Month: October 2015

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Telehealth solutions Telemedicine platform Telemedicine services

What is Telepsychiatry?

Telemedicine video conferencing solutions

With the emergence of telemedicine and telehealth, the healthcare world is changing. Health care professionals are beginning to recognize the benefits of telemedicine as it could potentially save U.S. companies more than $6 billion per year in healthcare costs. Already, 67% of health care professionals are utilizing some form of telemedicine or are planning to do so in the next few years. In addition to the economic benefits, telehealth may also be an effective way to help those with mental illness and mood disorders through telepsychiatry.

What is Telepsychiatry?

Telepsychiatry software allows a patient and psychiatrist to “meet” through video conferencing. Telepsychiatry software is also designed to ensure a hipaa compliant video conference or, in other words, a private and confidential meeting between the two parties.

What are the Benefits of Telepsychiatry?

There are many benefits of telehealth in general, but telepsychiatry is uniquely effective as therapy sessions almost never require any physical examinations. A patient can talk face to face to their trusted provider without having to worry about travel time/expenses or missing appointments. In fact, a recent study showed that telepsychiatry appointments were less likely to be cancelled by patients, and also less likely to be no-shows. It is a perfect solution for those suffering from anxieties about leaving the house, children who may feel uncomfortable in a doctor’s office, and those who are worried about being seen going to and from an appointment.

How can I get on Board?

With more and more people communicating online and through videoconferencing, it is likely that telemedicine video conferencing will become more prevalent and even preferred by patients. Many providers are already taking advantage of telehealth technologies and using it to better serve their patients. If telepsychaitry seems like a something you can benefit from, a call to your family doctor or insurance company can help you get started on this new and innovative route to a healthy life.

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Is Liposuction Right For You?

Laser liposuction cost

Liposuction is nothing new. However, for a long time, it was regarded as something embarrassing or primarily for people so obese that there was nothing to be done but to trim them down to size. However, as laser liposuction technology has improved and laser liposuction side effects have lessened, this intervention is now available in many forms for all different kinds of people. Whether you are looking for abdominal liposuction or laser cellulite removal, seeking to shed pounds of baggage or supplement a new diet, liposuction is now a broad category encompassing all kinds of self-improvement.
Laser liposuction prices have also reduced to the point that it is no longer solely for the rich and famous. 11 million cosmetic procedures, both surgical and nonsurgical, were conducted in 2013, a 12% increase from the previous year. Of these, 90.6% were received by women. Liposuction procedures have become streamlined to the point where very few people have any complaints, with 75% of patients being willing to recommend the procedure to a friend or family member.
Despite the many advantages of abdominal liposuction, it is important to note that it will not be effective at curbing weight loss on its own. National statistics show that liposuction patients are 3 times more likely to gain weight if they don’t follow a healthy diet, and 4 times more likely if they don’t get exercise. The procedure, while effective, is not a substitute for normal methods of weight loss, but a supplement.
Whether you are considering abdominal liposuction, laser cellulite removal or one of the many other forms of liposuction, talk to your physician before taking any action. With that being said, we hope you will consider liposuction as a method of shedding weight and taking on a new body image, the fast and healthy way.

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Is Your Doctor Good For Your Heart? What to Look For When Finding a Physician

Primary care physician boca raton

Surprisingly, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men in the United States. Experts report that approximately 600,000 people succumb to some form of heart disease in this country every single year. Every 30 seconds, someone in the United States dies from heart disease, and the disease does affect more people than cancer and obesity.

When they first begin the process of finding a physician, many Americans want to know statistics about their doctor’s effectiveness at treating heart disease. Considering the fact that half of all heart attack patients test “normal” for both types of cholesterol, finding a physician who knows the warning signs of heart disease in women and men is essential.

A good physician — many patients ask friends and family for their recommendations — may ask the patient to monitor his or her diet and discuss the results when they meet. Some patients considered to be at a higher risk for the development of heart disease may be asked to wear a monitor for a few weeks that can gather important data regarding the functionality of the heart and lungs.

There are over 50 million procedures performed every year at American hospitals, and over 125 million emergency room visits every year. Patients at risk for heart disease may be chosen to undergo a comprehensive — and preventative — screening procedure to check for signs of heart disease and to assess their likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke.

Patients with a family history of heart disease need to understand the importance of routine check ups and other screening measures. Outpatient services — and outpatient surgery, if necessary — should be accessible to the patient and discussed in advance with their physician. To find a doctor who can discuss patient care and present options before a medical crisis occurs is of the utmost importance when it comes to heart disease.

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Asthma Dementia care Discharge planning

The Top 3 Things You Don’t Know About Nursing Homes

Short-term care services

Say the words ?nursing home?, and you may receive an immediate judgment about the people living in nursing homes, the people who work there, and the services offered. In fact, there are many different things we don?t know about nursing homes as a society, and many things we believe that are in fact outright myths or even lies. Nursing homes are about more than palliative care end of life, though that service is certainly desperately needed. They?re also about physical therapy, post-hospitalization care, and many other specific situations. Let?s dive into the truth about nursing homes, and why they?re so important to society at large.

1. Nursing Homes Aren?t Just For The Elderly

It?s true that nursing homes provide excellent care for the elderly ? but those are not the only people who can benefit from long-term care services. Anyone who requires 24-hour care following any sort of illness or injury can benefit from the services offered by nursing homes, which can include in-home rehabilitative therapy. Physical therapy is often used to assist in recovery following serious accident or injury. You would be surprised by how disruptive some conditions can be ? even asthma can affect people on a major level, especially if that asthma is severe. Physical therapy is ultimately about helping people have a better quality of life through things like increased range of motion and physical fitness, in or out of a nursing home.

2. Nursing Homes Do Not Eliminate Social Lives

A hesitation that people have about entering a nursing home ? whether for end of life care or rehabilitative care ? is that they?ll lose their social lives and contact with their families. In fact, the whole point of residential nursing homes is to combine the aid of a hospital with the comforts of home. Most are equipped with communal and kitchen areas for residents to take part in, forming more of a community than an institution. Furthermore, many allow nursing couples ? in cases when both halves of the couple need nursing home services ? to live together. Nursing home activities and environments are structured to make people feel as if they?re in their home away from home, with all the pleasantness that comes with it.

3. Nursing Homes Aren?t Safe

Some worry that their sick or fragile loved ones won?t be medically safe in nursing homes. This can?t be further from the truth. Nursing homes are meant for people who don?t fit into a hospital setting ? because they aren?t sick enough or need palliative care ? but can?t be cared for at home full-time. As such, nursing aides and qualified nurses are usually on hand 24 hours a day, and some nursing homes even have special units for patients with specific needs, from asthma to Alzheimer?s.

There?s no need to hesitate about entering or helping a loved one enter a nursing home. The care provided is excellent, and the atmosphere presented is loving and comfortable.

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Little-Known Facts About Urgent Care

Englewood urgent care

While many know of urgent care due to their recent growth rate, there are numerous things that the average person doesn’t know about the centers. They are able to provide more care than most people know, with longer hours available and less wait time than many other medical care options. Read on for a few things you may not know about these great facilities.

  • About 60% of urgent care facilities have wait times of 15 minutes or less, and 65% have a physician on-site at all-times.

  • A survey done by The Urgent Care Association of America proved the small wait times, and also showed that 80% of all visits last 60 minutes or less.

  • About 66% of urgent care facilities open before 9:00 am on weekdays, with 45.7% opening at the same time on Saturdays and 31.1% at the same time on Sundays.

  • About 90.6% of urgent care centers stay open until 7:00 pm on weeknights, while two out of five are open until 9:00 pm or later.

  • One in every five urgent cares see over 450 patients per week.

  • About 70% of centers are able to provide intravenous fluids if needed.

  • Around half of ER patients only seek medical care at an ER because their primary physicians’ office was closed, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

  • Four out of five, or 80%, of centers are able to provide fracture care to their patients.

  • Physicians, or groups of physicians, own about half of all urgent care centers.

  • About 40% of urgent cares now use electronic prescription ordering systems, in addition to many using computerized systems for viewing lab and imaging results, collecting patient demographics, billing, condition and procedure coding, and notes.

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The Danger of Untreated Sleep Apnea

Resmed cpap supplies

Many people are at least aware of a condition called sleep apnea, but not many people are familiar with sleep apnea causes, treatments, or even what exactly the condition entails. With about 18 million Americans suffering from the condition, it is important to be educated on the subject, so that there are more people able to get diagnosed and treated. With a condition such as sleep apnea, treatment is of the utmost importance.

The condition is characterized by numerous instances during a person’s sleep where their throat or mouth relaxes too much, effectively blocking their airways. When the person stops breathing, it often wakes them up with a start. On average, someone suffering from this will have up to 60 apneas an hour, leading to sleep being difficult or nearly impossible. It also causes many scary health issues.

About one in 50, or 2 to 4%, of all Americans are dealing with an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea. Leaving this condition untreated however, leaves people four times more likely to suffer a stroke and three times more likely to develop heart disease than those who are unaffected. They are also open to all of the issues that come with a lack of sleep. These consequences range from weight gain, depression, and aging, to loss of concentration and/or focus, to diabetes, and even death.

Luckily, treatments have become more available, with a range of treatments offered. Sleep apnea machines such as BiPAP masks and CPAP masks are the most popular of the treatments. These machines pump air through the mask, maintaining “positive airway pressure” throughout the night. It makes it impossible for the airway to close, allowing you to sleep soundly. It also reduces your risk for the consequences that can come from having this condition.

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Chiropractic support Microdiscectomy reno Spinal surgeons

Its Time To Put An End To Chronic Neck Pain

What can i do to prevent low back pain

Are you one of the 1.5 billion people worldwide who suffer from chronic pain? If so, don’t feel like you have to suffer through it – find treatment options in your area. There are dozens of spinal rehabilitation specialists that can offer advice, and if you end up needing surgery they are usually minimally invasive. Here are a few things to know and remember about back, neck, and headache pain:

1. Back Pain – You may be wondering “who is affected by low back pain?” Believe it or not, over 26 million Americans ages 20-64 say that they experience frequent back pain. That is more than the entire population of Texas! If you have ever endured back pain then you know how much it can affect your life. It seems as though we use our backs, in some way, for everything we do throughout the day. Back pain is so common in the United States that there is an estimated $50 billion spent on it each year.

2. Neck Pain – Current statistics show that around 15% of the population experiences neck pain. Are you one of those people? Neck pain affects nearly half (45%) of today’s workers, and is the second most common chronic pain reported in the United States. Neck pain shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you are experiencing neck pain or even general neck discomfort that seems constant consult with a doctor as soon as you can. Don’t be worried that your neck pain will absolutely call for neck surgery – in many cases your doctor will look at other treatment options first.

3. Headache/Migraine Pain – If you or someone you know has ever experienced a severe headache or migraine you probably understand the toll that it can take. Migraines can affect people’s vision, hearing, and balance and they should be taken seriously. If you find that you have several migraines each week or month, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor for help. No one should have to suffer through daily or weekly migraines. In many cases, if you suffer from migraine you may also fall into the group who is affected by low back pain.

In a National Institute of Health Statistics survey, respondents indicated that low back pain was the most common type of chronic pain (27%), followed by severe headache pain (15%), and neck pain (15%). So the answer to your question of “who is affected by low back pain” is: a lot of people. In fact, you probably know someone who is currently dealing with chronic back, neck, or migraine pain. Find a specialist in your area today who can provide you with treatment options to end your chronic pain for good.

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How Do People Get Off Heroin and Opiates? 5 Treatment Options

Ibogaine for depression

The American media loves to use the word epidemic, but when it comes to heroin addiction in the United States, “epidemic” is the only way to describe it. In every major city, in the suburbs, in rural counties, countless Americans are struggling with the life-ruining effects of opiate addiction. To make matters worse, heroin is now cheaper, more potent, and easier to find in 2015 than when it was sold legally in stores in the 19th century.

Millions of parents, siblings, spouses, friends, and medical professionals are doing everything they can to help their loved ones get off heroin. Unfortunately, heroin has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most addictive substances on Planet Earth. Not only does it create an intense physical dependency, but it has unbearable withdrawal symptoms.

So if you or someone you love is struggling to detox from heroin and opiate addiction, what kind of treatment programs are available in 2015? Here are some options:

Cold Turkey

Doctors no longer advise patients to go off opiates cold turkey, as the effects are not only excruciatingly painful, but potentially deadly. Sadly, this “man up” mentality keeps many addicts in pain, as they try and fail to detox on their own.

Inpatient Treatment Programs

Many addicts turn to inpatient rehab facilities to get sober. These programs have had mixed results in the United States, and many have been criticized for providing little more than 12-step meetings and unproven therapies. However, many addicts and alcoholics have gotten sober with the help of inpatient treatment programs.

Ibogaine Treatment Programs

Although Ibogaine is not legal in the United States, it is legal in most countries. It’s also helped many addicts experience a withdrawal free detox from opiate addiction. You can find ibogaine treatment for opiate addiction at clinics in Mexico and overseas. Although ibogaine treatment centers often cater to a high-income clientele, they’re becoming a popular choice for opiate addicts seeking detox programs.

12-Step Groups; Group Therapy

No one can dispute the fact that Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous have helped millions of people all around the globe get and stay sober. Critics say the group is “faith healing” and relies on religious beliefs about addiction. In either case, these groups provide help to millions of people seeking to avoid relapse. For those in need of medical detox or suffering form acute opiate withdrawal, 12-step groups cannot provide medical support.

Buprenorphine, aka Suboxone

Suboxone maintenance treatment is now the standard of care for addicts trying to detox from heroin. This opiate analgesic blocks the effects of other opiates while also reducing cravings. Since being approved by the FDA in 2002, it has quickly become the long-term treatment of choice for opiate addicts seeking long-term treatment programs.