Deep River recalls some potato chips for possible salmonella contamination

Connecticut snack maker announced its voluntary recall of certain bags of its sour cream and onion kettle chips sold nationally through retail and food service outlets

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/deep-river-recalls-some-potato-chips-for-possible-salmonella-contamination/

Quest Diagnostics says health information of 34,000 customers hacked

New Jersey-based company says “an unauthorized third party” gained access to customer information including names, dates of birth, lab results and in some instances, telephone numbers

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/quest-diagnostics-says-personal-health-information-of-34000-customers-hacked/

Keeping the human connection in medicine

Last month, the New England Journal of Medicine published a thoughtful essay by David Rosenthal and Abraham Verghese on the many changes in how doctors are trained and how they practice medicine. Efforts to improve efficiency and accuracy — including the introduction of electronic medical records — offer benefits, and pose some complicated problems.

Doctors need to learn and do more, more than ever

The health care system strives to deliver better care while keeping costs down. Advances in medical science and technology mean there is ever more information for a doctor to know, and policies to curb waste have limited the amount of time we have to learn it all. Monique Tello wrote about this issue last month; it’s why your doctor is always at the computer. But more than that, these competing goals have had real consequences for how doctors work, how we think, how we relate to our patients and colleagues, and how we feel about our profession.

An example: I’m a hospitalist. It’s a relatively new field in medicine, a product of exactly these forces. Two decades ago, when patients were hospitalized, their primary care doctors would see them in the hospital, in the morning, before returning to clinic for the day. Residents or nurses, often without immediate supervision, managed minute-to-minute affairs. But the culture and standards of practice have changed. We’ve decided that it’s better to have fully-trained doctors in the hospital all day. In an emergency, I can be at the bedside in an instant. Residents and nurses get more active supervision. Primary care doctors, who have seen their reimbursements cut, can spend more time seeing patients. But there are downsides. The people I see in the hospital often don’t know me, and I don’t know them. And when a person leaves the hospital, his doctor may not know what I’ve done and why. So, we’ve replaced one set of challenges with another: making sure that there’s good communication between hospitals and clinics.

Electronic medical records can make that communication easier. When a patient comes to me in the hospital, I have immediate access to their entire chart. I can see records from every clinic visit, lab test, x-ray or CT scan, a list of all their possible diagnoses and the medications prescribed to treat them. It’s useful to look at this information before I meet someone new. After all, if you’re sick and uncomfortable, you don’t want to have to repeat the same story to every new doctor you see. And it’s reassuring to know that the doctor you’re meeting for the first time has taken the time and effort to get to know the particulars of your situation. What’s more, those records make my job easier. My patients may not remember the names and doses of all of their medications. No problem, I can look it all up.

But the things that make us more efficient may challenge the ability to develop and maintain personal connections

But something valuable gets lost. Maybe there’s a reason a patient can’t remember the names of her medications. Sometimes digging a little bit further can turn up a clue that there’s something more going on. But those clues come up in face-to-face conversations, and over time, not with a glance at a computer screen. Dr. Jerome Groopman describes another challenge in his book How Doctors Think. Seeing what other doctors have written about a patient can trap us into thinking about their illness in the same way, and blind us to alternative diagnoses. Sometimes the best way to work is to start fresh, and to let your patient tell her story from the beginning.

And then there’s the problem of distance. We have more and more tests that promise more accurate diagnoses, but require time to coordinate and review. Computerized notes and emails make it easy for doctors to communicate with each other, but have replaced conversations between colleagues. As doctors are increasingly isolated from both patients and each other, they have become demoralized and burned out.

At its best, being a doctor is an extraordinary and intimate privilege. We build relationships with our patients and see them through times of both joy and suffering; our relationships with each other help us through the same. It’s hard to do that in a way that’s truly satisfying when we spend most of the day at the computer screen. Rosenthal and Verghese don’t see an easy fix for these problems. They are largely structural and built into the practice of medicine. But they charge us to remember that the meaning of medicine is in its human connections. Whatever comes next, both doctors and patients should fight to hold on to that.

The post Keeping the human connection in medicine appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: John Sanford Limouze, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/keeping-the-human-connection-in-medicine-2016121210837

Was football safer back in the day?

New research shows those who played high school football in 1950s and '60s may not face the same health risks

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/was-football-safer-back-in-the-day/

Mumps cases at a 10-year high, colleges hard hit

Health officials are asking some colleges to tell students to get a third mumps vaccine for extra protection

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mumps-cases-10-year-high-college-outbreaks-vaccination/

Serving those who served

More than 460 veterans, including Don Lamb, 72, who said he is both an Army and Marine veteran who served in Vietnam, received care at the Texas Dental Association Smiles Foundation Veterans Mission of Mercy event Nov. 11-12 in Dallas.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/december/serving-those-who-served

Partnership Seeking Input for Projects to Strengthen National Defense and Preserve Working Lands

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2016 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) joined the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to announce the Sentinel Landscapes Federal Coordinating Committee will now accept applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Sentinel Landscape designation process.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/12/0261.xml&contentidonly=true

Loneliness may sabotage breast cancer survival, study finds

Women who don't have strong social ties may face higher risk of cancer recurrence and early death, new research suggests

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/loneliness-may-sabotage-breast-cancer-survival-study-finds/

1 in 6 U.S. Adults Takes a Psychiatric Drug

Whether the medicines over-prescribed is up for debate, psychiatrists say

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20161212/1-in-6-us-adults-takes-a-psychiatric-drug-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Could Statins Cut Alzheimer's Risk? It Depends

Type of statin used also made a difference in study, but black men did not see any benefits

From: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20161212/whether-statins-cut-alzheimers-risk-may-depend-on-gender-race?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Nipple discharge

From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/symptoms/nipple-discharge/basics/definition/sym-20050946

When buying a Christmas tree, think safety first

Dry trees are a fire hazard, so pick a fresh one and keep it watered, doctors' group advises

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/buying-a-christmas-tree-think-safety-first/

Florida is Zika-free, but don't get too comfortable

Colder days and control efforts can tamp down Zika mosquitoes, but they can rebound even during short bouts of warmer weather

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-is-zika-free-cdc-says-but-zika-virus-mosquito-risk-texas-still-present/

Loneliness May Sabotage Breast Cancer Survival: Study

Weak social ties linked to higher risk of recurrence, early death, researchers report

From: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20161212/loneliness-may-sabotage-breast-cancer-survival-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

'Kangaroo Care' May Help Preemies Into Adulthood

Skin-to-skin nurturing linked to increased survival, better social and behavioral outcomes, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20161212/kangaroo-mother-care-may-improve-preemies-lives-into-adulthood?src=RSS_PUBLIC

ADA releases 'A Mom's Guide to Fluoride'

Dental professionals who come into contact with parents who have questions about the safety and benefits of fluoride and community water fluoridation have a new resource at their disposal to help educate families.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/december/ada-releases-a-moms-guide-to-fluoride

Study reveals widespread psychiatric drug use in U.S.

New data reveals striking differences between women, men and different racial groups in the use of these common medications

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychiatric-drugs-study-reveals-widespread-use-women-men/

Dr. Pritish Tosh: When it's time to skip holiday parties

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-SgAFaWxd8

Mayo Clinic Minute: 2 easy ways to find more holiday joy

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn7yPOzw2Ew

Keeping the human connection in medicine

Last month, the New England Journal of Medicine published a thoughtful essay by David Rosenthal and Abraham Verghese on the many changes in how doctors are trained and how they practice medicine. Efforts to improve efficiency and accuracy — including the introduction of electronic medical records — offer benefits, and pose some complicated problems.

Doctors need to learn and do more, more than ever

The health care system strives to deliver better care while keeping costs down. Advances in medical science and technology mean there is ever more information for a doctor to know, and policies to curb waste have limited the amount of time we have to learn it all. Monique Tello wrote about this issue last month; it’s why your doctor is always at the computer. But more than that, these competing goals have had real consequences for how doctors work, how we think, how we relate to our patients and colleagues, and how we feel about our profession.

An example: I’m a hospitalist. It’s a relatively new field in medicine, a product of exactly these forces. Two decades ago, when patients were hospitalized, their primary care doctors would see them in the hospital, in the morning, before returning to clinic for the day. Residents or nurses, often without immediate supervision, managed minute-to-minute affairs. But the culture and standards of practice have changed. We’ve decided that it’s better to have fully-trained doctors in the hospital all day. In an emergency, I can be at the bedside in an instant. Residents and nurses get more active supervision. Primary care doctors, who have seen their reimbursements cut, can spend more time seeing patients. But there are downsides. The people I see in the hospital often don’t know me, and I don’t know them. And when a person leaves the hospital, his doctor may not know what I’ve done and why. So, we’ve replaced one set of challenges with another: making sure that there’s good communication between hospitals and clinics.

Electronic medical records can make that communication easier. When a patient comes to me in the hospital, I have immediate access to their entire chart. I can see records from every clinic visit, lab test, x-ray or CT scan, a list of all their possible diagnoses and the medications prescribed to treat them. It’s useful to look at this information before I meet someone new. After all, if you’re sick and uncomfortable, you don’t want to have to repeat the same story to every new doctor you see. And it’s reassuring to know that the doctor you’re meeting for the first time has taken the time and effort to get to know the particulars of your situation. What’s more, those records make my job easier. My patients may not remember the names and doses of all of their medications. No problem, I can look it all up.

But the things that make us more efficient may challenge the ability to develop and maintain personal connections

But something valuable gets lost. Maybe there’s a reason a patient can’t remember the names of her medications. Sometimes digging a little bit further can turn up a clue that there’s something more going on. But those clues come up in face-to-face conversations, and over time, not with a glance at a computer screen. Dr. Jerome Groopman describes another challenge in his book How Doctors Think. Seeing what other doctors have written about a patient can trap us into thinking about their illness in the same way, and blind us to alternative diagnoses. Sometimes the best way to work is to start fresh, and to let your patient tell her story from the beginning.

And then there’s the problem of distance. We have more and more tests that promise more accurate diagnoses, but require time to coordinate and review. Computerized notes and emails make it easy for doctors to communicate with each other, but have replaced conversations between colleagues. As doctors are increasingly isolated from both patients and each other, they have become demoralized and burned out.

At its best, being a doctor is an extraordinary and intimate privilege. We build relationships with our patients and see them through times of both joy and suffering; our relationships with each other help us through the same. It’s hard to do that in a way that’s truly satisfying when we spend most of the day at the computer screen. Rosenthal and Verghese don’t see an easy fix for these problems. They are largely structural and built into the practice of medicine. But they charge us to remember that the meaning of medicine is in its human connections. Whatever comes next, both doctors and patients should fight to hold on to that.

The post Keeping the human connection in medicine appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: John Sanford Limouze, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/keeping-the-human-connection-in-medicine-2016121210837

Was Football Safer Back in the Day?

Study found those who played in high school in 1950s and '60s don't face increased risk of dementia

From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20161212/was-football-safer-back-in-the-day?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Just the Facts — December 12, 2016

Between 2000 and 2015, applicants to dental school grew at a faster rate (51.7 percent) than applicants to medical school (41.5 percent).

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/december/just-the-facts-december-12-2016

Snapshots of American Dentistry — December 12, 2016

While untreated caries rates — a measure of unmet needs — are declining for children, they are rising among adults and seniors.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2016-archive/december/snapshots-of-american-dentistry

منظمة الصحة العالمية: إعلان شنغهاي بشأن تعزيز الصحة

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZPLLO8j1C4

New WHO data portal to help track progress towards universal health coverage

To mark Universal Health Coverage Day, the World Health Organization today launched a new data portal to track progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) around the world.

From: http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/portal-universal-health/en/index.html

WHO: Universal Health Coverage Day 2016 message by Director-General Dr Margaret Chan

From: World Health Organization http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkDBIYp5-OA

Nipple discharge

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/nipple-discharge/basics/definition/sym-20050946

6 ways to reduce your sugar intake

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/6-ways-to-reduce-your-sugar-intake/art-20267400

Gluten-free? Try these delicious alternatives to wheat flour

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/gluten-free-try-these-delicious-alternatives-to-wheat-flour/art-20269952

5 ways to navigate the farmers market

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/5-ways-to-navigate-the-farmers-market/art-20270118

What does it mean to eat clean?

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/what-does-it-mean-to-eat-clean/art-20270125

Your guide to a healthy (and tasty!) Thanksgiving dinner

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/your-guide-to-a-healthy-and-tasty-thanksgiving-dinner/art-20270842

Social eating can be healthy and enjoyable

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/social-eating-can-be-healthy-and-enjoyable/art-20269957