How Just One Night in a Hospital Can Cause Years of Trauma
Research has shown that hospitalized adolescents can walk away physically healthy, but years later, are still dealing with symptoms of post traumatic stress from their experience.
When TBI’s Change Personality
Traumatic brain injury can profoundly change the injured in personality and temperament, as well as physically and cognitively. Spouses bear the brunt of these changes to the point many feel like they’re living with a stranger. Two experts and the spouse of a TBI victim discuss the many ways life changes after an injury and what can help to get them through …
Addressing Post Intensive Care Syndrome – Humanizing the ICU
Medicine in intensive care units has become so technically focused that many doctors believe they’ve lost their connection with the humanity of patients, and a high degree of patients are experiencing post intensive care syndrome.
Medical Notes: November 21, 2021
A new analysis in the journal JAMA Network Open finds that most insurance companies are no longer waiving co-pays and deductibles for Covid hospitalization. Plus, a study finds depression rates are even higher now than they were in 2020. 17% of four and five year-olds get put on medication when diagnosed with ADHD. And finally, teenage girls have been …
Staffing Struggles Threaten Survival of Rural Hospitals
Rural hospitals have long struggled to maintain staffing levels of nurses and other professionals that are adequate for good care. The pandemic has made it much worse, as staffers have quit and patient loads have increased. Experts discuss the roots of the staff shortage, the effects on care safety, the extreme cost of efforts to attract and retain staff, …
Hospital Price Transparency
Hospitals are now required to post prices for many procedures on their websites, including cash prices and what insurers pay. The intent of the federal rule is to allow patients to shop around, putting pressure on hospitals to compete on price. However, many hospitals have yet to follow the rule. Experts discuss the rule, its likely outcome, and how patients …
Medical Notes: Week of May 24, 2020
Scientists have come up with a blood test that screens for a panel of biomarkers for pancreatic cancer that's nearly 92 percent accurate. Then, a new study shows that heart valve blockages in men and women may be caused by completely different factors. Plus, a report is out indicating Americans are feeling depressed right now. And finally, doctors and nurses …
Will Covid-19 Bankrupt the Healthcare System?
Hospitals are scrambling to get extra equipment and outfit more beds and ICU units for Covid-19 patients. Their treatment is time-consuming and expensive. At the same time, hospitals’ lucrative elective procedure business has largely been eliminated. Will the combination bankrupt hospitals? Two experts who have studied the crisis discuss.
Crushing Medical Debt
Nearly a quarter of us owe past due medical debt, and hospitals are moving more aggressively to collect. The rise is the result of a tradeoff--Americans have avoided higher health insurance premiums only to be jeopardized by extremely high deductibles and out-of-network costs. Experts explain what unpaid medical debt can mean, how patients can escape its …
Christmas in the E.R.: It’s No Holiday
Winter in general, and the holidays in particular, are the busiest time of year in hospital emergency departments, even in places where it doesn’t snow. Experts discuss the increase in deaths of all kinds, including the “Merry Christmas Coronary” and possible reasons those deaths bounce up.
Rural Maternity Units Closing
A large number of hospitals in rural areas have closed, and many more have closed their maternity units, leaving many rural mothers-to-be with no nearby place to deliver their babies or even get prenatal care. Experts discuss the financial and demographic reasons behind these closures, the danger it presents to mothers and children, and some ways to counter …
Medical Notes: Week of May 26, 2019
Could a poor sense of smell be a sign of a downturn in health? Then, hospital guidelines regarding eating food and drinking liquids before surgery, and finally, teamwork is great, but studies show that's only the case when team members take time to step away to solve problems on their own.
