Response from Sarah Johnson, RN and the health ambassador, Family Assets.
I’m an RN and the health ambassador for Family Assets, an eldercare and senior living resource for older adults and caregivers.
Working in eldercare and watching how telehealth technology has radically reshaped geriatric care during the pandemic, I think the most important question healthcare technology professionals should be asking themselves right now is: given that hospitals and healthcare facilities have been prime targets for cybercriminals, largely because of aging infrastructure, what needs to be done to make the rapidly expanding healthcare tech industry more secure?
I think the obvious answer to this is the development of much more robust digital security protocols at individual institutions and a massive educational initiative for healthcare providers and workers. This should include, among other things, scheduled stress testing that probes for cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Too many organizations, within and outside of healthcare, are completely unprepared for the cyberthreats they face and are not diligent enough when it comes to monitoring and probing for weaknesses.
All healthcare technology professionals should have this issue front and center
For a lot of people, each bruise, bump, or cough means a rush to the nearest emergency care. But for a larger portion of the adult population, the trips to a medical professional are few and far between. All of us are always trying to cut down on the visit to the medical center but there are times when our body will be screaming that it needs a doctor. You should never neglect these signs as it could mean something is significantly wrong with your body. If you notice the below-mentioned signs, you need to see a doctor right away.
You have persistent headaches
Research shows that one in twenty adults suffers from a headache on a daily basis. But this does not mean that it is a common ailment and should not be treated. Headaches are a symptom of ailments that can be as minor as an eye strain or dehydration and can also be as major as an infection, meningitis, brain injuries, or even tumors. If you have a pounding in your head that no painkiller can handle, you need to speak to the doctor. Take your headaches seriously.
You are losing weight without trying
Losing weight is like a dream for many people but if you notice that the pounds are falling off without any major effort or changes in your food habits, you need to see a doctor. If you are not exercising or dieting, it means you are experiencing early symptoms of various cancers and you should not avoid this sign.
As most of us would agree, modern smartphones have become hugely useful when it comes to providing us with increased ease and convenience. You can now do so much on your phone, from browsing and making purchases online to taking videos and photos, accessing social media, download and using a huge range of apps, and more.
Mobiles have also proven very useful in terms of helping to battle the ongoing global pandemic, as it means that people can go online with ease to check information, make arrangements for testing, get updates on the virus, and receive calls from contact tracers if they have been exposed or infected. When it comes to the latter, contact tracers often use mobiles to try to get in touch with those who have been diagnosed with COVID as well as those who have been exposed via contact with infected people.
Not Always Successful
As our infographic shows, contact tracers are not always successful in contacting people on mobiles, and this is for a range of reasons. While they do try to call three times, their calls can still go unanswered, and this means that they are unable to get or provide the information they need to with regard to exposed contacts.
Getting the best insurance for Medicare will require in-depth research to obtain a better idea of the best options available. After you educate yourself on insurance plans and learn what to look for, you can get started on your insurance hunt with confidence and ease. Coupling a supplement health insurance plan with your Medicare program can help you save some money. There are several things to consider when you choose your plan, which can then be shaped to your exact needs. This can include the choice of hospital, doctors, prescription drugs, out-of-pocket costs, and quality of care.
Best Supplement Insurance Companies of 2021
The US government has only 10 standardized Medicare supplement plans that customers can enroll in. The truth is, there is no top supplement company as there is no one plan that can fit every person. The best plan is the one that would best suit your individual needs.
Go By Ratings
Research a company well before you enroll and base your choice on their past performance. If you pay attention to the rate increase histories and financial ratings, you’ll be better equipped to understand how this insurance company can help you. If the company has a high level of rate increase over the past years, you know that they won’t have the ability to provide you the cheapest cost in comparison to competitors. The financial ratings of the company are also important, this can save you money if there are low fees associated with the insurance plan. Find a company with low rate increase and great ratings.
An occupational therapist is someone who cares for those who struggle to care for themselves, including tasks like cooking, transportation and companionship. The job requires plenty of empathy and compassion and is a calling for many people.
If you feel that occupational therapy might be a career you want to pursue, it makes sense to investigate the steps to getting there and learning as much about the profession as possible. This guide should help you decide if getting started is your next big step.
Earn Your Associate’s Degree
The first step you’ll take in the journey to becoming an occupational therapist is to earn your associate’s degree. While you may need to pursue an advanced degree at some point, an associate’s degree allows you to get started as an occupational therapy assistant while you pursue your higher education. You’ll take courses in biology, pediatrics, anatomy, physiology, geriatrics and physical health theory. These will prepare you for the work you’ll eventually be doing.
Sit for the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Exam
Once you complete your degree, you’ll need to take the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) exam. The test consists of 200 multiple choice questions and a passing grade must be obtained to earn your certificate. Once you pass the exam, you’ll get your certificate and a card for your wallet declaring that you are certified to be an occupational therapy assistant.
The emergence of coronavirus created a sudden requirement for more and better nurse practitioners worldwide. The healthcare professionals’ willingness to fearlessly accept challenges has turned them into forefront fighters against a pandemic.
A nursing career can be both thrilling and exhausting. But it takes buckets of courage and loads of determination to advance in this profession. Here are ten methods for boosting your expertise in the medical field and strive for growth:
Acquire a specialty:
You can find numerous areas of specialization in the nursing profession. Pursuing a specialty boosts your chances to excel in the medical field. Nursing students select any subject they’re interested in to gain excellence as a nursing practitioner. These areas include holistic, orthopedic, neuroscience, gastroenterology, and other niches. You don’t just acquire in-depth knowledge regarding that specific area of care, but it also contributes to professional advancement. With a specialization, you can expect to achieve lucrative positions in the medical industry. The aftermaths of the pandemic have enhanced the importance of mental-health specialty modern nurses can pursue.
Get some experience:
You won’t get a decent employment opportunity out of the blue after completing your education. High-paying jobs require individuals with some level of expertise, and this expertise comes with experience. So, make up your mind to seek internships during your academic journey. Also, you can leverage this tenure in the future for lucrative job offers. Remember that experience cultivates more knowledge, better job skills, and greater communication efficiency. An experienced nurse can tolerate the patient workload more effectively than an amateur nurse. If you dislike internships, you can always shadow a nurse practitioner to gain insights into this profession.
Continue your education:
Nursing is – similar to almost every other profession – a constantly-evolving vocation. That’s why nurses must remain updated about the most recent developments in the healthcare field. Continued education helps nurse practitioners improve their knowledge and deliver the best patient care services. Acquiring a terminal degree in nursing can build your career and help you advance in the medical industry. DNP programs offer alternatives to research-focused doctorates. You can also try taking online medical courses and get a certification in PALS, which will be a great addition to your set of skills. The lowest acceptable level of nursing education to land a good job will continue to rise. Therefore, continued education has become essential for the survival of nurse practitioners in the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the medical sector to its core over the last 12 months and one of the major takeaways from the situation is that hospitals across the world need more ventilators.
Thankfully, there have been significant increases in ventilator technology in recent years many of which centre around the use of proportional solenoid valves that can help control air injection.
The concept of a solenoid valve is quite simple at its core and they have been utilised in various industrial applications for over a hundred years. Solenoid valves work by employing an electromagnetic coil to either open or close the valve. With the coil is energised the valve is open and when it is not the valve is closed. A simple and elegant solution that has been perfected over the last 50 years. But why are they increasingly being used in the medical industry?
Solenoid valves and the medical industry
Portability – There has been a significant increase in the need for portable medical devices such as ventilators, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. Solenoid valves are ideal for these applications as they allow for precise flow control options and are very small and lightweight
Reliable – They are also incredibly reliable, which is of paramount importance when you’re talking about equipment that is, in some cases, literally keeping people alive.
Efficient – Not only are the valves whisper-quiet (which works wonders when it comes to easing patient comfort) but they are very energy efficient too.
Future proof – Drivers and proportional current controls that can be controlled by sophisticated software mean that solenoid valves can be controlled directly and precisely by computer. This makes them an obvious fit for all current and future hospitals.
Response by Richard Boyd, CEO and Co-founder, Tanjo.
Richard Boyd
One question healthcare technology professionals should be asking right now: How can I use AI and machine learning to create better communicate with patients to create better health outcomes?
Whether it’s a biological virus or a mind virus — the thing that makes it a pandemic or an insurrection crisis situation — is human behavior. The rapidly evolving nature of a crisis, and complex black swan events that are likely to come in the future, requires more than judgment calls by leaders with incomplete information.
We can absolutely train a synthetic model of a human being to predict how that person would behave in a given situation.
With the dramatic rise of telehealth as a result of COVID-19, AI is being used to create a data-driven patient-centered platform that benefits patients and caregivers in their quest for better health. 3DBioMe is a machine-learning and AI data analysis system that brings this interactive 3-D model of the major physiological systems of the body to the fight against COVID and other health issues.
Using AI a healthcare architect can quickly and dramatically explain the environmental and social choice determinants of all health interventions and outcomes showing the effect of those choices over time to a patient in a meaningful and persuasive way.
