Most of the healthcare professionals are conscious about HIPAA, and of course conscientious about patients’ rights to complete confidentiality. And the healthcare industry has adopted the best practice of annual HIPAA training processes to cover the new workforce members and periodic refreshers for all employees. So far so good. However, there are times when the […]
Category Archives: Patient Care
Mobile Secure Communication Increases Patient Engagement
Patient engagement is an important theme discussed by many clinicians and hospital leaders. The healthcare industry is a competitive marketplace where patients have several choices about what doctors to see and what clinics to visit. The term “patient engagement” itself is somewhat confusing and often misused, as it is used to describe everything from patient […]
“Smart Doctors Consult Nurses”
Yes! This is the quote I first heard in a CCU room “with a view” of the beautiful Charles River on the 21st floor of one of prestigious medical facility in Boston. The words were coming from the patient in the room, but needed to be taken seriously because she is also a physician. There […]
Kidney disease: When the body’s filtration system starts breaking down
Kidneys are extraordinary organs. They filter a person’s entire volume of blood about 60 times daily. Put another way, kidneys filter about 180 liters of blood per day.[1] They regulate blood pressure, synthesize hormones, and create red blood cells. For National Kidney Month, learn more about kidney diseases—including the surprising medical mystery of an emerging […]
Colorectal cancer: a burgeoning issue in younger patients
We often think of colorectal cancer as an old man’s disease. Yet colorectal cancer is on the rise in younger patients, of all genders and ethnicities. A 2017 study found that once age is taken into account, people born in 1990—who are turning 29 this year—have double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the [...]
Cancer and Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Screenings: A Road Map for Complex Conversations
What secrets does the body hold? Where do we come from, and what might aging hold in store for us? Consumer genetic testing offers answers to these questions, and is exploding in popularity.[1] A vast range of companies now sell affordable, simple DNA tests directly to consumers, promising buyers information about everything from their athletic […]
Nearly one in two Americans has cardiovascular disease—but simple lifestyle changes can combat this.
From Valentine’s Day to American Heart Month, February is about matters of the heart. And with recent research revealing that nearly half of all Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease, now is the perfect time to learn more about heart health.[1]
CTE: An urgent neurological health issue in young athletes
This Sunday, millions of Americans will tune in to watch the Patriots face off against the Rams. But as the nation cheers, it’s likely that these athletes are slowly accumulating brain damage. And it’s not just NFL players—children in your own community are at risk as well. Read on to learn more about how to […]
Map that Pap! 19 additional years to protect against HPV!
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, and with good reason. Each year, almost 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer.[1] But with Pap smears and preventive vaccination, over nine in ten cervical cancers could be stopped in their tracks.[2] In October of 2018, Gardasil-9—the vaccine that prevents cervical cancer—was approved for […]
HIV: No longer a death sentence, but not cured
In the 1980s, Oncologists across the nation were noticing a perplexing phenomena: hundreds and hundreds of young gay men with Kaposki’s sarcoma, a rare cancer. This was the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the United States.[1] Since then, HIV care has come a long way.[2] An HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.[3] [...]