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Consumers and Payers Gravitating Toward Telehealth

Tom Toperczer
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Consumers and Payers Gravitating Toward Telehealth

By Tom Toperczer, director of product management for OmniJoin, Brother International Corporation’s web conferencing service

Telehealth appears to be at a tipping point, both from a patient demand and reimbursement perspective. A great example of this trend is survey results released in June that show 77 percent of survey participants would consider a virtual visit, while nearly 19 percent have already done so.[1]

In addition, reimbursement changes at the federal and state level may make telehealth more financially viable for providers, particularly for those in rural areas who want to expand access. Offering telehealth services, however, needs to be strategic. Providers must consider patient demand, workflow impact and selecting the telehealth platform that meets provider and patient needs.

Growing government acceptance

Even amidst healthcare reform uncertainty, telehealth adoption is growing. Apart from the interest from consumers, a key accelerator for telehealth centers on how the federal government’s healthcare leaders seem to be advocates of the care-delivery method.

For example, during his Senate confirmation hearing, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D., said: “Telemedicine is an exciting innovation that will allow for individuals to access resources that are otherwise not available.”[2] He then described a program in his home state of Georgia where a neurologist in real time diagnoses patients exhibiting stroke symptoms and recommends care interventions.

Similarly, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS’s) Administrator Seema Verna, in written confirmation responses to senators, stated: “Telehealth can provide innovative means of making healthcare more flexible and patient-centric.” Verna added that she was particularly intrigued by telehealth’s potential to expand access in rural and underserved areas.[3]

Reimbursement improving

In the legislative branch, a major telehealth-related bill received a positive rating in May from the influential Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO concluded that the CHRONIC Care Act (S. 870), which expands Medicare coverage for telehealth, would not increase or decrease Medicare spending. The bill would improve reimbursement policies for telestroke, home remote patient monitoring for dialysis therapy, enhanced telehealth coverage for ACOs, and more flexibility for telehealth coverage under Medicare Advantage plans.[4]

Another positive financial indicator for telehealth is that during his confirmation hearing, Price said: “I would also consider how we can allow for reimbursement of telehealth in general and to further help address provider shortages.”[5] Commercial health insurers often follow CMS’s example, which could mean additional revenue streams for telehealth services.

At the state level, reimbursement is also improving. For example, as of the end of July, 34 states and the District of Columbia have telehealth reimbursement parity laws for commercial insurers and eight states have similar laws in the works.[6] These state laws can vary widely in restrictions and covered services—and payers are not always compliant—so it is important to inquire with top payers to determine reimbursement rates.

Seeking the right workflow and technology fit

For organizations that haven’t began offering telehealth services, there are five main considerations—other than determining that the combined potential reimbursement from payers and co-payment from patients will be adequate compensation:

  1. Measuring demand. If the organization has not considered offering telehealth, gauging patient demand is your first and most important step. This can be accomplished through an online or paper survey. These results, along with reimbursement estimates, should offer insight into whether to move forward.
  2. Workflow. How will telehealth services be delivered and for what conditions? This is highly dependent on the size and resources of the organization. Some organizations will be able to dedicate staff to telehealth, others will need to shift between online and in-person appointments.
  3. Technology. There are numerous telehealth platforms organizations can choose from to begin delivering virtual visits. Ease of use is perhaps the most important consideration because it has the most direct impact on provider productivity and efficiency. It also affects the patient experience and may influence their decision to seek care through telehealth again. Such streamlined features would include controls that only need a one-time configuration based on physician preferences, as well as a streamlined sign-on and authentication process.
  4. Security. A private cloud-based implementation behind a hospital network firewall can offer security, while alleviating the hospital from purchasing additional server hardware. Security would be further enhanced with data encryption capabilities that support HIPAA compliance and patient privacy protection.
  5. Patient experience. High-definition video and audio is crucial to more closely simulate the in-person experience for the patient and provider. Enhanced video and audio clarity can also help providers to detect nuanced body language essential to successfully perform psychiatric evaluations, medical checks and other procedures conducted remotely.

The future is bright for telehealth

Judging from the widespread usage of live, web video-based communication among all age groups, local demand for telehealth is likely match the national trends. Given this high-growth outlook, providers need to investigate potential reimbursement for telehealth among its payers as well has how to configure clinical staff duties and workflows to accommodate this new care delivery method. In short, expanding care access through telehealth will be a win for patients, but make sure it will be a win for your organization, too.

[1] Advisory Board. “Virtual Visits with Medical Specialists Draw Strong Consumer Demand, Survey Shows,” June 19, 2017. Accessible at: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/virtual-visits-with-medical-specialists-draw-strong-consumer-demand-survey-shows-300475757.html

[2] U.S. Senate Finance Committee. “Questions for the Record: ‘The Honorable Thomas E. Price Nomination Hearing for HHS Secretary.’” Transcript. January 24, 2017. Accessible at: http://static.politico.com/b8/dd/542cf7084be185c759497c910b93/rep-tom-prices-questions-for-the-record-to-senate-finance-committee.pdf

[3] Politico. “Verma Gets Senate Finance Vote.” February 28, 2017. Accessible at: http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-ehealth/2017/02/ama-other-doctor-groups-call-for-delay-in-2015-certified-ehrs-218967

[4] American Telemedicine Association. “CBO Greenlights Expanded Medicare Coverage of Telehealth.” May 18, 2017.  Accessible at: https://thesource.americantelemed.org/blogs/jessica-washington/2017/05/18/cbo-greenlights-expanded-medicare-coverage-of-telehealth

[5] U.S. Senate Finance Committee. “Questions for the Record: ‘The Honorable Thomas E. Price Nomination Hearing for HHS Secretary.’” Transcript. January 24, 2017. Accessible at: http://static.politico.com/b8/dd/542cf7084be185c759497c910b93/rep-tom-prices-questions-for-the-record-to-senate-finance-committee.pdf

[6] American Telemedicine Association. “2017 State Telemedicine Legislation Tracking (as of 5/31/2017)” Accessible at: https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/AMERICANTELEMED/3c09839a-fffd-46f7-916c-692c11d78933/UploadedImages/Policy/State%20Policy%20Resource%20Center/State%20Legislation%20Matrix_2017.pdf

Rely on Health Gadgets to Help You Preserve Your Well-Being During Your Divorce

The Healthcare Guys
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Rely on Health Gadgets to Help You Preserve Your Well-Being During Your Divorce

According to NBC News, with only 10.01% of annual divorces, Maryland ranks at the 46th place when it comes to divorce rates in the U.S. However, even though it is not as common of an occurrence in this state, it does take an emotional, as well as physical toll on the parties going through such a challenging life event.

Divorce is a lengthy, and more often than not, complicated process that can cause unforeseen predicaments, in terms of finances, family, and last but not least, physical and emotional health.

Monitor your blood pressure during your divorce

Divorce is no walk in the park according to attorney Katherine Grier; it is a grueling process that brings about a host of physical and emotional challenges, as confirmed by the Journal of Health and Social Behavior’ experts. Most commonly, a divorcee experiences a combination of anxiety and stress, which in turn can cause high blood pressure and other serious health complications including heart disease and diabetes.

To control your anxiety levels and fluctuating blood pressure, health gadgets, such as health and fitness wristbands can serve as a life-saver. These modern devices serve as a personal nurse in a sense, in that they warn you about how your body is reacting to stress, and let you monitor your blood pressure every step of the way.

Enjoy your favorite tunes under water

Physical activity is known to significantly reduce stress levels, as well as keep the body in good shape, which in turn makes it easier for it to ward off potential bacteria and diseases. Cycling, running, and swimming in particular, are all great forms of workouts that provide a good outlet for one’s pent-up negative energy.

Furthermore, as fun as these physical activities are, the tech experts of 21st century came up with an innovation that can make these activities even more fun. Gadgets, such as the Finis Neptune allow you to listen to relaxing or motivational music – without earphones – even under water. Additionally, not only will this bone conduction audio device make your workout more fun, but listening to music while swimming will also significantly contribute to the lowering of you anxiety levels.

Nobody enters marriage thinking about divorce, however, in certain situations this life-altering experience does take place. As emotionally draining of an event it is, it is important not to neglect your physical well-being and maintain a healthy lifestyles, which will surely pay off in the long run. In case you are looking for some help on the legal side of things especially if you are being bothered by your former partner, you can visit http://divorceattorneystulsa.net/protective-orders-in-divorce/ to learn more about it so that you can be worry-free and continue with your daily life.

Belgian-American Start-up Byteflies Develops Wearable Technology for UCB Collaboration Project

The Healthcare Guys
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Belgian-American Start-up Byteflies Develops Wearable Technology for UCB Collaboration Project

Media Contact:
Hans Danneels
Byteflies
+1 510 287 6314
hans.danneels@byteflies.com
http://www.byteflies.com
Twitter: @byteflies

  • Highly specialized Byteflies wearables used in UCB monitoring project for epileptic seizures
  • To accelerate growth, Byteflies closes first investment round of $600,000

San Francisco, Calif., August 16, 2017 – Byteflies, the Belgian-American start-up company, and aspirational leader in wearable health solutions, is partnering with the biopharmaceutical company UCB to monitor difficult to measure seizures experienced by people with epilepsy.

This collaboration with UCB, global leader in the field of research and development of medicines to support the management of epilepsy, is an important step forward for Byteflies, and builds on a recent successful funding round from a group of American and Belgian investors which raised $600,000.

Byteflies has the ambition to become the reference in wearable health solutions. With a unique toolkit of specialized wearables, and an accompanying data platform, Byteflies is targeting the pharmaceutical industry, start-ups and research groups.

The company aims to continue their momentum and aspires towards rapid growth. Before the end of this year, Byteflies plans to launch its very own wearable health toolkit which, by harnessing the company’s unique wearable technology, can dramatically accelerate clinical trials and research.

Currently, unique Byteflies wearables are being used in a monitoring project for UCB. As part of a consortium, which includes UCB, the University of Leuven, the Leuven University Hospital and product developer PiliPili, Byteflies is providing discreet and accurate monitoring of difficult to measure seizures in a test group of patients.

“In partnership with Byteflies, UCB is excited to be at the forefront of next generation wearables, collaborating to evaluate the benefits of measuring patient symptoms and experiences which, in the future, could support individually tailored care approaches” says Erik Janssen, VP, Head of Innovative Solutions, Neurology Patient Value Unit, UCB. “Everything we do at UCB is Inspired by patients, and Driven by science. In this regard, harnessing technology and innovation are crucial elements in our mission to provide maximum value to those patients who need it the most”.

Byteflies recently raised $600,000 in capital from a group of private investors in the United States and in Belgium. “We are very pleased with this funding, which will not only give us the necessary resources to grow, but also provides us with the expertise of our investors to lead our company towards the next step,” explains Hans Danneels, CEO and co-founder of Byteflies.

Byteflies is confident in its technology solutions, and believes its tools will contribute towards modern and connected healthcare environments by providing continuous and precise measurements needed to build personalized approaches to patient care.

Headquartered in Belgium, Byteflies sits at the center of pharmaceutical innovation, with a strong Belgian tradition in the field of clinical research. Its second office, located in Silicon Valley, operates in the heart of digital innovation.

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Telehealth – Not an Innovation but an Unavoidable Force in the Healthcare Industry

Roman Chernyshev, Director, DataArt UK
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Telehealth – Not an Innovation but an Unavoidable Force in the Healthcare Industry

Even though there were many questions and contradictions whether to embrace telehealth or not, nowadays it is a well-defined pilot that flies with its own speed and direction. For the past few years, healthcare experts and practices have raved about its undeniable benefits, while still having doubts over security and practicality. However, technology and acceptance have finally made telehealth a reality for everyone in the healthcare industry. According to many researchers and government officials, a steady stream of innovation is already being widely adopted and now it is time to extol the virtues of telemedicine. As an example, Latoya Thomas, the Director of State Health Policy at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), sees telehealth as a delivery model that may not be familiar to everyone, but where it is available, it should be used.

People have never even imagined that healthcare may provide the best care with the least inconvenience.  The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers defines telehealth as a collection of means or methods for enhancing healthcare, public health, and health education delivery and support, using telecommunications technologies. At the same time, the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) distinguishes telehealth as: “The use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration.”

Studies from the American Medical Association showed that 70% of doctors’ visits are informational and can be easily made by telephone or video calls. There are many different ways to share health information and engage with patients, physicians, and others. Traditionally, telehealth embodies four distinct domains known as:

– Video conferencing (real time) – two-way interaction between a person and a provider using audiovisual telecommunications technology. In this case, live video can be used for consultation, diagnostics, and patient treatment. Real time telehealth solutions, such as transfer of still images, have been used in telepathology for many years as well as real time transfer of video images has been widely explored in telepsychiatry.

– Store-and-forward involves the transmission of a recorded health history (pre-recorded videos, digital images) through a secure electronic communications system to a specialist. Unlike a real-time technology, it provides access to data after it was collected, and involves communication tools such as secure email. 

– Remote patient monitoring encompasses personal health and medical data collection from an individual in one location via electronic communication technologies, which is transmitted to a provider in a different location. As an example, recently healthcare IT giant Cerner and Truman Medical Centers have partnered up to create disease management programs that employ patient monitoring technology in patients’ homes. The clinical application of patient monitoring devices is expanding at a fast pace as well. The latest news digest reveals some great examples to keep track of patients, such as a bracelet to predict asthma attacks through breath, a bra to detect the early signs of breast cancer, a wristwatch for those suffering with Parkinson’s disease, and a hair clip for deaf people to convey sounds through the hair.

– Mobile health (mHealth) seems to be one of the fastest growing tendencies driving improvements in healthcare. Around 7 million patients have already been using various forms of mobile applications, and it is estimated to reach 50 million by 2020, according to a new BCC Research report. Supported by mobile communication devices, mobile health is proved to improve patient compliance with treatment recommendations, reminding patients to take medications, educating about health issues, and better engaging in care. For clinicians it assists in solving some of healthcare’s biggest problems, such as chronic disease management and clinical decision making.

Telehealth is not a single solution, but a more complicated concept where the choice of approaches depends on the interval between a patient and a primary care provider. One of the major concerns in healthcare is the fragmented nature of care with data loss and duplicated lab tests that result in conflicting information from doctors, eventually leading to hospital readmissions. The lack of proper coordination and other factors provide a reason to assert that care is anything but patient-centered. Patient safety depends enormously on integration of data back to the primary health record, as it assists in secure and safe data support and impacts care fragmentation. There are four models that show how individual telehealth solutions are contributing to integration and whether they are potentially fracturing care:

– Inside Care represents 100% of collected health record data. In other words, it may be called the “medical home”, “universal patient record”, supporting patient self-efficacy.

– Telehealth-enabled. As a care giver has already long-term existing relationship with a patient, telehealth technology is used here to capture all data. As an example, video-consultation enables more efficient and scalable care integration.

– Extended Telehealth. In this case, there is a risk of care fracturing, because of the sheer number of additional clinicians. For instance, remote monitoring by a nurse will include an additional care provider, but it will be still tightly connected to the care team.

– Outside Care – telehealth functions completely separately from the existing care team and only includes encounters, e-visits, patient apps and devices.

Recognizing the telehealth potential for the industry, there are multiple providers on the market, offering their own telehealth solutions to the problems above. The following table illustrates some examples of telehealth solutions for each telehealth domain respectively.

Samples of telehealth solutions

Although these solutions do offer a type of “out of the box” functionality, the complicated nature of healthcare industry sometimes imposes requirements that they are unable to meet, that leads to situations where the stock solution is just not enough. In these cases, there are custom software development companies capable of designing tailored-made teleconferencing solutions matching all requirements and evolving as the environment changes.

Telehealth is not an innovation anymore, now it is seen as a powerful topic for the coming years having a profound effect on every area of healthcare. As a means to increase convenience and scale quality, telehealth may raise the bar for the industry, leaving ones who cannot adopt it on time behind in a race for patients.

Resources:

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/cerner-truman-medical-centers-launch-home-patient-monitoring

https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/DesigningConsumerCenteredTelehealtheVisit-ONC-WHITEPAPER-2015V2edits.pdf

http://23je8jawagt19m8da2cje4yb.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Lochbridge_TelehelathArticle2.pdf

http://www.cchpca.org/sites/default/files/uploader/Telehealth%20Definintion%20Framework%20for%20TRCs_0.pdf

http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/hit/telehealthguide_final_0.pdf https://www.duanemorris.com/articles/static/bilimoria_jmpm_0413.pdf

http://blog.evisit.com/what-industry-experts-are-saying-about-telehealth

http://uvs-it.com/why-its-time-to-finally-embrace-telehealth/

How Do I Use Online Medical Billing and Coding for Missed Appointments?

Saqib Khan
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How Do I Use Online Medical Billing and Coding for Missed Appointments?

One of the biggest issues that medical facilities have to deal with is the management of patient’s appointments. The patients start to miss their appointments that cause a disturbance in the billing system. It means that you will have to reschedule the entire procedure and it will waste a lot of your time.

Here are some of the ways online medical billing and coding tools will help you deal with missed appointments.  

Implementation of patient reminder policy

The common reason that patients do not show up for their medical appointments is that they forgot. With the help of healthcare consulting services, use a strong reminder system that may consist of:

  • Mails
  • Manual telephone reminders
  • Text message system
  • Emails

It will help you to deal with the patient no show. It is a cost-effective way of assuring that patients are aware of their appointment schedule.

Use an online medical billing and coding system to charge a fee

When you will charge patients a fee because they did not show up you will notice improved results. It is important that you consult the medical facilities before charging the fee. You have to ensure that there are no rules against it that might cause you trouble.

Once you implement this policy, make sure the patients are aware that they will have to pay a particular amount for not showing up. The policy should be clear and easy to understand for the patients and send them a reminder so you will not have to deal with any kinds of claims.

Let the patient know they need to find a new medical facility

If the same patient has been disturbing the workflow analysis in the healthcare facility, you are allowed to terminate them from the practice. You are allowed to terminate the patient only in severe cases and make sure you do it properly otherwise, you might have to deal with legal consequences.  

Start with searching the state laws regarding termination and understand the requirements regarding the procedure. You will have to:

  • Send a proper notification to the patient’s house
  • In case the patient is in the middle of treatment it is regarded as abandonment and can lead to serious ramifications
  • Once you have tried everything, termination will be your last resort

Benefits of online medical billing and coding

The medical billing practice management systems will provide you the following benefits.

1. Faster reimbursement

With the help of online billing system, you will not have to deal with the paper trails. It would be easier to manage everything including:

  • Remittance
  • Claim advice reports
  • Insurance information forms
  • Overall billing process will be quick
  • Elimination of errors in medical billing

It will allow the team to take care of other important tasks like daily accounting, adding new information on the right time and maintaining the entire track record of the patients. It will improve the overall efficiency and you will always get the accurate results.

2. The online medical billing and coding is affordable

One of the biggest advantages of the healthcare revenue cycle management system is that it is cost-effective. Once the entire process is streamlined online, you will never have to go through all the paper work and other type of information. Everything will be easily accessible and so you will not have to waste your time and money. It will make the management easier and effective.

3. Latest features

With the help of high-quality software, you can easily streamline information and data. The healthcare IT consulting tools are developed with the latest technology and you will come across the following features:

  • It is easy to check the electronic health records
  • Everything is properly maintained online
  • Receivables of the accounts will be easily processed
  • Add patient’s Collectibles
  • Capture patient’s demographics
  • Insurance claims management
  • Build progress reports
  • Track every process

It will allow the doctors to save their time that they can give to the patients and so they can improve their practice.

4. Updates      

The best thing about the online medical billing and coding system is that it will quickly update all the information regarding the patient’s bills. You will never miss a payment or the claims that have been made by the patients. It would be easy for you to keep the track of the payments and all the data will be only a click away. You will not have to worry about any kinds of errors because the online billing tools will automatically correct the mistakes.

5. All types of medical facilities are supported

All you have to do is provide your software with the internet connection and the computer network and it will allow you to manage any type of medical data. Even small clinics will find it useful as it will help them to maintain the unlimited records. There are special programs in the software and so you will not have to build the large storage rooms for the record-keeping. In a little corner set the equipment and program everything.

6. Documentation is easy

One of the biggest issues that hospital employees have to deal with is the documentation of data. In the previous years, the documents were easily lost in the storage rooms and it was hard to access them.

With the help of online medical billing and coding, it is easy to quickly add all the details in the system. You will never lose the information ever again. The biggest benefit of billing software is that you can enter the code and the information regarding the patient will appear in front of you.

Conclusion

The online medical billing and coding tools work like a blessing for the professionals. It has made the medical practice easy by streamlining all the data and billing information. The software allows the professional medical facilities to eliminate the errors, make their billing and insurance claim procedure easy and manage everything properly.

The online medical billing and coding software is the best technology for the medical facility that is making their practice easy and affordable.

How to Advance Your Career as a Nurse

The Healthcare Guys
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How to Advance Your Career as a Nurse

Nursing has made many advances as it relates to education and training. In their training, nurses are required to complete numerous practicum hours in clinics or hospitals they are assigned to in addition to the hours spent learning about, and studying, every aspect of the human body. Nurses today command a respectable salary because unlike in times past, where nurses completed minor tasks related to prepping patients and monitoring their progress, nurses today administer medicine, in addition to other important tasks. While the salary is very competitive, one of the major rewards in this field is the opportunity for career advancement.

Ever since Florence Nightingale, the nursing career has been romanticized in fiction and film throughout history, but nursing is backbreaking work. From having to lift patients to being on their feet all day, and sometimes night, this can make a shift grueling, not to mention having to work a non-consistent schedule with shifts beginning at all times throughout the day. Nurses often find that while the end of the shift might be over, their work is not done, making for an even longer work day or night. However, all of these negatives are canceled out by the fact that nurses are so appreciated by their patients and the organizations for whom they work, that they are internally rewarded and rewarded by patients who might give them small gifts in appreciation for their dedication and diligence to their work. Other appeals to working in this field include learning and applying knowledge about the human body, but more importantly, the opportunity for career advancement and mobility.

People already working as nurses and who plan to move up the ladder into administration can do so in the following ways.

  • Adopt a very professional attitude in your work and toward your patients. Some of the behaviors that reflect professionalism are being reliable and arriving on time for work. Be thorough with your work because you are working with people in the healthcare setting, which means you deal with not only facts related to health, but also the emotional aspect of helping patients deal with their ailments.
  • Find a mentor within the ranks of administration and get advice on how to move into nursing administration and other best business practices that make you stand out as a potential candidate for a desired position.
  • Seek out the nursing community within and outside your place of employment. Also, join any professional organizations that might help you network within the nursing community. The American Nurses Association, for example, is a professional organization where young nurses can build relationships.
  • Look at ways to get certified in areas of interest. Currently, twenty-six certification exams, offered through The American Nurses Credentialing Center, are available to those who want certification.
  • Finally, and more significantly, nurses need an advanced degree to move into administration. Depending on the type of nurse, enrolling in an on-site program might prove difficult, as a nurse’s schedule is not consistent. However, many online programs like Maryville’s DNP degree might appeal to someone needing the degree to move into administration but not having the time to go the traditional route.

Other skills that are very important for advancement in this field relate to content knowledge and skills needed to perform the job. Because the population in the United States is so diverse, larger cities and municipalities with large ethnic populations need nurses who are fluent in other languages. Being bilingual not only opens doors for a person, but it also can translate into earning thousands of dollars more a year, as some districts pay those who speak another language more. Nurses also need to have a certain level of proficiency using computers to complete tasks related to their jobs. Having advanced knowledge in specialty areas as well makes you a versatile employee, but becoming certified in other areas can open doors in other parts of nursing. Of all of the skills gained through nursing, critical thinking is one you will need to succeed in this occupation because of the mental work required in helping others overcome health problems.

For those with a passion for nursing, this field, like many in social services, is one that is a calling. To dedicate yourself to this profession means dedicating yourself to acquiring all the knowledge needed to perform the job, as doctors and other professionals rely on the expertise and professionalism of nurses to help assist patients. More importantly, this desire to help others can translate into a career that lasts years and provides career advancement.

Top Medical Devices for Plantar Fasciitis

The Healthcare Guys
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Top Medical Devices for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a serious condition, which can have a negative impact on the overall quality of life. The chronic inflammation causes discomfort, pain and stiffness; because of the symptoms experienced, the patient will avoid movement altogether, which in turn will reinforce the pain. This vicious cycle can be easily broken with the help of top medical devices, such as night splints and orthoses. Laser treatments and foot massagers can be of use in improving the symptomatology experienced by patients with plantar fasciitis as well.

Night splints

In the majority of cases, the symptoms of plantar fasciitis are successfully managed with the help of conservative treatments, such as night splints. According to a study published as part of a PhD degree paper, the dorsiflexion night splints, as well as the medial arch supports can greatly improve the symptoms of this inflammatory condition.

The main advantage of the night splints is that they prevent the contracture of the plantar fascia while the patient sleeps; they also act on the Achilles tendon, ensuring that the patient wakes up with considerably less pain in the morning. As for the medial arch supports, these can reduce the stress imposed on the plantar fascia during the day.

Orthoses

Orthotic inserts are considered part of the conservative treatments as well, being often recommended for the reduction of pain and most commonly in adults. As a study published in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation has demonstrated, custom-made orthoses are highly efficient when it comes to reducing the pain caused by the inflammation of the plantar fascia.

Orthotic inserts are easily available, which makes them even more essential for those who suffer from plantar fasciitis (professional athletes included). However, the authors of the study draw attention to the limitations of these devices. It is possible that the pain experienced is reduced but not completely eliminated. Moreover, other symptoms might remain just as intense and/or frequent. Additional research was also deemed to be necessary, with regard to how these orthotic inserts would influence the athletic activity for professional athletes.

Laser treatments

Laser treatments are generally recommended for patients who suffer from chronic plantar fasciitis, with symptoms that refuse to go away or decrease in intensity by resorting to conservative treatments. According to a study published in Foot & Ankle International, low-level laser therapy promises to offer excellent results for the treatment of both acute and chronic plantar fasciitis.

The usage of laser therapy has contributed to a reduction in both the intensity and frequency of the heel pain, which we all know to be commonly caused by the inflammation of the plantar fascia. The advantages of this form of treatment refer to the absence of pain, the fact that this is a non-invasive procedure and that it is highly efficient on the symptoms of plantar fasciitis. The patients who took part to the study were assessed with the help of the Visual Analog Scale and the Foot Function Index.

Foot massagers

Massage therapy is often prescribed to those who are suffering from plantar fasciitis, as it can reduce the tension and bring the much-desired relief from the pain and inflammation. According to a research article published in Novel Physiotherapies, both transverse friction massage and deep friction massage can be used as conservative treatment for plantar fasciitis. And if you do not have the time to go out and get a massage, you can easily use a foot massager.

A foot massager has a wide range of benefits to offer, starting with the fact that it provides relief from the symptoms experienced. Moreover, it is easy to use and it does not require any additional experience in the field of massage. All you have to do is follow the instructions, using the foot massager on a daily basis (or even more often, if it is necessary).

Heel pads

Heel pads are among the solutions mentioned for the management of plantar fasciitis. These are often made from silicone and they vouch to reduce the intensity and/or frequency of the heel pain. As a study published in Clinical Research on Foot & Ankle has pointed out, the silicone heel pad delivers the best results for patients diagnosed with unilateral plantar fasciitis, when used in combination with a soft insole (arch support included).

The biggest advantage that the heel pad has to offer is the reduction of heel pain, the staple symptom of this inflammatory condition. Once the heel pain has been reduced in both intensity and frequency, patients can return to their normal level of activity and, thus, enjoy a better quality of life overall. The foot function improvement was noticed to be present on a long-term basis, which is another positive factor to take into consideration. As with other conservative treatments, it is for the best that these heel pads are custom-made.

Walker boot

The walker boot is a conservative solution as well, being recommended in the situation that the patient does not respond to other treatment solutions (physiotherapy, ultrasound, iontophoresis etc.). According to a scientific article published in RBO, this form of immobilization can be pursued.

Basically, the affected foot will be placed in a plaster-cast boot, which can be removed when walking is necessary. This is known as the walker boot and, depending on the symptomatology experienced by the patient, it can be worn for approximately six to eight weeks. The doctor will decide whether the walker boot is the best solution for each individual case, based on the physical examination and the results of the imagistic investigations.

Final word

These are some of the top medical devices that can be used for those who have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. As you have seen, these are meant to improve the symptomatology experienced and, thus, increase the current level of functionality. If the patient is able to resume his/her previous activities, this means that the conservative treatment has been successful and that surgery should no longer be considered as an option for the future.

Other references:

Best Work Boots for Plantar Fasciitis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1839987/

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/86143-treatment

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2011/0915/p676.html

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0201/p467.html

http://www.podiatrytoday.com/guide-conservative-care-plantar-fasciitis

Six Natural Acne Remedies that Actually Work and Some Useful Apps

The Healthcare Guys
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Six Natural Acne Remedies that Actually Work and Some Useful Apps

At some point in your life, odds are you’ve struggled with acne. For most of us the battle for clear skin is fought during the teen years, but for some breakouts continue well into adulthood and can spike, seemingly without cause, at any time. Maintaining a steady routine of cleansing, toning and moisturizing isn’t always enough.

The truth is acne can be caused by both hormonal and environmental factors, among other things. By keeping your skin clean, and maintaining a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, you can give your body the nutrients it needs to build healthy skin. Acne treatments can be costly, and often success can be hit and miss. Today we’re going to give you insight on six great herbal options for keeping your skin fresh and healthy.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The long-time staple of pantries, apple cider vinegar also has numerous applications in your bathroom cabinet. After cleansing, use apple cider vinegar in place of your chemical toner – use a cotton pad to gently wipe it across your whole face, paying particular attention to the troublesome T-zone. Apple cider vinegar can be a successful treatment for acne as it is chock full of natural enzymes that work to kill harmful bacteria, and those bacteria can be the root of acne breakouts.

Tea Tree Oil

Another natural medicine cabinet staple, tea tree oil, has been found effective as a spot treatment for acne. Again, this remedy works because tea tree oil is an anti-bacterial agent. Simply dilute 6 drops of tea tree oil in one teaspoon of a quality carrier oil such as coconut or jojoba. Dab this solution directly onto trouble spots to fight a breakout.

Honey

Consistent cleansing is the key to happy skin, but it is important that you cleanse your face gently. Honey is an exceptional ingredient for gentle face washing, as it provides a nutrient-rich moisturizer as well as antibacterial support, and antioxidants to fend off the visible signs of aging.

Aloe Vera

Most people know that aloe vera is a great soothing agent for skin that has been burned or damaged, but did you realize aloe vera not only nourishes and protects the skin from within, and can also help acne scars heal? The best thing about it is aloe vera needs no special preparation, you simply break a piece of the plant off and rub the juices directly onto your skin.

Lemon

Lemon juice applied directly to the face can work as a powerful astringent. This helps keep pores healthy by not only flushing out toxins, but also by tightening them at the end of your facial cleansing routine. Alternatively, include the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon in the pot during your steam cleanse to enhance the effects, by purifying your pores.

Burdock Root

An ancient remedy for inflammation, burdock root extract is great for many skin conditions. Burdock is particularly helpful in the fight against acne because it provides anti-inflammatory support, to soothe irritations, as well as bringing antibacterial muscle to help eliminate one of the key causes of acne.

These are just six in a pantheon of natural remedies that you can use to design your best skin care plan. While skin care trends are easy to be swept away by, there are three things all good skin care regimens have in common. First, a consistent cleansing routine, ensuring you cleanse, tone, and moisturize daily. Second, a healthy diet that gives your skin the nutrients for a healthy glow. And third, regular restful sleep to provide your skin a chance to detoxify and rehydrate.

Useful Apps

Since technology is nearly touching every aspect of our lives, you can now use some interesting apps for your acne, as the ones shown below:

Spruce

As mentioned in Wired, this iPhone app enables you to get prescription drugs for your acne. It s trying to give the user a better experience than that of visiting a dermatologist. As Ray Bradford, Founder & CEO of Spruce Health, says: “Only twenty percent or so of people who have acne bother seeing a dermatologist at all. An app like Spruce vastly reduces the activation energy required to get treatment.”

MDacne

As mentioned in the MDacne’s website, MDacne is considered the number one ranked acne app in the US and UK Apple App Store and is being used by people with acne all around the world. MDacne analyzes your acne and provides you a personal skin routine. It also provides you with a personal treatment plan built by board certified dermatologists  in order to match your specific skin type, and more.

The Use of Tech Skills in the Healthcare Industry

The Healthcare Guys
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The Use of Tech Skills in the Healthcare Industry

Technology has become a central part of people’s personal and professional lives. Healthcare industry workers rely on technology across almost every role and specialty. While technology is incredibly useful in healthcare, it also has downsides that sometimes become a burden to healthcare employees. The following discusses technology in the healthcare industry and solutions to some tech-related headaches.

How technology has changed healthcare

Whether entering patient data or performing robotic surgery, healthcare professionals must have excellent technical skills. At a standard office visit, you can see technology in use. Front office staff use computers to check in patients. Physicians and their assistants use computers to input health information, and sometimes, other tech gadgets are used in evaluating and treating conditions.

Experts believe that the healthcare industry has only begun to use emerging technologies. It is predicted that artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 3D printing, wearable devices and prescriptive analytics will be improved and used more frequently in the near future.

Technology now allows nurses and doctors to connect with patients who are home-bound and living in remote areas so that they can access healthcare professionals via telehealth services. Telemedicine is a service where medical staff monitor, diagnose and expedite treatment over the phone, typically for chronic health conditions. These programs save money by reducing on-site staff and acting as a virtual doctor’s office and emergency department.

Innovators are reinforcing the shift to digital healthcare by creating apps, cutting-edge medical devices and predictive diagnostic systems. With wearable sensors and automated diagnoses on the rise, measuring blood pressure and other symptoms related to chronic health condition management is made easier. Predictive analytics, which uses statistics to sort data for outcomes of patients, might be key in the future of more effective patient treatment.

With the rise of new digital innovations and services, it is possible to use drugs less frequently for treatments. An app or wearable device reminding diabetic patients to walk daily is more affordable for insurers than long-term medication use and doctor’s office visits. Other apps save patients’ lives and nursing staff’s time by identifying health issues early, such as a fatal loss of kidney function.

Identifying technological burdens and solutions

Technology has come a long way in improving patient care and daily tasks of medical staff. However, there are times when medical professionals experience problems and unnecessary burdens caused by the technology that is intended to help.

Some large healthcare systems employ IT staff members, while others contract out this type of work. When IT issues arise at healthcare facilities, the existing staff are not typically highly skilled in troubleshooting. Even tech-savvy employees have to take the time to research and tend to a variety of tech problems that arise. Not only is this above their education and job duties, but it also interferes with focusing on patient care and customer service.

Hiring a skilled IT contractor can alleviate tech issues that are above the qualifications of most staff. Databases, email servers and complex computer and phone systems have to be kept running and secure. Data analysts require database querying language skills and analysis tool proficiency. In addition to these skills, IT contractors remove typical but unnecessary burdens so that staff can focus on their primary duties. Contractors registered with a company such as an umbrella PAYE can even receive help sorting their finances.

With the rise in technology-based healthcare, workers in almost every role will need to learn new tech skills. New and developing technology-based solutions in healthcare increase the need for day-to-day IT troubleshooting when issues arise.

Healthcare workers will have to be quick to learn new tech skills and willing to continue their education to learn to use new technology. Medical schools and residency programs offer training so that students are prepared to work with technology. Online medical courses, virtual reality training programs, tech-related continuing education courses and tech-oriented healthcare degrees are increasing. This growing need to keep up with a variety of new technologies is essential in the competitive healthcare industry, so allowing staff to focus on education and the operation of new tech rather than IT troubleshooting is a more efficient use of their time.

Technology is used across the healthcare industry to provide the best competitive patient care. New devices, treatments and services are often tech-based. Healthcare workers will be increasingly expected to have knowledge and experience in technological advances. Due to the overwhelming nature of keeping up with new medical technology, healthcare workers’ burden will increase. However, in the coming years, people will continue to see the benefits of new technology in the healthcare industry.

What Makes Mobile App Testing for Healthcare Different?

The Healthcare Guys
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What Makes Mobile App Testing for Healthcare Different?

Healthcare is becoming a data-driven sector, and mobile apps are making a notable contribution to this result. People are embracing the convenience offered by apps and wearables to track their fitness and even monitor chronic disease. A study from 2016 shows that there are 1.2  billion users, growing from 1.15 billion in 2015 and this is only on the consumer end (B2C). However, some of these digital products are not always accurate and should be used with caution. 

In addition, there is real growth in the mobile apps for hospital and clinic backends, too. These are called business to employees (B2E) apps and are subject to strict regulations since they are part of medical services offered.

Despite the impressive numbers, only a handful of mobile apps for healthcare have been tested rigorously and this is due to industry practices. Most companies don’t have the time, tools, devices or specialists to perform rigorous testing on all aspects that could influence the overall performance of an app. Although the company’s reputation is on the line when an app is released, testing takes a backseat in the list of priorities.

Challenges of developing quality healthcare apps

Testing mobile apps from different angles is a challenge since the set of tests should include a multi-dimensional approach. Mobile app testing company A1QA recommends functionality testing to ensure the app is serving its primary purpose, security testing to prevent data leakage through unauthorized access, usability testing as well as network connectivity and compatibility testing. These trials are made harder by the following factors which should be taken into consideration.

Device and platform fragmentation

There is a huge array of possible combinations of devices, operating systems, and screen sizes that increase the complexity of app testing exponentially. Some healthcare facilities follow a BYOD (bring your own device) policy, while others require development for a given configuration. If the app is intended for patient use, the range of devices increases substantially.

Not only does the app need to work on the targeted devices, but it needs to connect flawlessly with other devices as well to perform data transfers of interpretation. Just think of the average fitness band-smartphone pairing, not to mention special devices such as X-ray machines or EKGs.

Compliance requirements

Healthcare apps are very different from regular mobile applications due to the intensive regulations of the sector.  If the app is installed on a medical device, it needs to pass FDA certification and ensure it is HIPAA compliant if it carries patient information.

An app that meets HIPAA compliance standards needs to have:

  1. Technical safeguards – encryption of information, implement access control for each user, including during an emergency, authentication mechanism, activity audit controls, encryption and decryption and automatic log-off.
  2. Physical safeguards – storing electronic records, facility access control for those who can access servers, workstations, rules for mobile devices, hardware inventory since a lot of apps can be hacked at the hardware level.
  3. Administrative safeguards – all problems related to risk assessment and risk management, and contingency planning.

Test automation

While mobile testing of commercial and entertainment apps has reached some degree of maturity, the testing of healthcare apps is still in its infancy. This can be easily observed by the number of test automation tools available for general purpose apps, compared to the lack of similar items for medical apps. Although automation is a necessity for this sector as well, there are no off the shelf options, and the senior testers must design their own code.

Dummy data for running tests is also a challenge. Most automatic tests require important quantities of data for calibration purposes. Without excerpts from real health records the app can only be tested from a logical perspective, but it might be unusable in a real-life setting and even dangerous. 

Domain and system knowledge

Another specificity of healthcare apps testing is the collaboration necessity between developers, testers, and users (health professionals). While for general purpose uses the tester can substitute the end user, here it is impossible if the app is created to be accessed by medical staff. The tester should ask the end users for feedback and include their comments in newer versions of the app.

The only way to ensure proper functioning is to walk through the code and the app together with a cross-functional team of developers, testers and subject matter experts.

Agile Development

To keep a reasonable time to market, the development should follow the agile methodology, which is hard to maintain considering all the different entities which have a say in the final product. The entire process must shift from eliminating bugs to creating a minimum viable product that can be upgraded afterward. Yet, in the case of mobile development for healthcare, even for the initial version, the standards are high because human life is involved. Any error could mean death, not just a restart of the program.

The Cloud and Big Data

More and more apps rely on cloud services and Big Data. Healthcare is the best candidate for this approach, which creates additional challenges. QA specialists must be retrained to face the problems posed by distributed networks and processing large data volumes.

With the development of the IoT and increased connectivity, this trend will grow even more. Both providers and testers should take into consideration the opportunities of collecting and using massive amounts of data in the apps, as well as the security threats posed by this expansion.

Next steps

The number of healthcare apps is growing daily, and people are becoming more accustomed to the benefits they bring. The healthcare industry is slowly catching up on adopting these tools and including them in everyday routines, slowly replacing paper records and contributing to a shared base of knowledge that can be used for further medical improvements.

Yet, the process of creating and validating top quality apps takes time, we have yet to see an app that is a pocket doctor or competent nurse. To have such an app that is also safe, secure and up-to-date with the latest discoveries is for now, a utopia.

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