00.000-07:00

Doctors work around the clock, but it seems the ones that work after hours hide in the shadows a bit. Finding a doctor in public after 6pm needs more than a little luck. And if you manage to catch one, you have often dealt with a long wait and a higher than usual fee. When your medical problem is a roaring emergency, the answer is easy - simply call an ambulance or high-tail to the emergency department (where a little inside information will help shorten your wait). But when your problem is simpler, accessing a doctor seems a lot more complicated.

You can imagine the situation.
It's 7pm and you are just making dinner when you slice your hand with a knife. "Ow! Swear word! Ow!" you exclaim, as you compress the cut with a clean cotton dishtowel (rendered relatively sterile by the iron). The cut is not huge, and you are pretty sure it is not too deep, but it won't stop bleeding and you think you might need stitches. You are faced with the major modern medical dilemma - how do you find a doctor in the evening outside your local emergency department?

This situation can be stressful and it is often combined with other considerations. Maybe you have to look after your kids. Maybe you have an early start in the morning and can't be up after midnight just to get your hand checked. There are a number of ways to make it easier, and less stressful.

Get to know a doctor personally

This is one of the best ways to get to see a doctor when you need them - rely on familial obligation. Be careful with this tactic, though, as it can backfire. If the doctor is a member of your family, you will have to respect them a little bit, as you would if they were a "real" doc. If they are a friend, you really only can do this once or twice before they stop answering your calls. So pick your health emergency with care.

Finally, make sure the doctor you choose to befriend is appropriately qualified. When I was deciding what specialty to choose, my Dad strongly argued against paediatrics, purely because he could see that he would never get his "money's worth." For the record, he favored general practice, surgery or psychiatry.

Get to know Doctor's staff personally

Most doctors are pretty malleable and are particularly at the mercy of their staff. As in all industries, good staff are hard to find, and you want to do favors for them, if you can. If you can marry a medical receptionist, or carpool with a practice nurse, you will have a reasonable chance to manipulate an after hours appointment in an emergency.

For this to work, you really need to have a real emergency or extenuating circumstances to persuade your friend to pull in a favor from their boss. They must also be a treasured member of staff, so make sure your friend is not a nuff-nuff. The doctor will only go out of their way to coddle a member of staff they want to keep on their payroll.
Call your regular doctor

All primary care doctors have an ethical obligation to provide after hours care. Sometimes they have a roster of doctors on call, or they may employ a locum service. Some prefer you to attend the local after hours clinic. The best way to find out what your doctor would want you to do is to phone their main number and listen to the recorded message.

If you are lucky, you will find out that your doctor has extended their hours since you last checked, or may be willing to stay a little bit longer to fit you in.

Visit a 24 hour clinic or "Super Clinic"

Super Clinics are usually open all hours, often with more staff available after hours. The quality of staff varies, although all are qualified to a minimum standard. These clinics are a good solution for any after hours primary care emergencies, like cuts and grazes, sprains, colds and flus, and childhood illnesses. The system varies, but usually you attend and simply wait until it is your turn. Usually the wait will be longer than an appointment with your regular doctor, but shorter than attending a hospital ED.

These are not good places to go if you have a condition that could deteriorate rapidly, like chest pain, or asthma. It is better to have these things assessed by hospital staff.

These are also not good clinics to attend for regular appointments, as you can't usually get repeat appointments with the same doctor.

Call a locum service

Locum services provide primary care doctors that make house calls after hours. This is usually a paid service (as are most after hours services). Again, you will have to wait an unpredictable amount of time, as it depends on what other patients have called in. However, you get to wait in your own home for the doctor to visit you. This is particularly valuable if you feel rotten, or you are minding children who are asleep.

Locum services will communicate with your regular doctor so they know what has occurred. If you are not sure how ill you are, locums are generally a good option. You can cancel the call if you decide you feel better. And if your condition deteriorates, you can call an ambulance.
What to do now

When it is 2am and your partner is having an episode of abdominal pain, it is really hard to figure out what to do, and often they are not helpful (she speaks from experience). It is important to figure out your plan in advance. Search your telephone guide right now and find where your local after hours clinics, and the number of your town locum service. Next time you visit your doctor, ask the staff what to do for after hours care.

Being prepared, and in the know, will help you find the "doctor of the night".

Dr Christine (Cris) Cuthbertson (DrCris)

Cris is a medical doctor in Melbourne, Australia. She has had numerous scientific articles published, and writes regularly for three blogs. She is keen to enable patients to access better healthcare by sharing her inside knowledge of the industry.

Affordable Healthcare Plans at a Lower Cost

2008-08-23T02:20:00.001-07:00

Providing affordable and accessible healthcare for every citizen of USA will be a challenge in the future, keeping in view the rising costs. The various cost drivers in the healthcare include the expenses of new technologies and treatments, rising costs of drug prescription and skyrocketing hospital charges. As it is evident, there is no control on the driving healthcare costs which are out of common man's reach, some initiatives need to be addressed in an effort to streamline and reduce the soaring costs of healthcare.
As consumers, we bear a larger share of healthcare costs and should demand more quality. Ironically, the percentage of people who are uninsured in America is rising. The fact is that healthcare and insurance premiums in the United States are expensive and to effectively control the costs, long-term solutions are to be planned. One such solution is to provide affordable healthcare to consumers with all amenities within their reach. Most of the insurance companies are looking for their own profits and no initiative has been taken to monitor the rising costs.
As a part of the initiative, to provide affordable healthcare, some insurance companies have started 'discount plans' that provide huge discount on the costs incurred towards the healthcare. One such company that offers discount plans is Ameriplan.
Ameriplan offers a number of affordable plans that allows one to save up to 80% on expenses. As one of the nation's fastest growing healthcare industry, Ameriplan offers healthcare benefits to everyone, at an affordable price with no restrictions. Ameriplan provides services such as dental care, vision care, chiropractic care and prescription drugs, which benefits the people to reduce their costs to a large extent.
Ameriplan also extends its healthcare plans to both elderly and younger Americans by creating an effective framework for controlling medical costs and improving health outcomes to provide quality care to all. Ameriplan also guarantees lower costs and better care for everyone.

Emergency Reports Transcription Services

2008-08-23T02:20:00.000-07:00

Medical transcription is a very specialized profession and today we have skilled people who even specialize in emergency room transcription. How is an emergency report transcription prepared? And what are the challenges faced during the process? Quite often the emergency reports are scribbled and illegible. One of the most important skills a good transcription professional should have is to read and understand these scribbled notes by doctors. It is always useful to properly identify the doctor who has attended the patient as every doctor also has his unique styles.
The next process for the emergency room transcriptionist is to read the description written by the doctor and find out as to what ever caused the patient to visit the emergency room. Usually the medical forms in an emergency room are not very extended and have only limited space. Thus the transcription professional has to make detailed notes of the following:
Time /Date
Time of the onset of illness
Symptoms of the illness
Details of the incident
Accident description
Add more details if required
Find out if all other requirement of patient is met
What is the immediate attention required?
How is the medication to be given (oral/ injection etc)
Has the patient to be referred to other specialist?
Details of physical injury etc if anyQuite often the emergency room has to handle the accident victims who come with various bruises, cuts and injuries. All the specific details of the appearance of the wound etc has to be mentioned in the transcript as it can be of great use if the transcript has to be used as a legal document to be produced in a court of law.

Emphasis is of Use of New Diagnostics Tools Leads More Specific & Best Possible Cardiac Treatment

2008-08-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

Emphasis is of use of new diagnostics tools leads more specific & best possible cardiac treatment .
Cardiologist in India emphasis is on use of new diagnostic tools in conjunction with the physical examination. Hospitals in India has an international reputation in all aspects of diagnosis and treatment; of patients of all age groups with heart problems from fetal life, through infancy and childhood to adolescence and adulthood.
Hospitals in India for cardiology well equipped with Diagnostics tools such as " Cardiac cauterizations " Echocardiography " Electrocardiography Sophisticated nuclear techniques are used to monitor blood flow to the heart. Nuclear studies performed after exercise or chemical stress continue to be an expanding area of diagnosis.
Nuclear Cardiology in India :
The Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory evaluates cardiac blood flow and function through the use of small amounts of radioactive materials. Nuclear cardiology can help identify patients who might benefit from angioplasty or bypass surgery after a heart attack. Images of the heart provided by special cameras detect the presence and function severity of heart disease, especially coronary artery disease. Many nuclear imaging procedures are performed in conjunction with exercise or pharmacological stress testing.
Electrophysiology:
The Electrophysiology Laboratory studies the electrical system of the heart by examining disturbances of heart rhythm under controlled circumstances, using small catheters that are inserted through blood vessels into the heart.
Echocardiography:
The Echocardiography Laboratory offers a variety of noninvasive ultrasound and sonogram techniques to image cardiac structures and function, including blood-flow through cardiac chambers. An echocardiogram can help diagnose heart valve problems and determine their severity. Echo techniques provide information about conditions such as heart muscle contraction, valve motion, blood clots in heart chambers, and scar tissue from heart attacks.
Myocardial contrast echocardiography is a quick and convenient diagnostic tool using microbubbles and ultrasound to measure blood flow to the heart muscle. It can detect coronary artery disease in its earliest stages, as well as assess the presence or healthy tissue in congestive heart failure and evaluate various techniques used in bypass surgery
EECP (Enhanced External Counterpulsation)
EECP is a noninvasive mechanical method to deliver extra blood to the heart. This method can help to reduce or eliminate angina -- chest pains caused by coronary artery disease and has been approved for use in patients with congestive heart failure. EECP uses compressed air to inflate three sets of cuffs that wrapped around the patient's calves, lower thighs and upper thighs while they lie on the treatment table. The cuffs are inflated in a sequence. Treatment sessions are for one hour, five days per week for seven weeks, on average.
Blood Tests:
Blood tests measure different components in your bloodstream to show your healthcare provider how healthy your blood and heart are.
o C-Reactive Protein Test : can help predict cardiovascular risk over and above that of major risk factors. An hs-CRP of more than .20mg/dL predicts high risk for stroke and heart attack. C-reative protein is a substance in the blood that occurs when inflammation occurs. Physicians have found that atherosclerosis (fatty buildup in artery walls) also produces an inflammatory process, so it registers on this test. o Lipid Profile measures your LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides. o Blood sugar (glucose) detects the presence of diabetes and glucose intolerance (pre-diabetic). Both are significant heart and vascular disease risks. o Complete blood count, thyroid studies, arterial blood gases, and other tests help diagnose other conditions that may be the cause of your symptoms.
Angiography:
Angiography involves inserting a long, thin tube (catheter) through your arm or leg artery to your heart. A dye is then sent through the catheter into your coronary arteries. An angiogram can show the movement of the dye through your heart and blood vessels, showing the exact location and severity of any blockages.
Multi-detector CT calcium scoring:
Also known as calcium screening or a calcium-scoring scan, this test is used to detect calcium deposits found in atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries. The more coronary calcium means more coronary atherosclerosis, or the greater amount of plaque buildup within vessels in the coronary system. In large patient groups, patients with very high calcium scores have more frequent cardiovascular events, including heart attack. However, this test is not absolute in predicting an individual's risk for cardiovascular disease problems.
Cardiac MRI :
Cardiac MRI evaluates the anatomy and function of chest structures, including the heart, lungs, major vessels, and pericardium (the outside lining of the heart). MRI uses large magnets and radio-frequency waves to produce pictures of these structures, such as the heart; no X-ray exposure is involved. This technology gathers information about the heart as it is beating, creating moving images of the heart throughout its pumping cycle. It can be used to measure heart size and function, localize heart damage from a heart attack, and look for areas that are not receiving adequate blood flow.
Vascular:
The Vascular Laboratory tests determine the adequacy of blood flow in arteries and veins throughout the body. Ultrasound and pressure measurements are used to identify blockages and reduced flow, and to assist in the diagnosis of peripheral vascular, abdominal and carotid artery disease (referred to as carotid intimal medial thickness study).
Vascular Reactivity Study (referred to as brachial artery reactivity) :
This test uses a blood pressure cuff to measure your blood vessels' ability to dilate after the blood flow is stopped for five minutes. The diameter of a healthy blood vessel is able to expand 25 percent above baseline, but blood vessels with fatty buildup may not expand at all.
All these diagnostics tools in India are more advanced and make ease to the Cardiologist to gets right diagnosis leads to specific cardiac treatment. with high success rate .

Health Care Costs Destroying America

2008-08-19T05:05:00.001-07:00

I was reading an article in Business Week and I got very excited about the future of medicine in the United States. I am a proponent of universal health care and the article gave me hope that our country is heading in that direction.

Medical Cost

The health care problem in America is worsening. A large percentage of our country's GDP is spent on health care and this percentage is increasing annually.

These rising medical costs represent the worsening health of our country. Our poor health is weakening America physically as well as economically.

Health care costs are eroding the profit margins of all American companies. These eroding profit margins are making it difficult for American companies to compete in a global market place.

Fixing The Problem

We can decrease the costs in this country by:

* Encouraging disease prevention and screening

* Encouraging weight loss in the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight

* Eliminating the inefficiencies in hospital care and health information technology

* Providing a universal plan to all Americans funded by tax payer

Universal Health Care

A universal plan would eliminate the problem of the uninsured. There are 43 million Americans without health insurance.

Their lack of health insurance increases the costs for all Americans. The uninsured are less likely to get the prevention education and disease screening they need. This leads to chronic diseases, emergency room visits, and decreased productivity.

A universal plan with wellness incentive programs would spread the costs burden to all Americans and encourage healthier lifestyles.

Nursing Homes Prison 101, Part Four in a Serious Series About Rehab & Care Centers & Nursing Homes

2008-08-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

One day, while visiting in a bad rehab and care center, I saw a woman in a wheelchair. She was complaining to someone (Staff) that she was missing clothing. As usual, staff said that she had to wait (because they were busy), and then they would have to go downstairs to see where her clothing was.

The woman waited, in fact, the woman stated that her clothing had been missing for more than one week, so figure that must be enough waiting, correct? Anyway, time passed and passed and the woman again came back to staff and complained about her clothing but bottom line is that no one went downstairs to get her clothing.

I have a theory here that is probably an explanation of why everyone must wait for clothing and why so much clothing is lost in BAD rehab and care centers. It is a vicious cycle. The staff loses the clothing or it is not returned from the laundry area. Since the clothing is lost, the residents are not dressed properly to go to therapy. Once they are not dressed for therapy, the staff refuses to let them attend therapy-even though it is staff's fault that no clothing is there.

Once they say they can 't go to therapy , the staff marks this down and they mark down that the patient is uncooperative. They mark down that the patient refuses therapy. BUT

HOWEVER, they neglect to mention that staff has taken all clothing out of their room and they cannot attend therapy due to lack of clothing.

It is a cycle that harms patients and staff, because as the staff is permitted to do this, they gain bad reputations. Do you live or temporarily reside in a rehabilitation and care center or nursing home that keeps losing your clothes? DO they leave the clothing out of your room so that you cannot get dressed if you wanted to? You need to write to us and we will do our best to find out whom to complain to and how to get your clothing back.

I saw more than four or five people who were missing clothing, and in fact, one resident was wearing my relative's clothing. If you look around, you will see the residents wearing each others' clothing.

The day that I arrived to find a relative in diapers and no clothing, the staff scrambled to find clothing for the relative and the only clothing they found belonged to someone else.

Missing clothing (lots of it, and many patients missing clothing) is a LARGE RED FLAG! What I have noticed is that in the worst nursing homes and rehabilitation and care centers, they can not keep track of clothing (or people). If your place is losing all your clothing it is for one or two reasons and here they are:

1. IF the staff has an agenda to keep residents and patients in their rooms, instead of allowing them out of their rooms for therapy and other events, the staff will "lose" the residents' clothing. For example, in one place, the staff member wanted the patient to remain in diapers instead of using the bathroom, so the staff LOST all the person's pants (conveniently-not the tops but just the pants). What this does is it makes the patient worried about wetting a pair of pants --since their pants are LOST, and it makes them compliant when the staff politely demands that they wear diapers. In some places, some staff members want the patients in diapers even when some do not medically need diapers. The way they get the patients to comply with their diaper demand is by losing the patient's pants. If you see that your relatives' pants are always missing, you need to put it in writing to the attention of an Administrator or your lawyer--either one might work.

2. If clothing is missing (because staff claims that other residents are stealing it), then this is a LARGE RED FLAG, because what is says is , hey, the staff does not know where their residents are all the time. How can residents be missing in other residents' rooms to steal other people's clothing? If staff claims that other residents are stealing the clothing, you should bring it to their attention that if the staff is permitting other residents to STEAL, then what happens when those thieves become violent? In other words, if a resident is left Unattended long enough to steal, then can't that resident become violent while they are missing long enough to steal? So if residents are stealing from other residents, then this nursing home or rehabilitation and care center is NOT a good place for your relatives to live or temporarily reside.

Think those two things over and you will realize those are plain simple facts.

Horror, Horror, Horror and Then it Gets Worse! Nursing Home Sagas of 2007 and 2008 and Earlier

2008-08-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

Use A large Search Engine to Find the Results and Truth:

After reading some of the search engine's news alerts on one or two particular topics, I feel a little ill. I read in horror. I read in disbelief. But only for about three minutes do I remain unbelieving because I think back to when I visited one of the rehabilitation and care centers, one that boasted of a completely closed in solarium, and I remember the horrible things that I saw inside of that one. Just having that short memory was enough to make me a believer as I read through the hundreds and hundreds of news alerts that regarded the topics of nursing homes and rehabilitation and care centers.

What kinds of things do I read that make me feel ill? For example, I read one news alert that clearly stated that one nursing home resident was found with maggots in his eyes and on his body. Meanwhile for days or weeks before, no staff member noticed that he was developing maggots? What does it take to develop maggots to begin with? I am guessing that wetness or dampness and dirt, and bacteria are good starts for a maggot infestation. Perhaps a dirty , wet diaper might have triggered the maggots if the resident was on a filthy bedspread or sheet? Perhaps. Only we can guess at these things. But we can also, besides guessing, remember what we saw in some nursing homes and put two and two together . Then , indeed our guesses might be pretty close to reality , correct?

Maggots in Eyes! Horror and more Horror!

How does a grown man develop maggots in his eyes? Anyone care to answer that? Another resident of another nursing home was found dead after being thrown or jumped from the sixth floor window. Was this person thrown or did they jump? The first news reports claim it was a suicide. But I would like to know how they came to that conclusion. After all, did anyone find a suicide note? No note was mentioned in the news article. Did anyone have a reason why this person would want to kill themselves? No one mentioned any reasons. So how did the news or the police come to the conclusion that this was indeed a suicide. Is that the easiest guess? Or is that the answer that does not require an investigation and some expense of money that must be distributed in order to do an investigation. Wouldn't you think that an investigation is necessary when a resident, who was not even missing, was found dead on the ground outdoors from a nursing home? I am still waiting to hear what the investigation found out --IF there was an investigation.

I read other horror stories too in the news alerts. I read stories that there was one nursing home that was closed down because they found another resident outdoors and they dragged the body indoors so that no one would know the person died outdoors. This person, too, was not even missed by the staff until they found the body.

Rehabilitation and Care Center Resident FOUND near Staten Island Ferry (and She Was Not Even Noticed Missing)!

Are you getting ill hearing these stories? Are you thinking they cannot be true? Are you thinking this must be happening somewhere else, but not in America? Think again. Most of those incidents happened in the USA. In fact, one , this one, where a lady was not even noticed missing, was found at or near the Staten Island Ferry. AFTER that incident, the rehabilitation and care center implemented new rules. AFTER this lady was found, they began issuing passes to the visitors,seemingly so this could be prevented. How about just being more careful? Instead of regulating visitors, how about just making sure that the staff does their job? How is it possible that a resident should be missing so long that they can make it all the way to the Staten Island Ferry? Granted, this nursing home , pardon me, this rehabilitation and care center is not far from the water, but still, the staff did not even notice that she was missing.

How do these horrible things happen and how do they remain covered up? And who are these higher-ups who cover these things up? You would think that this Staten Island incident should have made the front pages of the newspapers but it did not. Thank God this woman was found in time, meaning , was found alive. Shortly after that they transferred her to another facility or hospital.

Horror, horror and more horror and it happens every single day right here in America.

Urine Smells, Unpleasant Odors and Other Unnecessary Conditions at Rehab and Care Centers

2008-08-16T05:25:00.000-07:00

If you could peak inside a large city hospital or inside of nursing homes or inside of rehabilitation and care centers , without the permission of any doctors, nurses or administrators, what would you see? What would your experience be like? Would you see a well-run building? Or would you see staff that look as if they are on vacation? What happens in the large city hospitals at night, on the, as they say, the graveyard shift?

YOU Have permission; Here Is How To Get It:

You can visit at the beginning of visiting hours---yes, right IN the visiting hours but at the very first hours, and at the last hours, and you will see more of what is really happening in there. WHen it is in mid-visit hours, by that time, they have cleaned most of it up. But in the early hours, they never expect anyone to visit at those hours, so they mess up sometimes, and slip up and forget to cover-up their negligence and their lack of care.

Peak here and do not tell anyone. You will see some workers who are exhausted because this is their second job, not their first job. You will see workers who are tired because there generally is not enough help and the night workers, even though it is slower at night, are more tired because they are not used to sleeping in the daytime and working at night.

Lack of Supervision:

You will see a lack of supervision, and lack of administrators because most of them are off-duty and the ones that are working have their hands full on these slow nights. You will probably see the hardest workers of all are the cleaning staff. No joke. The cleaning staff will be making everything sparkling so when the lawyers and investigators come around, they can and will report that the building was clean. You will see people standing around, hanging out . AND, yes, of course, you will find a few workers who actually know what they are doing and find others who are actually doing it.

Stinky Urine Smells, Old Stale Urine --Means dirty diapers Hours and Hours Old:

In the past, I have visited many teaching hospitals and or large city hospitals and a few more private hospitals on the weekends, off-hours and holidays--during visiting hourse. One of the worse experiences was when I went with a friend of mine to visit someone on the weekend at the New Vanderbilt Rehabilitation and care center. When we arrived there, we saw that the hallways actually smelled of urine when they did not smell of urine when the bulk of the visitors came to visit. Even though we were there during visiting hours, they were not expecting visitors so early on a weekend. So obviously they had not cleaned up this floor and it really stunk of urine, of , we guess , dirty diapers, and other non-pleasant scents. You could smell this right as you got off the elevator and the scent was stronger as you walked down the corridors. On a different occasion, same place, we saw one man with his pants soaked from urine. It seems that sometimes even though the places are understaffed, they appear to be more understaffed OR the staff is simply not supervised enough to be running properly BEFORE the bulk of visitors get there.

What is the worst that you have seen in rehab centers and nursing homes?

Check out these places on weekends but get up EARLY and arrive just as the visiting hours begin, and you will see what the place is like and what the places smell like BEFORE the visitors arrive. (Maybe if the staff is reading this , they might have the time to begin cleaning the place up). The urine smell was the very least of their very serious other problems. No one knows how the place stays open, but I am guessing that someone is hiding something, wouldn't you agree?

Current Health Care Issues

2008-08-16T05:24:00.001-07:00

There are several health care issues that are in the news and in the minds of many people these days. Perhaps because of the push for universal health care, misuses of the current health care system have come to light. The health care issues that plague Americans need to be addressed with intelligent debate and understanding.

One of the health care issues is the overuse of emergency rooms by the poor. It is not their faults. They are simply responding to a situation in which they have no other recourse. For example, a low-income family may have a child with a cut finger. If they had insurance, the parents would take the child to a doctor's office or an urgent care clinic to get the finger stitched up.

Since they have no such option, they take the much more costly route of going to the emergency room for the same service. This puts a strain on emergency rooms and costs taxpayers much more than if the poor families were given adequate medical coverage in the first place. Health care issues like this one are difficult to fathom when there are so many sources of cheaper medical care.

Other health care issues involve preventative medicine. Insurance companies do not all support the patient's right to preventative medical screening procedures and treatments. This also makes health care more expensive in the long run.

Many health care issues revolve around the older population. There are so many elderly people who are given little or no help with their prescription medications. Insurance companies make drug coverage available - at a price that is so high that most seniors cannot afford it. This does little to resolve these health care issues.

With all the health care issues that are in the public eye, there needs to be a better system of communication on these subjects. People can have an impact on their health care system if they know where to have their ideas on health care issues heard. It is time for the government and other organizations to give them a voice.

Come Clean - Uncover Your Cover-Ups in Health Care Facilities

2008-08-16T05:24:00.000-07:00

So what is that exactly? Sometimes you come to these articles and you feel like you are watching a perfume commercial. You just have no clue what it is about. Have you ever seen those mod commercials that are enticing, interesting, wild and fun, but by the time you get to the end of the commercial you have no clue what kind of product they are trying to sell? Well, did you wonder what this article is about also? I am writing about truth, truth in life, truth in general and truth, especially, in nursing homes. I am writing about truth, trusting doctors and other authorities and how our blind trust in them harms us and other customers, patients or residents.

How can the truth harm? Simple! The truth harms when professionals, doctors, and nurses do not tell the truth. What happens when social workers do not tell the truth? And how do they get away wtih this anyway? How does a professional get away with telling fibs that harm a patient's life?

Well, for the most part, when professionals fib, and hide the truth from patients and families they do that because they are trying to cover something up. The doctors, nurses and social workers, perhaps felt they did something wrong, something incorrect or perhaps they did something that might be considered malpractice or even gross negligence. Think about it? What doctor and nurse and social worker will willingly come forward and say that they made a mistake? Have you ever seen any news reports of any professionals admitting that they were at fault? I have not seen any and I am willing to say that you probably have not seen any either.

But I have overheard professionals talking about their mistakes and also talking about how they can cover them up. What have you heard? While I was at Woodhull hospital one day, I overheard --just by walking through the hallway going to visit a patient--that someone had made a mistake with someone's medicine. While I was walking inside a horrible rehabilitation and care center --another year, I had one patient --themselves--tell me that the nurse was going to put the wrong medicine in her, yet, luckily that patient was verbally able to open her mouth and tell the nurse, NO! This happens all the time in bad hospitals and inside bad rehabiltation and care centers and inside horrible nursing homes, yet you do not see this coming out in the news, do you?

I vote for truth. I vote for truth today. If you are a worker inside any of these places, you need to come forward and say the truth when you see a mistake. Yes, that is correct, you need to come forward. If your supervisor does not want to hear the truth then go over their head and go to the owner of the hospital or nursing home. But just keep going and complaining until you reach someone who will take action and rectify those problems.

Are you working inside a bad nursing home or inside a bad rehabilitation and care center? Are you just waiting so that you can reveal all the horrible things that are still happening inside of those places? Perhaps today is the day that you should come clean. Come and tell me by email , what is happening inside those facilities that should never be happening. You can do it. Come share your thoughts, your honesty , your truth and your experience.

Are you afraid to report the mistake because you still work there? Aren't you obligated to report mistakes by law? If you see mistakes made and you neglect to report them don't you realize that someone does see the mistake with you? Yes, that Someone is God. So while you think you are covering up your mistakes or someone else's mistakes, in actuality, there is Someone watching over you. And do you feel even a twinge of guilt when you think of the things that you have covered-up in that nursing home or rehabilitation and care center? You should. Time to come clean is now. If you are the Director of Social work inside of a bad nursing home or inside of a bad rehabilitation and care center, perhaps it is time that you come clean and take the shades off the cover up.

It is because people cover-up their negligence and lack of care--just because of the cover-ups, that these events are allowed to continue to happen in our facilities. Come clean. If you are reading this and you have covered up something that you should not have covered up, you need to be honest now, and tell the truth, finally.

Respect Patients' Privacy! Keep Quiet in the Elevator!

2008-08-16T05:23:00.000-07:00

Privacy! Does any hospital or nursing home official or staff member know what true privacy is? Do they know how to fully protect a patient's privacy? There is one large hole in the privacy principle inside of most large medical facilities and inside of many nursing homes or rehabs.

Where is the gap? Right up and down. You heard correctly. The gap is up and down the elevator, inside the elevate and to and from the elevators. Most staff members think that they have privacy in elevators inside of medical buildings but there is nothing further than the truth. How many times have you heard doctors and nurses discussing patient's medical history or current conditions inside a public elevator? Probably many times. Yet , also inside those elevators are guests, visitors, family members and even , sometimes, there are patients inside the elevators.

Once employees begin discussing patients --while those employees are still in the building, those employees are denying the right to privacy to all patients. You cannot discuss medical options, surgery, patients' histories and other related issues inside of elevators and expect any privacy at all. Look around you while in the elevator. Do you see those other people? One of them can be a friend, family member or associate of a patient that you are talking about.

Heed all privacy rules, especially the privacy rules inside of elevators; Do not discuss patients or related topics while you are on the elevator. This is the only way to be a real professional.

Medical Form Letters - Information to Include

2008-08-14T03:06:00.001-07:00

When you compose a business letter, there are certain essential elements that you need to include in order for your letter to be effective. If you are writing a letter to a healthcare company, medical insurance company, or to any Medicare, Medicaid or other health-related company about any medical care, hospitalization, or insurance, there are key elements that you need to include in order for your letter to receive quick, proper attention and action.

Your letter will be effective if you are sure to include these important dates, times, facts or numbers:

1. Patient's name
2. Name of doctor, hospital, insurance or other important information
3. Date of Service (This is important to include-not only date of recent letters but date of service)
4. Your home address and mailing address.
5. Your email address and phone number
6. Account number , transaction number
7. Invoice Number
8. Contact name or number (on your part and their part).
9. Reason for writing.
10. Result that you want to achieve. (For example, you might write, "I want an immediate credit or refund of two hundred dollars).
11. Location of hospital or doctor or LOCATION where the service was done (sometimes lab work will be done at a different location than the doctor's address).
12. Specific reason for test or procedure.
13. Also, add CC --if you are sending copies to anyone else.

It is essential that all of these items (and possibly more) be included in any letter that you are writing to any health care service, company, hospital or medical service, including ambulance services.

Hope this helps you. In future articles, I am going to post links so that you can see some form letters for yourself. This should make things easier for you.

Recruiting Mammography Technicians For You Staffing Agency

2008-08-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

Today, there are more and more experience mammographer's willing to pick up extra shifts that in anytime before. It is easier to find a multi trained mammographer that can be used in other disciplines and primarily benefit your staffing agency.

You are able to charge a higher fee for a mammographer and thereby pay a higher fee for the multi-licensed technologist.

But, how do you find the mammographers?

There are many ways to market your staffing agency to get ahold of mammographers.

But, lets look at a direct example of a need that needs to be filled today.

Lets assume a hospital or clinic calls your staffing agency and asked you if you are able to find a mammographer for next week.

What do you say?

Say yes! You can. Ask to sign a contract, if the contract has not been already signed. Make sure they know much will be charged for covering for the mammographer.

If this facility called you once, they will call you again. Secure the contract by finding a mammographer.

This is what you will do. Begin calling facilities quickly, ask if they know any mammagraphers willing to work next week at your rate.

Please keep in mind, you will have to entice the mammographer, and the only way you will do that is by paying for it.

Listen, you want to secure your contract. Go ahead and loose money on the front end, to make money on the back end. If they called you for a mammogapher and signed a contract, you then can go back and try to cover other shifts.

Nursing Home & Assisted Living Centers - Know What to Expect

2008-08-14T03:05:00.000-07:00

Are you currently considering a nursing home stay for either yourself or a loved one? In either case, you would expect to receive the best care, especially for the very expensive prices nowadays, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, locating a facility that provides genuine quality care may be tantamount to finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. Know the truth about nursing home or assisted living facilities before you decide.

I have been involved with health care for more than 15 years as a Combat Medic in the United States Army, a Certified Nurse Assistant, Physical Rehab Aide and Occupational Rehab Aide in California and the suburbs of Illinois. My wife is a Registered Nurse with more than 11 years of experience, and like myself, the majority of the experience is in nursing home or assisted living centers.

1989 was the year I became employed in my first nursing home. One of the many duties of a CNA, or certified nurse assistant, is to help the residents of the nursing home with their morning routine. While assisting a certain resident, I noticed the sliding doors of her closet were broke and one of them wouldn't open without forceful tugging. After getting her clothes together, I opened a drawer for some socks and a few roaches crawled out from the haphazardly bundled clothing. I later discovered most of the rooms in this particular facility were in the same appalling condition.

Mysterious injuries to some of the mentally handicapped residents also created rumors of abuse. Yet, no one seemed to know anything about it. Through the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the federal government is suppose to conduct on-site inspections of nursing homes participating in Medicare and Medicaid and to recommend sanctions against those homes that are violating health and safety rules. Yet, this particular facility, on several occasions, somehow received a Five Star rating after "inspections".

I assumed I made a bad employment choice and the next nursing center would be better. I was wrong. Within three months of employment at a different facility, a couple of senior residents confided that a certain nursing assistant was handling them roughly. Being the young newbie to the status quo, I hesitated to act. I was aware the elderly could be quite fragile, so perhaps the manhandling they described was a misunderstanding. Then I witnessed this same assistant "person" placing a soiled diaper onto the face of a resident several times in a teasing manner. I had seen enough, I brought this to the Director of Nursing (D.O.N).

I was not aware at the time however, that both the nurse of that shift and the D.O.N were both friends of the abusive assistant. Therefore, when a meeting was finally convened on the matter about a month later, you can probably imagine what the outcome was. My heated defense of the residents fell on deaf, dumb and blind, ears. The so-called nurse defended the abuser and the D.O.N merely pointed a finger at this assistant and said, "You were wrong." and absolutely nothing else followed, not even a written reprimand. However, I became known as the "trouble-maker" shortly after the meeting.

Fortunately, there was some poetic justice; the abusive assistant was later fired for getting into a "fist-fight" in an elevator with another assistant. This was a "Holy" facility in the suburbs of Illinois.

A large man with documented psychological problems abused other residents at the last facility in which I was employed. Although there were several staff complaints and he choked a female caregiver at one point, his transfer to a more appropriate facility was continually delayed to maintain the profits of his stay. It therefore seemed unconscionable to hear the, oddly high-strung, administrator of this same facility was rumored to be embezzling holiday funds that were meant for the caregivers.

When I learned a new policy required completely untrained caregivers to pass medication to the residents, I began to update my resume, and when I learned that there wouldn't be a nurse at all for the night shift, I turned in my two weeks notice. It was an obvious attempt to save money by limiting or eliminating professional care. These facilities never mention to visiting family members that when the patient or resident census is low, the nursing assistance is often cut to save money. This practice can lead to neglect, which tends to create new issues, such as bedsores for the bedridden residents.

There was a certain focus prevalent among the many facilities in which both my wife and I were employed and apparently, nothing has changed. They all claimed the well-being of the resident is the primary concern; some even placed impressively framed statements or plaques on the walls with their creeds of care. There was no fine print however, that stated the true primary concern above all else was Money. Making money and saving money. A single resident brings in five to eight thousand dollars a month and in "special care units" such as an Alzheimer's unit, it can be $10,000 a month. Thus, everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING else, is of lesser importance. What makes this statement all the more outrageous is that it may actually sound na"ive to some, in today's corporate controlled world. "Of course it's about money, what else could it be about?"

It should be mentioned the examples given above are extreme and may not necessarily occur in all nursing centers. However, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on February 5, 2008 named 4,037 nursing homes whose pressure sore and/or physical restraint rates it says have targeted them for "improvement". Thus, anyone who is considering a nursing home or assisted living facility stay, for either a loved one or themselves, should consider and understand the reality of these facilities and the possible measures that can be taken to promote better care.

So, what can you do if you believe extended assisted living or nursing care is needed for you or a loved one? Here are some suggestions and options you might want to consider.

- If distance is not a major concern, you may be able to locate a decent facility via the Senior Housing Net.com site. After choosing a place, if you have the means, research the facility. Find out what you can about it before you visit it. Perhaps you can check for recent complaints, or any history of lawsuits, with the Better Business Bureau online. If this is not an option, arrange a visit and ask the residents about the care, their rooms, the food, etc.

- Notice if you can detect urine when you enter the facility. If there is no one in the immediate area and the odor is very noticeable, we suggest that you turn around and leave. It is a telltale sign of poor sanitation and or possible neglect of bedridden patients.

Most assisted living centers are modeled impressively to give a beautiful "Home-like" appearance and most new residents agree it is much better than the sterile-looking hospital appearance of many nursing homes. However, do keep in mind; it is not necessarily an assurance of superior care. In other words, appearances can be deceiving.

- Ask about the training background of the CNAs (certified nursing assistants) or caregivers, they will be assisting you or handling your loved one the majority of the time. Many assisted living centers do not require their caregivers to be certified assistants, choosing to hire untrained or inexperienced caregivers who are then asked to attend an in-service or two.

- How many caregivers or CNAs are assigned to each unit? How many nurses are there to a unit? Is the ratio to patients or residents adequate for dependable care?

If you must stay at a facility of questionable quality, try to arrange any of the following:

- If possible, have a lawyer present when filling out the admission forms. Some may say it is an unnecessary waste of money, however, nursing facilities abhor any possible legal action against them and a lawyer intimidates much like a wooden cross does when held up to vampires.

- Arrange periodic unannounced visits from family or friends. This serves more than one purpose. First, it provides witnesses to any neglect or problems. Second, it helps keep the staff on their toes regarding your care. Should any incidence of abuse occur, a quick internet search provides a long list of nursing home abuse lawyers.

- If you are a visiting family member and your loved one is in bed most of the time, check for any bedsores on the heels, hips, buttocks, back or elbows. It is your Right to thoroughly question any injuries and be certain they have been properly documented and the doctor has been informed.

- If it is within your budget, you may choose to hire a reliable private sitter to provide one-on-one assistance or care within the facility. Many families prefer this option as it provides not only constant personal attention but companionship as well. Facility staff appreciates it for the relief it can bring during a high census. As an experienced private sitter, I can attest that it is much more preferable to care for one patient than to juggle ten or twelve.

- Another option that may save you money is to hire a private home sitter. Many patients obviously prefer this because it allows them to stay in their home with a caregiver to assist them. A nurse will often be required to make periodic visits as well for any medication that must be administered. There are many agencies to assist you with this.

Although there are many negative stories about nursing facility care, it does not mean you, or a family member, will have the same negative experiences. Believe it or not, there are plenty of satisfied residents, or patients, who do not regret their move into an assisted living or nursing home and who have made new friends.

So, now that you have been given some worst-case scenarios, here's hoping you are prepared for the worst but experience the best.

Cardiac Hospitals in India Providing World Class Treatment in India

2008-08-14T03:04:00.000-07:00

4 Cardiac Hospitals in India providing world class treatment in India.

These are some of the Cardiac Hospitals in India providing world class treatment in Cardiac treatment:

Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery At Apollo Hospital, Bangalore is the newest addition to the ever-growing network of Apollo Hospitals all over the world. The hospital is equipped with some of the most advanced facilities in the world and some of the most eminent names in several medical specialties and superspecialities.

The doctors at Apollo Hospitals Bangalore have been chosen after an extensive process where their commitment and expertise is assessed in equal measure. Most of them have studied, trained or worked abroad at eminent institutions. The hospital has over 100 consultants available round the clock.

Cardiology is one of the Centres of Excellence at the Apollo Hospital, Delhi

The Centres of Excellence at the Apollo Hospital, Chennai are Cardiology & Cardiothoracic Surgery The hospital has a number of Specialised Clinics that offer advice, treatment and tips to patients and their family.

The Apollo Hospital Chennai are performed 27,000 heart surgeries with a success rate of 99.6%, on par with global standards.

The Basics on the Health Care Facilities Scorecard

2008-08-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

Performance management experts agree that scorecard systems are the means to an end. The end is usually in the form of attaining a specific company goal. The means, not being the factors to achieving success, are ways to realizing strategies that lead to obtaining the goal. This can be best explained by identifying the elements involved in implementing the system. And it also involves the identification of the four dimensions covered by such system. Most organizations follow the same metrics. In the health care sector, the case is special. That is why they are urged to adopt a health care facilities scorecard system.

Scorecards do not work without the necessary metrics or key performance indicators. These are specified areas of a health care organization where outputs are evaluated, results are analyzed, and reports are obtained to make crucial decisions. Health care providers are different from most types of business. That is why its indicators are also quite unique. The four KPIs or dimensions used in the scorecard system are customer perspective, social accountability, internal processes, and financial.

Customer perspective is one dimension that involves reviewing people's perception and experience. Normally, it involves the process of obtaining the expectations of a customer before he is admitted and inquiring about the effect of the service offered by the facility. It also requires the knowledge of how customers think of the availability of medical equipment, the quick response of the staff, and the overall cost of the treatment.

On the financial side, the indicators are usually drawn from certain aspects, such as developmental cost of new facilities and medicines, profit from operation, and accounts receivable. By measuring this area, health care managers will be aided in making judgments based on financial performance and progress.

The operational dimension, on the other hand, has something to do with activities related to the everyday activities of the health care provider. Usually, these are: the number of queues, express patient arrivals, volume of surgical incidents, whether outpatient or inpatient, time for new medicines and facilities to develop, and average duration a patient stays in the clinic.

The fourth dimension of the health care scorecard system is social accountability. Since health care providers are service oriented, it is important that the organization's corporate responsibilities must be felt and made visible in the community. Examples of measurable social activities are health education seminars, public heath care programmes, employee development, health awareness initiatives, promotion of proper waste disposal, and charity involvements.

It is not all the time, though, that health care managers should focus on all four dimensions, as it would become a waste of time to spend more on areas that produce unnecessary results. For leaders to practically measure crucial areas, the factors of the scorecard system must be clearly identified. There are actually six and these are: units of analysis, purpose, audience, method, data, and results.

By examining the factors, managers can allocate their time and funds efficiently. In the audience factor, for example, if there is a large number of patients and workers to evaluate, full attention and financial aid must be given. Remember that every second, every dime, and every activity matters. So for health care facilities scorecard to work, one should identify the indicators and consider the factors.

Nursing Home Contracts & Documents - Do Not Sign Under Influence of Staff

2008-08-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

Emotional decisions or decisions that you make when you are in pain, or suffering, or decisions, or decisions that you make after you have just had surgery, or decisions that you make when you are heavily medicated, are "iffy" decisions. What do I mean by "iffy". Well, I wonder "if" you were not in pain or suffering or if you had not just been operated on or if you were not heavily medicated, would you have made that same decision in the same way in the same time of your life. Or was your decision making process governed by drugs or by your physical or emotionally-weary conditions?

If you go to any of the 12-step programs, the first thing that they will tell you is to refrain from making any important life decisions for 90 days. Yet, you can come out of open-heart surgery and have medical staff thrust fifty-page documents at you for you to sign and no one sticks up for you and no one tells you to wait or to have your family or your family lawyer present for that very serious document-signing.

Why is this that no one protects patients from signing documents that they clearly do not want to sign, yet there is a protection for those who are enrolled inside of a 12-step program?

The answer is in what the medical facilities, doctors, surgeons and rehab places stand to gain from those signatures Once the nursing homes and the rehab places put their enrollment applications and admissions documents in front of you-the patient, you are probably and usually too tired, too drained, and too emotionally and too physically-weary to argue the point. Say you do not want to sign the documents? The facility has you practically hostage, by telling you that the documents are routine documents and you trust the facility because you think they are there to heal and to help you.

But rather, the truth is, there are some employees in that facility whose main job is to get your money, get your social security checks and get your disability and your homes away from you. Can you believe that ? It is those social workers who are there employed by these rehab places and nursing homes that want to know all of your financial business EVEN if you have come into the place saying and insisting that you have private insurance and EVEN though you say and insist that you are not applying for Medicaid or medicare. They want all of your information as part of a routine application.

Do not believe the words routine because there is nothing further from the truth. What might be routine for the medical place is not routine for you or for your finances. When they say that word routine to you in respect to applications, enrollments admissions or documents when you first come into rehab or into nursing homes, they mean that they are routinely going to try and get all your assets, all your social security, and any and all payments that you have due to you. Of course there are some laws that protect you. But most times, those documents that they ask you to sign are one-sided documents all in favor of the rehab place or of the nursing homes.

Think twice before signing anything at all. Insist that you have friends and family there if there are multitudes of documents to be signed. In fact, even if they want you to sign only one document or one page, insist that your family member or your private personal lawyer be present. Do not, under any circumstance take any lawyer or legal representative that this place provides or calls for you. You need someone independent.

Watch out for all hoe documents. You could be signing away your entire home, all and any assets, funds and bank accounts, and your entire future. The author is not a medical or legal professional and has published this article for entertainment, enjoyment and information only. This article and other articles by the same author are not intended to be any legal or medical advice, so consult your own professionals before taking any serious action that might affect your life, nursing home stay or finances.

ALERT: Do not be fooled by the word routine uttered from staff's mouth. These routine documents could turn out to be legally-binding contracts. You must have help and witnesses before signing any such papers. Any REPUTABLE nursing home or care facility will permit you to wait until family members are there for you. Unscrupulous nursing homes will wait until your family leaves and then ask you to sign the papers. Do not be duped!

What's Love Got to Do With It?

2008-08-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember Tina Turner's hit What's Love Got to Do With It? In the song she sings that "love is a second hand emotion," and "who needs a heart when a heart can be broken." The song is a cynical take on loving and being loved. Many physicians and health care providers have become cynical and disillusioned. Medicine and love are almost never mentioned in the same breath. The practice of medicine is not necessarily viewed as a relationship with love at its center, but a transaction from the patient's viewpoint that is too often one sided. Health care providers are taught to be objective and to exhibit "detached concern." We are taught to protect ourselves from our own emotions as well as those of the patient. We know that love is fraught with pain and unpredictability. We don't want our hearts to be broken. We don't want to be overwhelmed by love and unable to act.
But, what if we stopped protecting our hearts so much? What if we looked at our patients with the same love that we reserve for our children, spouse, or our friends? After all, there really are not different kinds or degrees of love. Love is caring or loving another as you love yourself. Love is relieving the suffering of another. What would practicing medicine be like then? Can we practice with what Jack Coulehan calls "tenderness and steadiness." Can we stop hiding behind the shield of our white coats, and share our humanity with our patients? When we do, when we can sit and converse with our patients as human being to human being, and not expert to patient, then maybe, the practice of medicine will be more fulfilling. Maybe, when love has everything to do with it, when health care providers no longer fear the risk of their hearts being broken, then health care will be what it is meant to be, a loving relationship, for both doctor and patient.

The Kwanza of Physician Health

2008-08-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

Kwanza is an African American holiday that begins on December 26th and ends on December 31st. It is based on West African principles of the self in relationship to family and community. Although Kwanzaa is defined in relation to individual and social constructs it can also be viewed as a powerful tool for promoting physician and healthcare worker wellness and community health.
The six principles of Kwanza are directly applicable to physician and health care worker wellbeing and health:
n Umoja-Unity: Family and Community Support for your well being and the practice of medicine.
n Kujichagulia Self-Determination: Define Your Calling, Create and Live It.
n Ujima Collective Work and Responsibility: Advocate for our own and your patient's health together.
n Nia Purpose: Pool physician resources to sustain and develop institutions, practices, groups and health plans for promoting health and wellness of all people.
n Kuumba Creativity: To do as much as you can to innovatively promote wellness in yourself and your community.
n Imani Faith: To maintain and respect your spiritual roots and the interrelatedness of mind, spirit, and body.
Although Kwanza is based on West African Principles, this philosophy is universal. Incorporating these principles will promote wellbeing and ameliorate compassion fatigue in not only physicians, nurses and other health care workers. Remembering and acknowledging the Kwanza Dimensions of Health each and everyday will keep everyone on the path of health, as well as personal and professional joy and success. An individual is only as healthy and successful as his/her family, the community, the nation, and the world.

Mineral Water Benefits You (And That's a Fact) So Here's How to Get a Cheap Lifetime Supply of It

2008-08-09T00:29:00.000-07:00

It seems like every time you look around there is a new mineral water brand on the supermarket shelves.

This isn't surprising to me. A lot of people know that drinking mineral water benefits their health.

Actually, natural minerals do amazing things in your body. And there are many ways mineral water benefits you.

Take iron, for instance. Without iron your blood can't efficiently carry oxygen around your system. Then, magnesium regulates your blood pressure and makes your immune system stronger. Sodium moderates fluid levels for you. And calcium, as we all know, strengthens bones and keeps our teeth white and strong.

There are many other things minerals do. That's why the researchers call them "essential" minerals.

Without them we become sick, and mankind seems to have realized this early on. For thousands of years people have gone to natural, mineral-rich springs for mineral top-ups and cures for illness that would not go away with any other remedies. Mineral water benefits have a long history!

These healthy minerals come from the rocks deep down in the earth. They've been dissolved by the water down there and over huge reaches of time have been slowly brought up into our surface water systems.

Drinking good water is nature's way of making sure we get the minerals we need.

Yet researchers tell us that here in the US we are getting fewer minerals than we used to. Just take one quick example; magnesium. On average, we now receive half the magnesium we used to get 100 years ago: thanks to our move into the cites, away from the natural, clean water of small rural towns; and because we are eating far too much refined, fat-rich, processed food. Ominously, that 50 percent drop has pulled us well under the minimum magnesium requirement for healthy adults.

I could go on, but you get the picture. (And you didn't come to this article to get hit with statistics.)

Knowing this, you'd think the people building water purification systems would make sure they don't take out these minerals when they remove dirt and chemicals. But actually, some of the most popular purification systems do exactly that -- they remove the minerals.

Watch out for them. Read the fine print on any water purification system disclaimers.

Take the reverse osmosis water systems, for example. They are popular, and widely used in homes. Dirt and some chemicals are effectively removed by these systems. At the same time they filter out every single essential mineral and let through all the cancer-causing chemicals with a molecular structure smaller than that of water. What you get from these osmosis systems is sterile, chemical-rich water that looks clean but has no healthy natural minerals and contains an unhealthy mix of chemicals that cause cancer.

Another example of a purification systems that takes mineral water benefits away are the distillers. As they turn water to steam and then back to water, they remove life-sustaining natural minerals. You're left with lifeless, de mineralized water.

And there are other systems that do us the same disservice, giving us poor water without the mineral water benefits which mineral revitalization water purification systems provide.

So, I'd suggest you be pro-active as you look at healthy water supply appliances. Look for mineral revitalization water purification systems. There are some good ones on the market. They'll deliver mineral water benefits to you and your children -- right from the tap. And they're a lot cheaper per glass than bottles of mineral water will ever be!

Do Not Live This Rehabilitation Nightmare - Part Two

2008-08-09T00:28:00.000-07:00

I am sure, after reading tons of articles about nursing homes and their own nightmares, that you are probably tired of it all. Please be patient and read a few more. Do it for the sake of those who are currently prisoners in their own nursing home rooms.

Have you thought of this? Most residents inside of nursing homes have to SHARE a room with a complete stranger. Yes, that is right , share a room. So when you think of these residents, even in the so-called good nursing homes, living there instead of living in their own homes, think of them not having a room of their own but instead, sharing a room with a total stranger.

Are you aware that the total stranger could be a sexual pervert, someone already convicted of sexual or other crimes. I will be that you have not thought of that when you thought about living inside a nursing home. Who would think that anyway? I did not even imagine it until I saw a news article about someone who was attacked by someone else who was a nursing home resident. I read a news article, months ago, about a resident who was attacked. (I read many news articles, and these are the articles that most humans do not see, do not read and do not know about). If you want to be in on all the things that happen inside of nursing homes, then you need to be alerted to every single event that happens inside of every single nursing home in the country and or overseas. The information would boggle your mind.

Now, back to the sharing rooms with total strangers. The room is made so that two people can occupy the same room, similar to how the hospital rooms are set up. And you know just how much privacy there is in some hospitals --nil and none usually. So the room is divided by a curtain, not by a room divider or door, but by a material curtain. So that means if you decide to live inside a nursing home, you MIGHT, that is might, end up living in a room with a total stranger. And can you imagine your insurance company or you paying about four hundred dollars a day for a SHARED ROOM? Wow, that does sound outrageous does it not?

So, you share the toilet--if they permit you to stay out of diapers, that is. You share everything. You share the dining room table with strangers. Yes, of course you might get to know someone, but the fact is that most residents come and go quickly, either dying or getting so ill they need the hospital. While at the hospital, most places will not reserve their rooms. So this is part of what living inside there is about.

What You Need to Know About Purchasing a Medical Alert System

2008-08-09T00:27:00.000-07:00

Having a medical alert system in your loved one's home can help you have peace of mind in case of emergencies. As our loved ones begin to age we begin to look for ways to help them maintain as much independence as they possible can for as long as they can. This often means finding a way for them to be able to stay in their own homes, and if they are physically capable of taking care of themselves then why not let them stay there?

Most would answer that question with the following question of their own, "what happens if they fall or have a medical emergency?" Purchasing an alert system for medical emergencies will eliminate that fear. The way these medical systems work is by giving your loved one the ability to call for help no matter where they are in the home. You have a monitor and the monitor is activated by a push button that is worn either as a pendant around the neck or as a bracelet.

There are some things that you should consider when you are looking into these systems so that you can do a good comparison to find the medical alert system that will work best for your specific situation. For example you should find out if there are any activations fees. This is, generally speaking, a onetime fee that the company will charge you to first hook you up to their service. Some companies charge these fees while others do not and of the ones that do charge them they tend to run from $40-$160 depending on the alert system.

Another thing that you should also consider is whether or not you have to sign a contract for service. Each company has its own policy and some will let you go on a month-to month basis as long as your payments are kept current or some require you to sign a contract for a specific amount of time. Signing a contract has some pros and cons, for example, some companies will waive the activation fee if you sign a contract. However if you need to discontinue the service you will be hard pressed to get out of the contract.

Monthly service charges are another point to also consider. If you sign up for a medical system that is monitored by an outside agency then you are going to pay for this service each month. The service fees for this type of service generally run about $40 a month on average. So make sure you take this into consideration when you a comparing these systems.

Keeping our loved ones safe and in their own homes is a major priority for those of use that worry about their safety. Having the ability for them to reach the help they need in case of emergency is very important. One way that you might want to consider is having a medical alert system installed into their home; it is a great way to solve both issues.

Elder Care Benefits and Social Security

2008-08-08T04:47:00.000-07:00

Senior citizens receive a lot of elder care benefits and Social Security is just one of them. Social Security is one of the long term benefits that the elderly receive as well as Medicare. Receiving benefits usually starts at age 65 and continues until the death of the individual. Usually this is a long time approach, being paid out in years. This system is paid for by everyone that works. Each paycheck has a little money taken out of it and at the age of retirement, then the person will have money every month to live on.

Senior citizens are the biggest majority of the people that receive Social Security. This is mainly considered to be an elder care benefit and it does benefit those who have lived to the age to receive it. This long term benefit sometimes will last for years and it is a welcome relief to the elderly population that receives this payment every month. This monthly payment comes every month without fail, but you do have to re qualify every six months or so. This is to make certain that you meet the requirements that the government requires for receiving this monthly payment.

With Social Security, there are also other long term elder benefits that come with this program. Programs such as Medicaid and Medicare come with the programs that are reached at the age of retirement. These programs supplement the first program with affordable health programs, with a limited co pay. These long term benefits really help senior citizens with all the care that they need in order to be able to keep themselves and the place that they live all together without any worries. By participating in these programs, a senior citizen will be less likely to lose a house or not be able to afford medicine that they need.

This Social Security program can be a godsend, but at the same time, it can be a curse to the ones that receive help under this type of program. Sometimes a choice has to be made whether to eat or get medications. That is just the position some senior citizens find themselves in each and every month that goes by. With these long range programs, sometimes that choice has to be made. It is not a choice that one wants to make, but if this program was not in place, many more would be in that same position.

With the long running social programs, there are also other programs that implement the social program so that the elderly will be able to provide for themselves. This includes medical care with reduced rates and a reduced rate pharmacy program that will provide for medication. This does bring a mode of self sufficiency to the elderly. It also allows them to live at home and take care of themselves and provide a living for them at the same time. Without these programs, a lot of elderly people would not be able to make it through the months.

Social Security has come a long way from its origins. Many senior citizens are able to still enjoy their way of life with this program. This is the program that keeps many active and leading full lives of all our senior citizens.

What is the Human Genome

2008-08-08T04:46:00.000-07:00

Here is the definition taken from the Human Genome Project, "A genome is the complete collection of an organism's genetic material. The human genome is composed of about 20,000 to 25,000 genes located on the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a human cell.

A single human chromosome may contain more than 250 million DNA base pairs, and scientists estimate that the entire human genome consists of about 3 billion base pairs.

In the past eighteen months, scientists discovered more than 100 genetic variations that affect older people, such as: type 2 diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Genetic science is moving so fast that people now in their 60's-80's will see medical innovations that will touch their lives.

Francis Collins, MD, a leader in the Project, was astounded to see the huge amount of information derived from the genome, particularly in regards to older people.

As an example he cited age-related Macular degeneration, an eye disease troubling almost 2 million, visually impaired Americans. "Using new genomic tools we've discovered two genes that account for about 60% of the risk- the rest is smoking. But we were surprised. These genes are involved in inflammation, and everybody was thinking macular degeneration was caused by aging in the back of the eye."

Macular degeneration tests are now being made using anti-inflammatory drugs, a complete change in the way it was formerly viewed.

Many scientists believe that the Human Genome Project has the potential to revolutionize both therapeutic and preventive medicine by providing insights into the basic biochemical processes that underlie many human diseases.

Make Good Health a Priority

2008-08-07T03:41:00.001-07:00

"Health is Wealth" - is a maxim that has been drilled into all of us right from our childhood, to make us aware of the importance of health. And we are well aware that no matter what we achieve in life, nothing can replace good health.

But are we really able to give our health the importance that it really deserves? This is a thought that haunts me as I see a lot of people around me shying away from getting a treatment for their discomforts or ailments for as long as they can. And the reason? Of course the huge hole that a medical consultation and subsequent treatment is likely to create in their pockets. They simply cannot afford the skyrocketing prices in the field of health and medicine. The issue assumes a more serious dimensions when the ailments in question are major and even life threatening, and citizens just don't have the money or insurance cover to get treatment. Citizens today are forced to prioritize on other basic needs and health care is taking a back seat, simply because it is becoming not affordable for common man.

This is an issue that can be observed in all parts of the world. What is the solution? A little research on the matter provides immediate solution. And the solution is "Health Supplement Programs". Ameriplan Corporation, an organization of repute and reliability fro over 15 years in the US offers affordable supplemental Health care program that is just want the large majority of people who cannot afford decent health care need. This discounted health Plan includes the Dental care, Vision care, Prescriptions & Chiropractic services. Any major dental treatments such as root canals, dentures, orthodontia, etc which otherwise are extremely expensive are available to members with savings of upto 60% on the bill. I immediately shared this information with a friend of mine who needed root canal treatment. He joined the Dental health Plan and was benefited by a low consultation fee and reduced expense on all further treatments and medication.

Coding Medical Records - What Medical Record Coding Means to You

2008-08-07T03:41:00.000-07:00

The quality of the practice of coding medical records plays an essential role within any medical facility and could be of vital importance to you at some time during your lifetime. This type of data storage, be it in the local doctors office or the large new medical center, keeps important information concerning treatment and costs in a complete and up to the minute format enabling you or authorized personnel to retrieve a detailed medical record quickly and efficiently when you require treatment or to assess associated treatment costs.

Take, for example, a situation where you have been involved in a bad road accident and you require immediate medical attention. You are whisked away to the local medical center or hospital by ambulance and speedily admitted to the emergency unit. Upon arrival coding medical of medical records begins, information about you is immediately gathered together and you are assigned a personal medical record number to form a unique medical record or if you have previously been a patient at the hospital, your existing medical record file or electronic medical record (EMR) is retrieved from the archives using your pre-existing unique medical record number.

The diagnosis and treatment of this latest incident is completely detailed along side any earlier treatments you may have received and with information supplied by your family or primary care doctor and whichever specialists have been involved. The finished result is a full and accurate record of any conditions which existed prior to and including this accident, and any past and up to the minute medications you may be taking. Of course, all of this information is required to assess your current condition and to ensure the most effective treatment is administered in order to treat you accordingly.

When you are back on your feet again, medical record coding carries on working for you. Apart from the fact that a precise record of your health treatments is created and maintained, (for use the next time it is needed) the information stored in your records can be extremely helpful when you are completing your tax returns. By simply filling out a medical records request form you are able to easily access records of your specific charges and deductible costs you have incurred.

Basically your coded medical record will offer you a clear and up-to-date picture of any amounts which you or your insurance company have incurred for the treatments, services or exams you received. They are coded during any hospital visit and will be itemized within the coding of your medical records.