How health systems are improving preparedness for winter surges
Winters often bring a surge in sicknesses that can overwhelm many health systems. More specifically, a winter-related uptick in the flu, COVID-19, and other illnesses can create overcrowding in physician offices and emergency departments (EDs), which then decreases a health system’s ability to provide timely access to care for non-urgent issues, such as chronic and Read more… How health systems are improving preparedness for winter surges originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - January 13, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Tech Health IT Source Type: blogs

Orthostatic hypotension onset after invasive procedure?
Written by Willy FrickA man in his 70s with a history of HFrEF and sick sinus syndrome s/p dual chamber pacemaker placement was admitted for overnight observation following outpatient placement of a mitral valve clip. The procedure note indicates uncomplicated clip placement. The next morning, the following ECG was obtained.What do you think?The tracing shows sinus rhythm with PVCs and non-specific ST&T wave abnormality. But there is something more important to notice, which is the pacer spikes. They do not make sense. Some of them are in the middle of or after P waves, and there ' s even one that falls at the end...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 13, 2024 Category: Cardiology Authors: Willy Frick Source Type: blogs

Stress Temporarily Increases Epigenetic Age
This study used DNA methylation (DNAm)-based aging clocks to measure changes in biological age in response to diverse forms of stress. The researchers began with a laboratory experiment known to produce aged physiology in young mice or restore youthful physiology to old mice by surgically joining young, 3-month-old mice with older, 20-month-old mice, which allowed them to share their blood. At the molecular level, they found that the biological age of the young mice increased when measured with most aging clocks. Once the young mice were separated from the old mice and therefore were no longer experiencing the older mouse ...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 11, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Healthcare Workforce – 2024 Health IT Predictions
As we kick off 2024, we wanted to start the new year with a series of 2024 Health IT predictions.  We asked the Healthcare IT Today community to submit their predictions and we received a wide ranging set of responses that we grouped into a number of themes.  In fact, we got so many that we had to narrow them down to just the best and most interesting.  Check out our community’s predictions below and be sure to add your own thoughts and/or places you disagree with these predictions in the comments and on social media. All of this year’s 2024 health IT predictions (updated as they’re shared): John and ...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - January 10, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: John Lynn Tags: Administration Ambulatory Analytics/Big Data C-Suite Leadership Clinical Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System LTPAC Revenue Cycle Management 2024 Health IT Predictions Amy Amrick Ashish Shah Aspirion Benjami Source Type: blogs

A fascinating electrophysiology case. What is this wide complex tachycardia, and how best to manage it?
The patient is female in her 80s with a medical hx of previous MI with PCI and stent placement. She also has a hx of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and is on oral anticoagulant treatment. She had a single chamber ICD/Pacemaker implanted several years prior due to ventricular tachycardia. The last echocardiography 12 months ago showed HFmrEF.She presented to the emergency department after a couple of days of chest discomfort. The ECG below was recorded. What is your assessment? How would you manage this patient?The ECG was interpreted as showing atrial flutter with 2:1 conduction. The patient was deemed stable and...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 10, 2024 Category: Cardiology Authors: Magnus Nossen Source Type: blogs

The 6 Most Exciting Medical Technology Breakthroughs Of Recent Years
Amidst the flurry of hyped technologies, it’s not easy to pinpoint which specific technological breakthroughs will have the most impact in the coming years. Dr. Meskó, The Medical Futurist, reviews multiple reports, studies, and articles daily. Consequently, our days are filled with awe-inspiring developments. However, our aim here is to offer more than just a compilation of “wow, look how fascinating” stories. To achieve this, we have selected technologies that: Have undergone significant breakthroughs in recent years, be it in regulatory, technological, or scientific aspects Are anticipate...
Source: The Medical Futurist - January 9, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: Andrea Koncz Tags: TMF artificial intelligence digital health future Healthcare Source Type: blogs

Navigating medical uncertainty: a patient ’ s perspective [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Ana María Caballero, a poet, artist, and author. Ana María delves into her book, A Petit Mal, and we delve into an unexpected encounter in the emergency room, with Ana María shedding light on both the medical and emotional dimensions of her narrative. Read more… Navigating medical uncertainty: a patient’s perspective [PODCAST] originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - January 9, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Podcast Emergency Medicine Pediatrics Source Type: blogs

Leaders advise us to accept it as a job norm: violence and abuse in the health care workplace
Violence and assaults against health care workers are now reported at an all-time high. While health care workers comprise just 13% of the U.S. workforce, they experience 60% of all workplace assaults. Health care has been declared America’s most dangerous profession due to workplace violence. Health care and social service industries experience the highest rates Read more… Leaders advise us to accept it as a job norm: violence and abuse in the health care workplace originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - January 7, 2024 Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Emergency Medicine Source Type: blogs

Weekly Roundup – January 6, 2024
Welcome to our Healthcare IT Today Weekly Roundup. Each week, we’ll be providing a look back at the articles we posted and why they’re important to the healthcare IT community. We hope this gives you a chance to catch up on anything you may have missed during the first week of 2024. 2024 Health IT Predictions: Health Equity. As in past years, we asked the Healthcare IT Today Community to offer their predictions for the year ahead. First up is health equity, where our experts anticipate an emphasis on bidirectional data sharing, collaborative care, and community health. Read more… 2024 Health IT Predictions: Cyber...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - January 6, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: Brian Eastwood Tags: Healthcare IT Healthcare IT Today Weekly Roundup Source Type: blogs

Three normal high sensitivity troponins over 4 hours with a " normal ECG "
Written byWilly FrickA 46 year old man with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to urgent care with complaint of " chest burning. " The documentation does not describe any additional details of the history. The following ECG was obtained.ECG 1What do you think?The ECG shows sinus bradycardia but is otherwise normal. There is TWI in lead III, but this can be seen in normal ECGs. No labs were obtained. The patient was given a prescription for albuterol and a referral to cardiology.Smith comment:No patient over 25 years of age with unexplained chest burning should be discharged without a troponin rule out, no matt...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 5, 2024 Category: Cardiology Authors: Willy Frick Source Type: blogs

Telehealth and VR – 2024 Health IT Predictions
As we kick off 2024, we wanted to start the new year with a series of 2024 Health IT predictions.  We asked the Healthcare IT Today community to submit their predictions and we received a wide ranging set of responses that we grouped into a number of themes.  In fact, we got so many that we had to narrow them down to just the best and most interesting.  Check out our community’s predictions below and be sure to add your own thoughts and/or places you disagree with these predictions in the comments and on social media. All of this year’s 2024 health IT predictions (updated as they’re shared): John and ...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - January 4, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: John Lynn Tags: Ambulatory C-Suite Leadership Clinical Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System LTPAC Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring 2024 Health IT Predictions 98point6 Technologies Agora Andrew Norden Anish Sebastian Artisig Source Type: blogs

Replacing Crash Bleeps – The Time Has Come
The following is a guest article by Hannah Parrish, Marketing Executive at Alertive Improving coordination among hospital staff helps reduce the risk of communication errors (70% of sentinel events are caused by poor communication), positively impacts patient wait times, and improves staff morale. The traditional practice of using bleeps to respond to emergency calls, often referred to as crash calls, is now being replaced by a digital alternative with the benefit of data to evidence the improvements that can be delivered. The Shift from Bleeps to Digital Messaging John Wintour-Pittom, Head of Ops for Telecoms at Imperial ...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - January 4, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: Guest Author Tags: Clinical Communication and Patient Experience Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System Alertive Bleeps Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust Digital Messaging Hannah Parrish Helen Pardoe Imperial College Health Source Type: blogs

Deconstructing diabetes stigma: A panel discussion
In conclusion, the discussion was an enriching and eye-opening event, bringing together passionate individuals dedicated to challenging the stigma around diabetes. By amplifying our voices and working together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of those touched by diabetes.Visit enddiabetesstigma.org and become a part of the movement for change. If you’d like to get involved in spreading more awareness about this, reach out to Dennis and/or leave a comment here.  Full transcript and show notes ...
Source: Scott's Diabetes Blog - January 4, 2024 Category: Endocrinology Authors: Scott K. Johnson Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs

Amazon ’s New Prime Benefit Is a Wake-Up Call for Traditional Health Systems
The following is a guest article by Sonia Singh, Chief Insights Officer at AVIA Health Amazon’s latest venture into healthcare, the integration of One Medical into its Prime service, marks a significant shift in the healthcare industry. With over 170 million Prime subscribers, Amazon’s move promises an affordable healthcare option at just $9 per month at a time when the nation faces a shortage in primary care, with demand significantly outweighing supply. Delivering a scalable, financially viable model that can actually provide the necessary impact on health outcomes would have transformative effects on the ind...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - January 3, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: Guest Author Tags: Ambulatory C-Suite Leadership Health IT Company Healthcare IT Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring Amazon Amazon Healthcare Amazon Prime AVIA Health Concierge Medicine Healthcare Accessibility One Medical Sonia Singh Telehealth Source Type: blogs

Physical Examination as a Helpful Aid in Decision-Making in Challenging ECGs
Discussion continuedThe absence of pace spikes suggests this is not a pacemaker/ICD-related rhythm in this patient with an ICD.The presence of thinned myocardium and known large amount of scar tissue makes for a nidus for VT. Thus VT is very probable.A wide native QRS can be expected in a patient with a dilated heart and a history of heart failure, even if it is sinus rhythm. so the question of whether those are P-waves is critical.Additionally, the qR morphology, particularly in a patient with right bundle branch block (RBBB) type wide QRS complex tachycardia (WQCT), lends further support for VT.Furthermore, a pertinent p...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - January 1, 2024 Category: Cardiology Authors: Emre Aslanger Source Type: blogs