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Web Therapy: Enhancing Patient Communication with Web Access
According to Jennifer Lyons' chart, she's just a bad slip and fall who's lucky enough to be on her way to a full recovery. But to Jennifer, who is lying in bed with a broken mandible and broken limbs, nothing could be further from the truth. Jen was visiting the city on a business trip when her accident happened, and now she's lying in a bed 2,000 miles away from her family. Although her husband is flying in later tonight, never in her life has Jennifer felt more disconnected. That is, until her nurse points out the revolutionary screen standing next to her bed. Even though she can't move her mouth, two minutes later, Jennifer is catching up with her children. Two floors down, Rebecca Forrester is also lying in bed with no family members around her. She's in her eighties and the fall she took is already developing a complication pneumonia. Her daughter is working in Tokyo and will take a day to get to her side a day Rebecca may not have. With no telephones in this ICU, Rebecca knows if her daughter doesn't make it to her in time, she may never be able to speak to her again. Until a nurses' aide enters with a wireless web pad. A minute later, Rebecca and her daughter are talking. In a growing number of hospitals nationwide, hooking up your patients has just taken on a whole new meaning. Whether via wireless web pads, or bedside units, patient Internet access is revolutionizing patient care and patient communication. Originally conceived as a way to reduce boredom and facilitate patient education, the units quickly began to add other features including relaxation videos, local TV channels, video games and telephones, besides videos and information patients can access on specific healthcare issues. Feedback is already showing what medical professionals have suspected for years -- people simply feel better when they're active and connected with the world around them. Even video games just a welcome diversion for the rest of us help patients take theirs mind off pain, requiring less pain medication. But patient Internet manufacturers did not stop there. They also found a way to add a host of applications that increase bedside patient care in ways never before possible, by bringing the information age right to the bedside. Many systems now integrate electronic medical record systems, bar code medication systems and even digital imaging directly into the web screen units. This means that doctors and nurses can do chart notes, look up lab results and in some cases order or dispense medications without leaving the patient's bedside. The web screens also make it easy to view diagnostic images or go over them with the patient. Not only does this save time and energy, it increases patient privacy. But for the patients, it's all about facilitating communication whenever they need it with loved ones, with friends or even with work. Just because someone is hospitalized doesn't mean they have to be isolated. For Jennifer Lyons, being able to communicate with her children means everything. Not only does she feel connected, because she can check in with them a few times a day, she feels more able to relax knowing that everything is fine at home. As for Rebecca, she did not fare as well. The pneumonia took hold and her daughter was unable to get to the hospital quickly enough to be with her before she passed away. But with the wireless web pad and a little help from her nurses' aide, Rebecca and her daughter spent the rest of the day writing back and forth, telling stories, sharing memories and making sure they said everything to each other, that they wanted to say. And to them, that made all the difference. Priceless. For tools you and your staff can use to facilitate patient communication download a free copy of the Seven Steps to Successful Notification System, in PDF format, at the Next of Kin Education Project web site. Along with the Information Kit, you'll find patient chart pages and notification worksheets using the Seven Steps, that you can purchase and customize to use as part of your own charting system. You'll find them on the NOKEP web site along with reminder products like mouse pads, posters and coffee mugs, to keep the Seven Steps at your staff's fingertips. Laura Greenwald, CEO/The Next of Kin Education Project nokepinfokit@juno.com The Seven Steps Information Kit can be downloaded free of charge at http://clik.to/7steps The Reminder Products can be purchased at our NOKEP store http://www.cafeshops.com/7steps
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Alternative Medicine Foot Pain Relief At Last! "As an arthritis specialist, one area that I see people complain about more often than almost any other, is their feet." So says Dr. Nathan Wei, Clinical Director of The Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. "This is too bad because there are many treatments that can be helpful," Dr. Wei adds. Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChEIs)for the Treatment of Moderate and Checklist of Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease Cholesterol Prescription Medications Can Kill You While there are numerous options for people to lower cholesterol naturally, thousands and thousands of people are taking prescription medication to lower cholesterol risking some very dangerous side effects. Health Information: Coping With Stomach Ulcers Do you suffer from ulcers? I Hurt All Over... How to Ease Away the Pain of Fibromyalgia! At one moment, a life of activity consumed with enjoyable activities like biking, golfing, going to the movies, out to dinner. Then one day, it's gone. Replaced with constant pain and fatigue. Here's the lowdown on fibromyalgia. Medical Billing PDA: 21st Century Convenience for Medical Practices Medical Billing PDA SUPERLASIK- Enhance Your Vision; Safer Than LASIK Things are moving forward and new and advanced procedures are being developed for those who originally could not receive the standard Lasik procedure. Dr. Khanna has introduced a brand new procedure called "Super Lasik" a new, safer and more stable procedure that has now been created for those who have thin or abnormal corneas. What is great about this new procedure is the effects are more precise and long term. This procedure is a culmination of the merger of benefits of both PRK and LASIK. To accomplish this cutting edge surgery, Dr Khanna uses a new FDA approved instrument called a Epikeratome. This instrument raises an approximately 50 micron flap (thinner than even an Intralase). Laser surface ablation using the latest generation of LASERS is than done. Like in LASIK the flap is riposted back. A bandage lens is than placed over the eye. This is a safer method of visual correction. There is no distortion of the architecture of the cornea. So if the cornea has a young's modulus which is low, or is thin or asymmetric this method is safer. Young's modulus= stress/strain Check Out The Wonders Of Tea Tree Oil Tea tree oil is the essential oil comes from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia. This species is unique to Australia and native to Northern New South Wales. This tree has very strong therapeutic and medicinal values which are found in its oil, which is obtained through steam distillation from the leaves of the tea tree. It has powerful antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal properties, making it very versatile. This is why some people have called it the "wonder oil for the skin from down under." Another neat fact about tea tree oil is that it is the only essential oil, except for lavender, that can be applied directly to the skin without a carrier oil. This aboriginal Australian traditional medicine is used for bruises, insect bites, and skin infections. Since tea tree oil is a strong 100% pure concentrate, very little is needed to achieve results. Therefore, it should be used very sparingly. Tea tree oil contains 48+ compounds, with the main 1 beiing terpinen-4-ol. This is what is responsible for tea tree oil's antibacterial and antifungal properties. Bextra and Vioxx -- Alternative Medications Have Warnings, Too At the urging of the Food and Drug Administration, the drugs Vioxx and Bextra have both been voluntarily withdrawn from the market by their manufacturers. Studies show that these drugs, part of a family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) known as COX-2 inhibitors, may be linked to increased chances of heart attack or stroke. What You Should Know About Mixing Medications and Diet... I had a call the other day from a potential client in a serious situation. He was young and had been diagnosed with CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), suffering from extremely high blood pressure and cholesterol, his doctor had put him on a medication that was suppose to lower and control these symptoms, and he had been on this medication for over 2 years. Toenail Fungus: Treatment and Prevention A thick, yellowish nail with splotchy white areas is a classic presentation for a fungal toenail. In the early stages the toenail is only slightly discolored, or slightly thickened. In the late stages the nail can become very thick and has a tendency to "grow up" more than in grows out. The nail will be very discolored, typically dark yellow-brown and will start to change shape and crumble. In some cases the nail becomes very loose and many will lose the nail, only for it to regrow with the fungus. Lunesta Tolerance Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a revolutionary sleep aid, Lunesta is the only medication approved by the FDA for long term treatment of insomnia symptoms. Although Lunesta is a quality medicine that has already helped many people cure their insomnia and get a better night's sleep, there is something you should know before your buy Lunesta. Phentermine Price Watch: Comparison Shop To Buy Phentermine At The Best Values Online When compared with the other prescription diet pills, Phentermine is the best buy if you are looking for a way to just finally get a handle on your weight loss without embarassing gas problems or dangerous blood pressure levels. When you begin taking Phentermine, you'll enjoy another huge benefit: Unlike other diet pills that block fat, Phentermine stops your cravings so you can focus on eating healthy foods in healthy portions. This also means that Phentermine makes it easier to continue good habits after stopping treatment. Advanced Surface Ablation In patients with corneal thickness below a certain minimum, performing LASIK would be unwise, because the "foundation" may not go back to its original stability. Our colleagues from around the world, agree on when not to do LASIK, like when the cornea is very steep or very flat. In those cases we feel strongly that advanced surface ablation or (PRK) would be the preferred procedure. Pediatric Emergency Contact Notifications Made Easier For the head of the trauma department at one of America's top pediatric facilities, Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, having to notifying parents that their children have been the victims of trauma or identify pediatric Jane Does, is an every day occurrence. But just because they look like they're handling it well, doesn't mean that it ever becomes routine. Strong Pain Relief - Powerful & Effective Natural Pain Management Alternative The recent removal of several high profile and popular prescription pain medications of the same pharmaceutical family, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, from the buyer's market has left many people searching for a safer alternative for powerful, fast and effective pain relief. The most recent removal was Pfizer's pulling of Bextra, citing serious skin reactions, sometimes fatal, and two others, Vioxx and Celebrex have been linked to heart related risks. The dangerous side effects of this particular family of medications is definitely cause for alarm, and has many seeking alternatives that will manage their pain effectively, without the serious risks of several pharmaceutical pain killers. First Responder Human Hibernation Units In the next few years paramedics, first responders and military medics will have instant hibernation devices. These devices will come in small canisters of the gas to slow the body down after replacing lost blood and/or stopping bleeding. The replacement blood will be synthetic and coagulate faster to seal the wounds and once this happens the victim of the injury will be given hibernation gas. This gas will put the person in temporary suspended animation. When multiple victims are around each person will be administered the hibernation gas as the available first responders work thru the victims in order of most injured and serious first. Zyprexa Side Effects are Deadly: Effects Include NMS Zyprexa is a prescription drug that treats schizophrenia, acute mania and bipolar disorder. It is a psychotropic drug that treats the psychotic disorders of the mind but unlike other drugs for psychotic disorders, Zyprexa is an atypical antipsychotic. Eli Lily, the manufacturer of the drug Zyprexa, has been accused of promoting off-label prescriptions of Zyprexa, many to children, knowing that the FDA would force them to include risk information on the label and that the FDA has not approved the drug for use with children. Risks and side effects of Zyprexa include diabetes, hyperglycemia, pancreatitis, weight gain, tardive dyskinesia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome. The FDA has stated the Zyprexa should not be used if a patient is a child or has ADD, depression, addictions, treating aggressive behavior, or mood elevation, but it continues to be given to these people. Treating Lazy Eye in Older Children Many eye doctors believed until recently that if a child's vision was impaired because of a "lazy eye," the condition could not be corrected past the age of six or seven years. However, a study funded by the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, has found that amblyopia or "lazy eye" treatment can be effective in children age seven through 17. In fact, many of the 517 children studied at 49 eye centers showed improvement in their vision. Top Five FAQs About Nail Fungus What is nail fungus?
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