Country Living
June 13, 2008
Most Americans live in cities and their surrounding metropolitan areas and suburbs. Around 1 in 5 Americans live in the “country” – farms as well as small towns.
When country folks get really sick or injured, they typically have to make the long trip to a city medical center to get expert help. Though 20% of America’s population is rural, only 9% of its doctors are.
A recent study suggests that special programs in medical school to train students for country caregiving could boost the numbers of doctors available.
The Benefits of Telehealth
March 11, 2008
If necessity is the mother of invention, then it should be no surprise the innovative world of computer science and technology is being harnessed to help bring down health care costs.
Telehealth - or remote patient monitoring - refers to when medical experts use a digital network (like the internet or telephone lines) to provide automated monitoring and treatment delivery to a patient who is in a different physical location. This can range from email messages of basic care instructions to remote robotic surgery.
Dr. Net
February 25, 2008
Around 3/4 of the U.S. go online at least occasionally, an amount that by some accounts is up 80% since 2000. It should be no surprise then that a segment of these folks are using the Internet as a resource to troubleshoot their health problems. And like the number of those who use the Internet for entertainment, information or communication, the number of e-patients is steadily increasing.
Microsoft Launches HealthVault
November 26, 2007
Microsoft has done it again. While Americans have been hearing inklings of the progress being made on digitizing their health records for a decade, that day may be fast approaching. Banks and retailers have long known how to provide account access to consumers through the internet. But a large majority of doctors’ offices and hospitals use paper records only. While there have always been privacy concerns about storing a patient’s medical history online, the benefits of doing so are compelling.
- What if you could access your cholesterol levels or immunizations online, without having to call your doctor?
Mother at Age 8
November 13, 2007
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and there may be no better example of this than when a parent falls ill. As of 2005, nearly one and a half million U.S. children ages 8 to 18 care for a chronically ill or disabled relative. Their duties range from keeping the sick person company to taking on household responsibilities and medical care like changing feeding tubes or adult diapers. The effects of caregiving on our nation’s youth are seen in this story of a teenager helping her mother deal with Multiple Sclerosis. This family painfully demonstrates a gaping hole in US health care.
From: Your Doctor | Subject: Your Health
November 12, 2007
This article from early 2007 reports that in a 2005 poll, an overwhelming majority of people said they had never received an email from their doctor. Given the growing use of email in all segments of society and for all kinds of relationships and tasks, the failure to use this easy communications tool in health care surprises many. Researchers say doctors have been to blame for the overly slow adoption of email as a way to share health information with patients. But times are changing and some think it will be sooner rather than later that your inbox will have a message from your physician in it.
Better Website for Medicare RX Plans
October 18, 2007
The Federal Government has launched a more user-friendly website that lets Medicare enrollees compare the various prescription drug plans and benefits options offered in their communities. A new five-star rating system lets users compare Medicare prescription drug plans based on access to care, quality of care, customer satisfaction and other measures. Website users can also compare and sort plans by annual costs - including prescriptions, monthly premiums, coverage levels in the so-called “doughnut hole” and other factors - and view the information in one chart.
Eligible for Health Care? Dial 1-800
October 15, 2007
There is now an interactive website (http://www.coverageforall.org/) and toll-free number (1-800-234-1317) to help people figure out which heath insurance plans they qualify for. The service was started by a California insurance executive who wanted to help people find insurance plans when they didn’t qualify for the ones he was selling. It has now been expanded to all 50 states.
Ineligible? Don’t Be So Sure.
by Michael S. Gerber
The Washington Post
August 21, 2007
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