Category: Editorial

How Seniors Can Manage Chronic Health Issues Using Technology

Old, Man, Technology, Senior, SmileTelehealth can help seniors to manage chronic conditions in a variety of ways, particularly those that are bed-bound or who normally struggle to manage their own healthcare needs.

However, technology can ensure that seniors can access healthcare from anywhere in the world and that they are able to get the feedback that they need in order to stay healthier for longer.

Connect with Health Providers

It is not only seniors that telehealth can help, but also the carers that look after them. One of the best advantages of telehealth for senior citizens is that their carers are able to connect instantly with health providers in order to update them on their health or to get advice on how they should be caring for them. This can ensure that seniors are able to manage chronic conditions well by ensuring that they are in contact with professionals at all times, preventing any signs of a worsening condition from going unnoticed.

Use Biofeedback Sensors

Biofeedback sensors can also alert remote professionals to issues, even when they are not with the patient, which can help them to give their patients the best care possible. This means that seniors can easily go about their daily life without having to worry about their health issues, as they will be able to know that a health professional can be easily called if something goes wrong.

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Healthcare Career Paths That Make A Difference 

Doctor, Patient, Hospital, Child

You’re in your junior year of high school and want to choose a career path that can make a difference in another person’s life. The good news is there are many.

Physician

Becoming a doctor whether in private practice or on staff at a hospital is a very rewarding career. You are the person responsible for diagnosis and offering treatment options. If you want to help people through early detection and develop relationships with your patients, becoming a doctor will fulfill your life. You will need undergraduate school and have to take the MCAT test as a requirement for entering medical school. There are companies that offer a free MCAT practice test to help you learn areas of weakness ahead of the actual test. 

Nursing

Nurses are in high demand. In the traditional sense, they administer medications and therapies, monitor vitals, and keep patients comfortable. However, nurses do much more. They work together with doctors providing important information with regard to the health and well-being of their patients. Nurses work in doctor’s offices, nursing homes, and hospitals. Some also work independently and administer care to patients in their homes. Depending on the level of nursing, it can take anywhere from 2 to 4 years of schooling.

Social Worker

A social worker is an advocate for adults, children and the elderly. They possess skills such as empathy, critical thinking and tolerance. Social workers deal with a variety of situations from homes with drug and alcohol abuse to the neglect of the elderly. With their skills and years of hands-on training, they can have a huge impact on the lives of others. Becoming a social worker requires 4 to 5 years of schooling to receive a bachelor’s and master’s degree and then several years of training under supervision. 

Dentist/Orthodontist

People love to laugh and smile. However, not everyone has healthy or straight teeth. A dentist can perform procedures like teeth cleanings, removing wisdom teeth and the removal of cavities. An orthodontist performs restorative treatments that include an over- or an underbite, and corrects a crowded mouth or a mouth with crooked or missing teeth. Both professions are gratifying in giving someone the ability to show off their smile or eat foods with confidence. On average it takes 8 years to become a dentist and 11 years to become an orthodontist. 

Therapist

A therapist speaks to people one-on-one or in group sessions. They are good listeners and offer advice on how to best handle situations that come along in life. Therapists help people overcome bad habits such as drug abuse and alcoholism. They also help people experiencing difficulty in their marriage and those with a mental illness. It’s a profession that can turn someone’s life around for good. Depending on the level of therapy you want to offer, it can take from 3 to 7 years to become a therapist. 

Physical Therapist

A physical therapist helps people with mobility issues sustained from an illness, accident, injury, or progressive disease. They are truly a strong force that helps people overcome. They provide treatment options to benefit their patients to achieve a better quality of life. They also assist with pain management by improving flexibility and the prevention of a disease or illness from taking away a person’s ability to get around on their own. It takes on average three to four years to become a physical therapist, however, doctorate programs can take even longer. 

Chiropractor

Chronic pain will reduce your quality of life. If you want a career that helps alleviate pain, being a chiropractor may satisfy your inner desires. A chiropractor helps people of all ages reduce pain in locations on the body such as the back and the neck. To achieve the state license it takes roughly 7 years to become a chiropractor. 

Respiratory Therapist

What does a respiratory therapist do? Respiratory therapists help people of all ages who have trouble breathing. This could be due to an illness or a chronic disease like asthma or emphysema. They work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes. While you can get an entry-level job with just an associate’s degree, most employers require a bachelor’s degree, which also sets you up for a higher salary.

There are many rewarding careers that help people improve their lives. If you have your heart set on a lifetime of helping others, look into each option, maybe ask to shadow someone you know that does these jobs or a day or two. This will help you make the right decision for you future.

Using Technology To Thrive Mentally

There is a developing crisis of belonging, which is leading to an uptick in mental health challenges, addiction, and other issues across the board. For example, in the United States, it has been estimated that one in four individuals suffer from some sort of mental health challenge each year. 

his means either you are suffering or you know someone who is suffering right now. While statistics such as these can make the problem seem insurmountable in reality there are many ways to use technology to support everyone’s mental health. Mental health resources are not limited by geography or social-economic status. Anyone who needs support should have the support they need.

Basic Needs

Technology is making it easier and easier to care for our basic needs even if we find ourselves to have extremely low energy or struggle with our executive function capacities.

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When Poor Health Prompts Decisive Action

We all face aging and possible illness as a part of life. While various healthcare technologies and medical breakthroughs have helped extend the average life expectancy, people are far from immortal. Like it or not, we must accept the fact that these human bodies, no matter how well we care for them, eventually break down. 

When it is time to make some of those important health care directives and decisions, don’t be left in the dark. Take some time now to map out plans for the future, no matter how healthy you are, and you’ll experience less stress you do find yourself with the need to do this important work:

Think about life insurance

Life insurance isn’t just for you, it’s for those that you love and want to care for as well. Taking into consideration some things like your age, your current state of health, and what kind of coverage you need to wipe out debts and liabilities for your loved ones will help you determine what kind of coverage you need. Comparing term life insurance vs whole life insurance policies is a great place to start. You can determine if being able to cash out your policy at the end will benefit you more than the need for coverage for a finite period of time. Talk to your financial advisor to decide which of these plans is best for your situation.

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Exciting and Experimental Cancer Treatment Options for Fighting Cancer

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases. It is estimated that more than eight million people die of cancer every year. Scientists believe that there are more than 100 types of cancer and each one of them has different levels of severity and mortality rates.

However, technology has brought great relief to cancer patients across the world. Doctors and scientists have been able to develop various cancer treatment options. Most of these treatment options although still at the experimental stage, have proved to cure different types of cancers.

Below are some of the exciting and experimental cancer treatment options:

  1. Hyperthermia Therapy

Hyperthermia therapy is an experimental treatment option for cancer that employs whole-body administration of heat. The heat is intended to cause coagulation and denaturation of cellular proteins – hence destroying the cells in a tumor.

This treatment option is exciting because it offers very promising results. It basically kills the cancerous tumor from the inside out – shielding other healthy cells from being infected. Hyperthermia therapy is still in the initial stages of experimentation. There are several things that scientists are still testing before fully launching it as a cancer treatment option.

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6 Effective Ways To Make The Most Out Of Keto Diet

The dieting world has been speaking a lot about the Ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet has been a popular choice for many, and recently, people have turned to it for its health benefits. The keto diet works via a process called ketosis. During the ketosis process, your body starts using ketones as an energy source. This is important to push your body in the fat-burning zone.

Ketosis can have numerous health benefits like weight loss, blood sugar control, control of hormonal fluctuations, and much more. This is a powerful diet that combines calorie restrictions and ketosis to give incredible results and wellness benefits.

Here are six practical ways to make the most out of the keto diet.

Understand your macro distribution and your main focus

You can effectively follow a keto diet when you understand the main macronutrient distribution. Always find out the central area of focus in a ketogenic diet.  Find out adequate calories, the correct distribution for you, and the main food groups to include.

Create a menu with a few basic principles. These include eating more protein-dense and fiber-rich foods. You should make an effort to include healthy fats. Another thing to keep in mind is to avoid all kinds of processed foods that contain additives and are caloric dense. Thus, your primary focus should be eating fewer calories and consuming foods of good quality with very less processing.

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The Rise of Specialist Healthcare Services In Small Communities

Germany, Sunset, Dusk, Sky, Clouds

Receiving proper healthcare services is important for all people. While this can include having access to a local primary care physician, it should also mean being able to see a specialist when necessary. Traditionally, people in and around bigger cities have been able to find a specialist nearby.

However, it was often much harder for someone in a rural market to receive the same attention. While this has been a challenge in the past, this trend is changing as more and more healthcare services are expanding to more rural locations. There are several reasons why this is occurring.

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CMS Updates Payment For Certain COVID-19 Lab Tests

By Brenda Turner, director of product consulting, MedeAnalytics.

Brenda Turner

The COVID-19 landscape as it relates to testing is frequently changing as CMS made wholesale changes and smaller adjustments to payment schedules.

CMS announced Medicare will nearly double payment for certain lab tests that use high-throughput technologies to rapidly diagnose large numbers of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

Medicare will pay the higher payment of $100 for COVID-19 clinical diagnostic lab tests making use of high-throughput technologies developed by the private sector that allows for increased testing capacity, faster results, and more effective means of combating the spread of the virus. High-throughput lab tests can process more than 200 specimens a day using highly sophisticated equipment requiring specially-trained technicians and more time-intensive processes to ensure quality. Medicare will pay laboratories for the tests at $100 per test effective April 14, 2020, through the duration of the COVID-19 national emergency.

CMS and the US Departments of Labor and Treasury issued guidance to ensure Americans with private health insurance have coverage of COVID-19 diagnostic testing and certain other related services, including antibody testing, at no cost.

Specifically, the requirement for group health plans, and group and individual health insurance is to cover both diagnostic testing, and certain related items and services provided during a medical visit with no cost-sharing. This includes urgent care visits, emergency department visits, and in-person or telehealth visits to the doctor’s office that result in an order for or administration of a COVID-19 test.

Covered tests include all FDA-authorized COVID-19 diagnostic tests, COVID-19 diagnostic tests that developers request authorization for on an emergency basis, and COVID-19 diagnostic tests developed in and authorized by states. It also ensures that COVID-19 antibody testing also will be covered.

The initial pricing for the new codes U0001 and U0002 for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) test will be approximately $36 and non-CDC tests will initially be approximately $51. These prices may vary slightly depending on the local Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC).

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