What would you do if your mother or father fell ill and couldn't make medical decisions? Would your dad want to have his life prolonged if doing so means that he would spend the rest of his life unconscious and dependent upon a machine? Would you be able to access your mother's funds to pay [...]
In October 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a whitepaper outlining a revised plan for the next 10 years, after a review of the 50 value-based care payment models set forth over the past decade by that body’s Innovation Center – the CMMI – showed that only six of them resulted [...]
A recent survey of 1,000 consumers showed that only 26 percent had ever heard of the term “value-based care,” and of those, few knew what it meant. Moreover, 62 percent had never heard of the concept at all. All of this underscores the first VBC-related challenge facing those within the healthcare industry -- raising awareness. [...]
While psoriasis is not just a skin-deep issue (despite all appearances to the contrary), a dermatologist can make all the difference in dealing with an affliction that impacts 7.5 million Americans and is characterized by skin that, depending on the severity, could be itchy, scaly, cracked or bleeding in spots, and joints that might be [...]
Kidney disease has a reputation of being unpredictable. On its website, the American Kidney Fund cites an example of one of its employees, Shayla Harris, who in her 20s was diagnosed with a case so severe that she required a transplant. At the time she was seemingly healthy, but while undergoing a routine physical she [...]
A sometimes-overlooked part of an interprofessional healthcare team is the pharmacist, though in recent years that has begun to change, given patients’ increasing needs and the interdependence of those teams, which typically consist of a medical doctor but can also include nurses and various other specialists. The role of the pharmacist cannot be overstated, however, [...]
The COVID-19 pandemic caused massive amounts of disruption in virtually every industry and area of life. With more people staying at home and limiting physical contact with others, medical professionals quickly began to express concern for how the pandemic and associated health practices would have a lasting impact on individuals' mental health. To address this [...]
Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is unquestionably difficult, as the disease progressively attacks one of our most precious life functions: movement. Fortunately, as the Michael J. Foxx association notes, “Most people find acceptance and quality of life after the initial adjustment period,” which can include coming to terms with the eventual modification or total [...]
Recovering from a surgical procedure or severe illness can be a uniquely stressful experience, especially if you need to do so in a hospital. Being in an unfamiliar clinical environment, away from your home and family, is often emotionally taxing. The trade-off is worth it, of course -- a hospital provides increased safety and access [...]
Hope is on the horizon for seniors living in Covid-imposed isolation. At the start of February, 29 states and the District of Columbia made vaccination appointments available to people aged 65 years and over. According to the CDC, nearly 32 million people have been vaccinated so far, and older adults accounted for almost a third [...]