Apply for Payday Loan Online Easily at Easyonlinepaydayloan.co

          Are you in the need of instant money? Is it very embarrassing for you to borrow money from other people? If you so, then you should not be worried anymore now, because these days, there have been so many payday loan online that you can access easily in the internet now.  With this kind of loan, you do not need to worry about any kinds of unexpected bills or expenses that you have to pay, because online payday loan will solve your temporary problem, and it will become your finance balancer if you are in the emergency needs. 

            If you are in the need of instant money or online payday loan, then you are suggested to visit easyonlinepaydayloan.com. This site will give you a lot of advantages and benefits in borrowing money. The most important thing is that you do not need to waste so much time only to get your payday loan sent to your savings account. Once you meet the requirements, not long after your proposal, you will be able to get your instant money sent to your savings account directly. This way, you do not need to wait for a long time anymore to pay all those unexpected needs. 

Where to Get the Best Life Insurance Quotes Online

         It is not easy to find the best life insurance that will suit your need and interest best. Moreover, along with the development of the internet these days, there have been a lot of life insurance services available for you online. That is why you need to get life insurance quotes to help you to find the best life insurance service that suits your need best. The good news is that to get the life insurance quotes, you do not need to come to one life insurance to another life insurance service now, because the life insurance quotes can be found easily online now. There have been a lot of websites that will provide you life insurance quotes complete with detailed information you need to know about them.

             Lifeinsurancerates.com is one of them. This site will provide you with complete and detailed information about some life insurance services available online. You will be given the quotes you need easily from this site so that you can make comparison among some life insurance services available much easier now. Besides that, to get the quote, you will not be required with very complicated requirements and procedures, because all procedures just need to be done online.

How to get car insurance

With the government’s policy to make car insurance an obligation for people who own a car, the need of having a good car insurance program for your car is a must. However, it seems that the number of car insurance companies is too many for some people who have never had any car before and who are looking for the best car insurance at the first time. If you are one of those people, there are actually some things for you to do if you want to get the best car insurance for your car. What are they?

The first thing that you have to do is to look for the car insurance company lists. If you have some trouble in listing the car insurance companies’ names, you can ask some of your friends who already have car insurance program for their car. The second thing that you need to do after you get the list is to find out which one is the best for you. You can do this by comparing the policy and the amount of money that you need to cover the payment of the insurance every month. After you think about all of these, you are ready to get your best car insurance. 

The Survival of Physicians

On January 6, 2012 the CNN website posted an article titled "Doctors Going Broke". It described several cases of independent physicians who are near bankruptcy although they once were quite well off. For instance, the article detailed the case of Dr. William Pentz, a cardiologist in a small group practice, who had to borrow money last month to make payroll. He and the other cardiologists have cut their salaries in order to meet overhead. Dr. Pentz ascribed the budget problems of the practice to the 35% to 40% cut in Medicare reimbursements for certain tests, such as stress tests. The practice overall saw a 9% decline in income compared to 2010. The article did say that there is a worrisome rise in the number of physicians experiencing financial difficulties. Although some point to new regulations and declining enrollment as the source of the troubles some financial experts point out that the problems may be due to the lack of business acumen of physicians and their staff.

A day after this report the Wall Street Journal posted an article about the bankruptcy and decline of several large corporations, including Kodak and Barnes & Noble. It compared these organizations to successful ones such as IBM and Johnson and Johnson. Briefly, it emphasized that the successful organizations were willing to take some risks on future developments and invest some of their capital into these risks. Not all such investments were successful but enough were to insure the success of the business.

With a bit of insight and some reasoning skills I believe I see in these patterns similarities to Darwin's theory on the survival of the species. Businesses and physician practices that adapt to their changing environments succeed where others languish or subside or sell their practices to hospital groups or insurers.

What are some of the common challenges that independent physicians as well as those that are part of hospital groups must face that directly affect income? Doctors face a 1% cut in Medicare reimbursement this year if they have not successfully demonstrated that they are using e-Prescribing in their practice. Practices must start using the new HIPAA security protocols this year or face cuts in reimbursements. This is the last year that physicians can receive the full $44000 for the adoption of EHR's. These are the most prominent challenges facing physicians but there are many others as mentioned in the opening paragraph.

What are some of the opportunities for independent physicians? Some independent physician practices are doing well in spite of the challenges. Many have looked at the changing landscape of reimbursement and have altered the way that they provide their services to maximize these new sources of income. To me it seems that many of the increased sources of income are for primary care groups and others who provide primary care services. One such example that comes to mind is the Patient-Centered Medical Home. Although CMS is not reimbursing groups for becoming PCMH's yet, some private insurers are. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is rewarding practices financially that become qualified as PCMH's. The January 27 edition of the Wall Street Journal stated that WellPoint and Aetna are beginning to reward primary care physicians for becoming certified a PCMH.

Another example is the formation of Accountable Care Organizations by physician groups. Although it seems that most medical professionals think about CMS's rules for ACO's several physician groups are contracting with private payers to form ACO's. Advocate Care in Illinois has successfully done so. The final rules from CMS on the formation of ACO's has made it much easier for physician groups to contract with CMS in the formation of an ACO without the inclusion of a hospital group as a partner.

I have found some very good resources that describe in some detail pathways for physicians to adopt in order to improve their income and outcomes for patients in light of the new landscape for reimbursement. One in particular that I like is Pathways for Physician Success Under Healthcare Payment and Delivery Reforms; it is posted on the AMA website. It describes in some detail the major new initiatives in payment reform, including PCMH's and ACO's. It also describes in some detail the skills needed by physician groups to successfully accommodate the new payment models. Among the skills are the ability to improve the delivery of the quality of service and the ability to be able to read and interpret data for the improvement of the quality of services delivered. The AMA also has a webpage that has many other resources for the successful adoption of new payment models. The American Society for Quality also has resources for healthcare that help develop the skills necessary for the adoption of the new payment models.

What are some of the change processes physicians can adopt in order to change their practices effectively? There are several, such as Lean Healthcare, Six Sigma and Total Quality Management. At the heart of most of them is the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, a skill which most professional healthcare providers can learn. At its heart are teamwork and effective leadership.

Looking ahead to 2012 for your healthcare business, which pathway will you take? It seems manifest to me that continuing on the traditional pathway of the fee-for-service model exclusively only will result in a steady decline in income for most sites. Adapting to new payment models gradually but with a willingness for some risk more than likely will reward providers with new revenue sources and stable incomes.

Locating Good Sources for Hospital Medical Supplies and Medical Equipment

Hospitals have a obligation to give their patients quality healthcare. This means not only providing excellent service from doctors, nurses and staff members, but also to make certain the medical equipment used is up-to-date and fully operational. Locating sources of medical supplies is one of the most important functions of a hospital's administrators.

A good place to start the search for medical supplies is by contacting the purchasing managers of other medical centers. These people have experience in obtaining medical equipment for their institutions and can usually offer sound advice on what manufactures and distributors offer quality supplies at reasonable prices. You can simply call the hospitals in your area and tell them your looking to locate a new supplier.

An even easier way to find suppliers is to go online and perform a web search. Just type in "medical supplies" into the search box of your search engine and visit the various websites of the distributors. Virtually all of the major hospital supply companies have websites that showcase the types of products they sell. These websites will also provide contact numbers so that you can contact them directly to ask for more details, such as whether the distributor rents hospital equipment in addition to selling it, and also for pricing information.

If you are looking for a supplier who focuses on a particular need, such as acute care, for instance, you can type this phrase into the search box and discover companies that specialize in a particular field.

After finding a company that seems to offer the type of quality supplies you need at a price you can accept, its time to do further research to make sure they are reputable and have a history of customer satisfaction. You can check with your state's consumer safety agency or Attorney General's office to find out whether they have any complaints against them. You can also contact the supplier directly and ask him to provide a list of recommendations from hospitals or medical centers with which he has done business.

Another good resource to ensure that you are purchasing from a business with a good reputation is to check with the Better Business Bureau, or BBB. You can do this easily online at the BBB website, which grades businesses from A to F depending on the numbers and types of complaints that have been lodged against them.

For hospital purchasing managers looking to obtain quality supplies, another option is to utilize the services of a group purchasing association or co-op. These organizations have staff who are skilled in getting discount prices from manufacturers in exchange for doing a large volume of business. Hospitals can take advantage of their expertise and experience and allow the purchasing group to find the suppliers themselves. This will free up the time of hospital staff for other functions. The purchasing group knows what companies offer the best quality equipment for specific areas, such as surgical instruments or wound care supplies, and can simplify the overall process considerably.

Learn The Art Of Making A Pack For Your Surgical Instruments

Surgical packs are very popular amongst surgeons as it includes the necessary items like gauze sponges, sterile drapes that are properly wrapped, the basic instruments, and other similar materials that are usually laid out during surgical procedures on proper fenestrated pans. It is the duty of technicians in hospitals to sterilize and prepare these surgical packs for the E.R and then stock them for future need. The process of sterilization for instruments is very important and has to be done adequately through the use of pressurized steam created in an autoclave, especially if the surgical instruments require sterilization on a low pressure, using plasma or gas sterilization.

Learning how to properly sterilize and pack surgical instruments is really important for the safety of the patient. This is why learning the basic principles that apply in the art of packing instruments should be learned by all doctors and technicians working in hospitals. To start the process you have to first painstakingly clean and then fully dry all the instruments. Then collect all the other materials that you need to add in to your pack. The use of an ultrasonic instrument for cleaning the instruments once you are done washing is preferable. Otherwise you can simply hand wash the instruments using enzymatic solution which is specially designed for cleaning surgical instruments. You should make sure that you properly clean off all rust and debris from the instruments. You have to make sure that the solution you are using for cleaning your instruments is neutral pH otherwise you can end up with stains on your instruments.

Now proceed to lubricating the surgical instruments that need to be lubricated. Again always purchase a lubricant that is specifically designed for this purpose. Give proper time for the instruments to fully dry once you are done lubricating them. You have to make sure that you properly count all the materials and instruments like suture needles, gauze sponges, etc to ensure that you have the count absolutely necessary. This is a very crucial stage because when the pack of instruments is opened, the surgeons count every item before stitching up the patient to make sure that they have not accidentally left any item from the pack inside the surgeon.

When packing some of the instruments it is best that they are packed individually or in small collections using plastic or paper pouch made of the professional usage heat - sealing plastic variety. If you plan on using plasma sterilization on your surgical instruments you should use Mylar or Tyvek pouches or simply purchase a polyester fabric wrap of the nonwoven variety. Some of the packs that you put together would have to be of a larger size according to your surgeon's preferences. If you need to pack a fenestrated pan in your pack of instruments, always make sure that you first place a lint - free towel on to your pan before putting in other instruments or materials. This is how you pack surgical instruments professionally and efficiently. For more further visit Surgical Instruments.

Importance of Timely Maintenance and Repair for Your Laboratory Equipment

The medical equipment you use need to be durable and precise to ensure accurate results and flawless functioning. Timely maintenance and repair for your laboratory equipment is therefore necessary if you want it to function smoothly. Whether in a chemistry or medical lab, devices are subject to wear and tear because of frequent use. To ensure high accuracy of various diagnostic test results, excellent maintenance of medical laboratory equipment is vital.

Keep Medical Equipment Up-to-date with Timely Attention

With increased focus on patient safety in the present day medical scenario, reputable hospitals and lab practices have to concentrate on measures designed to prevent adverse events resulting from medical errors. The maintenance and repair of laboratory devices should by all means be carried out by qualified and adequately trained personnel or technicians. All equipment parts are to be checked and verified, and the faulty components are to be replaced. Repairers can be asked to inform in advance about the malfunction of a particular unit connected to the equipment. All such devices should be checked often and inspection reports submitted to the head of the laboratory or institution.

There are certain medical equipment that requires lubrication and oiling. The oil and liquid used should also be kept in parameters prescribed by manufacturers. If you have the budget for it, you can retain a maintenance staff, but if you find it costly you can opt for trustworthy and dependable third party agencies.

Points to Note when Purchasing Lab Equipment

While purchasing the required laboratory equipment, the first thing one has to make sure is the quality of the equipment. The dealer should also guarantee proper warranty and after sales services in a timely manner. Ideally, go for an established medical equipment supplier with an extensive collection of new and recertified products of well-known brands. Ensure that you are given a good equipment service contract, as well as installation and repair solutions for all laboratory equipment you buy. Another thing you have to be sure of is that your dealer has factory trained technicians with expertise to provide on-the-site service and ensure safe and smooth functioning of the laboratory equipment.

A number of agencies provide economical, customized service contracts, designed to meet your needs on a wide variety of instrumentation.

Whether your laboratory equipment is brand new or recertified, it is necessary that its performance is evaluated frequently and the devices reconditioned promptly. Though modern laboratory devices are designed with sophisticated technology and specifications, proper and timely post-purchase maintenance services is important to ensure their smooth and accurate functioning. The efficient maintenance and revamping services offered by an established laboratory equipment supplier make certain that all apparatus in your facility function well.

Timely maintenance and repair for your laboratory equipment is the best way to make sure that your lab processes are uninterrupted and you benefit from accurate test results.

Pharmacy Jobs - A Top Career in the Healthcare Industry

Pharmacy professionals play an important role in the care of patients and in other areas of the healthcare industry. Pharmacists in the community and hospital setting ensure that patients receive the right medications. They also advise patients regarding medicines, including how to take them, what reactions could happen, and about drug interactions. They are a major resource for medical information in hospitals, clinics, community pharmacies, and many other settings.

One major advantage of having a doctor of pharmacy degree (PharmD) is the variety of opportunities that are available. When most people think of the pharmacy profession they think about the community, hospital, or clinic pharmacist. Although community and hospital pharmacies are the top employers, pharmacy jobs or jobs that require a pharmacist's knowledge are available in other areas of healthcare or related industries. The pharmaceutical industry is such an example. Pharmaceutical companies have many jobs that are a close match with PharmD training. Some entry level jobs are available immediately after graduation but many jobs require a fellowship/residency, experience, or additional credentials. Other non-traditional pharmacy jobs include pharmacy consultant, nuclear pharmacy, regulatory jobs at the FDA, and academia. Recently, a new type of pharmacy job called medication therapy management (MTM) pharmacist or personal pharmacist has emerged and is growing. MTM pharmacists provide face-to-face comprehensive medication consultation and bill for their services independent of drug dispensing. Many experts believe that this is the future of the pharmacy profession.

Coupled with the diversity of opportunities, pharmacists also enjoy very high starting salaries compared with most health professions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012 Handbook the median salary for pharmacists was $111,570 in 2010. Top earners earned more than $138,620 annually. Pharmacists are one of the highest paid professionals in the healthcare industry.

The job outlook is very favorable for pharmacists. Between 2010 and 2020 the Bureau of Labor projects a 25% growth in the number of pharmacy jobs. This is faster than projected growth for all occupations and is closer to the projected growth in nursing jobs (26%). Factors that may contribute to this future growth include new drug approvals, more insured individuals, aging population, older pharmacists retiring, and a shift in demand for more pharmacists to provide patient counseling services (medication therapy management).

Given the above-mentioned variety of pharmacy jobs, pay, and growth trends, a pharmacist career is very promising. Those who are embarking on a career in the healthcare field should seriously consider pharmacy as an option.

Walk In Clinics Offer Many of the Same Services As Hospitals

With all of the time constraints that the average person faces on a daily basis, it can seem impossible trying to make it to a doctor's appointment on time, let alone scheduling one. Since the average person has numerous obligations and there are only 24 hours in a day; out of which a typical doctor's office is only open for 8 of those hours; there is no wonder why more and more people are opting to be seen and treated at a walk in clinic instead.

These types of facilities not only cater to people with busy schedules, they also are much more affordable than the average hospital. In a day and age where more and more people are losing their jobs, having to work more than one job and are unable to afford medical insurance, going to a walk in clinic for all of your medical needs is a lot more desirable.

Clinics offer many of the services you can get at a hospital. The only difference is you are not paying an astronomical amount of money for testing and treatment; you also are not restricted to being seen between 9-5 when most people are at work. You have more flexibility because many walk in clinics have extended hours that leaves them open well into the evenings for the working folks. Unlike hospitals and their physicians who tend to have hundreds of patients on any particular day, you don't have to wait for an appointment. You can walk into a treatment facility any time you feel the need or have the time. This comes in handy when you are sick, feeling miserable and in need of some medication.

Since you are being seen at a clinic, the fees you incur for a visit are much less expensive than what you are charged at a hospital for the same procedures. One reason for this is the walk in clinic does not have to make up for the huge overhead operating expenses. You don't have to pay a portion of the doctors' salary or contribute towards the price of all the equipment and salaries of their thousands of employees.

As the cost of healthcare continues to rise, more and more people are going to medical clinics instead. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is more comfortable and soothing than a sterile hospital setting. Many people are not fans of having to go to a hospital because they feel put off and intimidated by the buildings and staff. Since smaller medical facilities are much more welcoming, more patients develop lasting relationships with the medical professionals at these facilities.

Studies show that more people tend to be more honest about their medical history with the physicians at the local medical facilities than they are with the doctors at the hospitals. One reason for this may be due to a patient's uneasiness and from hearing about someone else's negative experiences at a hospital. Walk in clinics are much more accessible and affordable to everyone regardless of income and residency.

Healthcare Management - A Career in Healthcare Without a Medical Degree

Healthcare is an expanding industry. The need for qualified doctors and medical staff in hospitals will continue to increase as will the need for skilled managers to run them.

Hospital managers or healthcare administrators plan, coordinate and manage the business related activities within a hospital or medical practice and ensure proper delivery of services. This includes activities such as creating and supervising work schedules and managing finances. Individuals that choose this career path usually have sympathetic personalities and genuinely want to help others. They also need to display good interpersonal skills and leadership ability as directing and motivating others forms a key part of the position.

On an academic level, entry into this field requires at least a bachelor's degree and most healthcare management professionals hold a master's degree in health administration, health sciences or business administration. Graduates generally begin their careers as administrative assistants and move on to become managers, administrators or department heads once they've gained some experience.

The number of hospital administrators present in a hospital will vary and depend to a large extent on the size of the facility. A larger medical facility may have an administrator that's responsible for each department i.e. nursing, physical therapy and patient records. In smaller facilities there may only be one administrator that takes care of all activities across the board, either on their own or with the help of an assistant. For this reason it can be more beneficial for graduates to start out at a smaller facility to get a more hands on experience across all departments.

Hospital administrators need to keep up to date on industry development and regulations to ensure that their medical practice stays compliant. The provision of safe healthcare and accreditation of institutions is one area where standards and regulations are enforced strictly. Accreditation as a practice aims to minimize and prevent the occurrence of human error through standards development and incident reporting. In South Africa, medical professionals across all areas of specialization need to be registered with the Health professions council before they are allowed to practice.

According to the US Bureau of labor statistics, projected growth of this career field between 2010 and 2020 is 22 percent (which is considered faster than average across all occupations). The median annual wage of health service managers in 2011 was $86,400. According to Pay scale, starting salaries usually range from $35,000 - $95,000 a year while more experienced healthcare managers can earn over $200,000 a year.

The Specialized Orthopedic Instruments Required For Orthopedic Surgeries

It is the job of orthopedic surgeons to help patients restore the functions performed by their skeletal system. Most common types of orthopedic surgeries include a hand surgery performed to release tendons for the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or in hip replacement surgery. The skill range and implementation required for orthopedic surgeries is very extensive and thus the orthopedic instruments also have to be carefully chosen. The ranges of surgery types that are performed by orthopedic surgeons make the range of instruments required vary extensive as well. Due to this reason, sometimes surgeons have to use extensive instruments like power drills whereas at times they need a very delicate instrument like micro - surgical ones for precise and micro areas. This is why most of the instruments are classified according to their own unique function and are highly specialized.

The most popular category for orthopedic instruments is bone instruments. These instruments are required when the patient's bone has to be removed or cut through. Mostly the ball joints that exist in our skeletal system from our limb or hip require the use of such instruments. This is why these bone instruments are all powered tools. A famous type of bone instrument is the gigli saw, which is basically a long wire that consists of teeth on it, which then attach to its handle. The straight hand saw version is also commonly used as orthopedic instruments. The longer leg bones need to be cut using the gigli saw rather than the straight saw. Lots of other bone instruments also look like huge wire cutters. Orthopedic instruments that are required for performing back surgeries include equipment like rongeur that help in biting away at the small bones. After that, surgeons need to install plates, pins, and screws which are done with the help of automatic drills. Other hand tools commonly used in such procedures include curettes, mallets, screwdrivers, and pliers. These instruments help in skimming off the bone from the surface.

The second most common category of orthopedic instruments includes the tissue instruments. These instruments are also commonly found at other general surgery operating rooms. They consist of common equipment like retractors, scissors, and clamps. To stop the bleeding from vessels, clamps are used. When surgeons have to cut through wire or tissue they need to use scissors. When surgeons need to hold back the patient's muscle tissue so that they can easily work, they make use of retractors. This is how all these equipment in this category of orthopedic instruments is equally important for every orthopedic surgery.

The third most important category of orthopedic instruments includes prosthesis. This device is one of the most commonly used devices in orthopedic surgeries. It has become a routine that patients are now performing joint replacement. For this surgery, prosthesis is very important. Other large power tools are also used in such procedures along with glue that helps to keep the leg bone in place with the prosthesis. All these instruments are crucial to the successful completion of an orthopedic surgery. 

How To Live Long Vibrant Healthy Lives

Becoming conscious about how you live your life, the kind of products you buy and the carbon output of everything you do can help you to make changes for the better; the better of yourself and the world around you that is. As the world becomes more densely populated and we put more demands on its limited resources, there has never been a better time than the present to make those changes. And, it's a lot easier than you think.

Save Water

Making simple changes to your routine, like not running the tap when you brush, your teeth can save a lot of water without even doing much. If you enjoy a shower, put a bucket underneath the faucet to catch the water you waste while you wait for the hot water to warm up; you can use this water to wash your car or water your garden. To make the most of rain showers, get a storage bucket to collect some extra for when the rains dry up.

Stop Using Toxic Chemicals In Your Home

Start reading labels and becoming familiar with what is in your cleaning products; most of them contain really dangerous substances that you probably wouldn't choose to use in your home. Be on the look-out for ingredients like formaldehyde, phenol and triclosan, and stay as far away from them as possible.

Save Power

Converting your home to using energy efficient light bulbs can make a big difference to your utilities bill and lessen your dependence on the grid. Turning up your thermostat by just two degrees can also give you savings of up to eight percent on your power costs. Also, just becoming more aware of the lights you have switched off, and turning them off in rooms that you are not using, can make a big difference to the amount of electricity you consume.

Recycle

Instead of filling landfills with waste, try and recycle paper, glass, tin and plastic. Try and find ways to reuse your own waste and make a concerted effort to purchase products that use biodegradable packaging.

Go Organic

Start buying organic products that have not been grown with chemicals or pesticides, produced by companies that are making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Your family will be healthier for it and it will take less of a toll on the environment. Start eating free range eggs and meat, and consider going a day where you do not eat meat, as animals reared for food are some of the biggest sources of methane gas on the planet.

"Why are manufacturers allowed to be so careless with the chemicals that they add to your everyday cleaning, personal and general household products? One theory is that since these products are not consumed, there is a small chance that they will be able to enter your body and cause damage. The problem with this theory is that everything you come into contact with is absorbed by your skin, which means that all of the chemicals you use on a regular basis are accumulating within your body. If you want to rid your household of these harmful chemicals, you need to turn to products that are as natural as possible.

6 Common Misconceptions About The Advanced Healthcare Directive

You may have heard a lot about the importance of creating an advanced healthcare directive whether in the form of instructions or appointing a person, so that the desired line of treatment can be followed if you are not in a position to take your own decisions at a future date. However there are a number of misconceptions surrounding this concept which can put doubts in your mind.

The following will address some of the more common myths about an advanced healthcare directive.

Myth 1 - Only older people need to make an advanced directive

Illness and accidents can happen to anyone old or young; in fact the advances in the medical field may end up keeping a younger person alive for years without any improvement. Ideally any individual above the age of 18 must make a directive or appoint an agent.

Myth 2 - A directive is meant to stop treatment

An advanced directive is prepared to express your wishes and can include directions to stop treatment as well as those to carry on a specific treatment in certain cases. Also you can customize it in a way where invasive treatment may be stopped but certain pain relievers may be administered to ensure comfort.

Myth 3 - Appointing an agent takes away the right to make personal decisions

This is a common fear faced by many and is completely misplaced. Remember that such a directive comes into effect only when you are not in a position to decide for yourself due to a certain health condition. Furthermore when you regain capacity to make decisions you can override the agent's decision and also modify the rights or revoke them completely.

Myth 4 - It is best to wait if you are unsure about the contents of the directive

Everyone has at least a broad idea about the way their treatment should be done incase such a situation arises. Accordingly you must make an advanced directive incorporating your current wishes no matter how brief. The directive can be modified as often as you wish and you may add more specific instructions in the future to make it more effective.

Myth 5 - A completed directive is work done and does not require any further intervention

Preparing an advanced directive is a sensible decision but by no means is your work over. You must communicate and handover a copy to your doctor, and will have to continue such communication if you happen to get transferred to another medical facility or make any changes in the directive so that the new doctor is aware of your instructions.

Myth 6 - A lawyer is needed to make a directive

A lawyer is not necessarily needed to make an advanced directive but can be useful to make one based on their experience. Similarly you can seek assistance from other personnel trained for such purposes by approaching your healthcare provider or through the internet.

You will now have a clearer picture of what advanced healthcare directives are and what they can do for you, thus helping you to create an advanced directive that is useful and effective to your particular case.

Sleeping With the Enemy: Eyelash Mites

Eyelash mites have become the bane of other people's existence, making them scared of sleeping. Eyelash mites are tiny and parasitic mites that infuse themselves in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of human beings, most particularly in the eyelash hair follicles. They are usually about 0.4 mm, and are found on the nose, cheek, forehead, and chin; practically anywhere you may find a sebaceous gland or a hair follicle. Although their infestation is not particularly severe, and is in fact a bit common, certain cases of eyelash mite infestation may cause certain skin conditions.

Eyelash mites have elongated and semi-transparent bodies that consists of two fused segments, with the first having 8 short legs, all of which are segmented. They are covered with scales that they use in order to latch on human hair follicles, and they feed on dead and flaky, skin cells, hormones, and even the sebum that are accumulated on the hair follicles.

While it is true that almost every other person has a few eyelash mites, there are a certain number of people that are prone to having quite a bit of these creatures. Among the list are those who wear mascara and eyeliners often because they have a higher tendency of being viable hosts for the mites, older people who are prone because they produce sebum more than younger people, and of course, people who have a compromised immune system, either due to stress or illness. Although they are generally harmless, a sudden increase in their number may cause demodicosis: a skin disorder characterized by extensive itching and inflammation. Other consequences may include rosacea, and swollen eyelids. Persisting infestation of eyelash mites may even lead to corneal irritation and scarring.

Diagnosis of eyelash mite infestation is done by individual observance of eyelashes under a microscope. They are generally seen as cylindrical dandruffs around the base of the eyelash, and because they are not able to come out in bright light, the diagnosis is done with very minimal lighting employed. To determine the severity of the infestation, samples of skin and lashes are taken in for testing, after which post diagnostic tests are employed in order to treat the infestation. In cases of mild infestation, simple ointments are used in order to clear the eyelash mites. However, in cases of chronic infestation, the use of antibiotics is employed.

Home treatment options are also available to control the infestation, and are done by washing the eyebrows, lashes, and eyelids with no-tear shampoo and lukewarm water. A regimen of weekly eyelid scrub with tea tree oil, as well as a daily eyelid scrub with tea tree shampoo may also be done for effectively removing the eyelash mites. In addition, proper eyelid hygiene is extremely recommended, and this includes the use of disposable tissues for eyelid cleaning, proper care of the towels and pillow covers that might come in contact with the eyelids, cleaning of shaving sets every day, and other necessary means of caring for anything that will most likely come in contact with the eyes, or any hair follicle in the body.

Cherry Juice for the Treatment of Gout

A type of arthritis found in both men and women, gout is exemplified primarily by experiencing pain in the big toe. However, the pain is not exclusive to this part of the body, and can indeed be experienced in other body joints like the elbows, fingers, hips, ankles, knees, etc. Gout is caused by an abnormal increase in the uric acid content of the body due to the inability of the body to excrete uric acid as waste. Because of the ambient increase of the uric acid in the body, it transforms to crystals, which are characterized as solidified uric acids that take a sharp, needle-like form. When these crystals are collected in the different joints of the body, the person will experience a very painful inflammation that will lead to gout. Although primarily a hereditary disease, gout can also be experienced by people who are overweight, alcohol drinkers, and smokers.

The regular use medication of aspirin, diuretics, and levodopa, may even increase a person's chances of getting gout. The first thing that any doctor may recommend whenever a patient is diagnosed with gout is to prescribe painkillers that will relieve the excruciating pain from the joints, but provide very temporary relief. Recent studies have shown that cherry juice is very effective in gout treatment, and were discovered in 1950 by Dr. Ludvig Blau. It is able to help with gout problems because of the presence of antioxidants and flavonoids, especially anthocyanins, which are very potent anti-inflammatory agents that cause the blood uric acid level to decrease enabling the body to heal the tissues of joints that were damaged due to the presence of gout.

Recent studies have also shown that black cherry has perhaps the most potent activity against gout. However, other cherry varieties may also be used. Whichever variety you choose to use for your gout problem, just make sure that you get one of good quality, otherwise you'll just be wasting your money. For people who prefer sweet one, I suggest getting cherry juice concentrate as a gout treatment.

The preferred amount for gout treatment is at least 2 cups per day; although, you may drink as many as you like given that it is a natural juice, it is recommended that you wait for your gout symptoms to decrease before increasing your intake. You should note results might vary from person to person. While it is true for some that their gout symptoms are relieved a few hours from intake of the cherry juice, some people may find that they need to consume it for weeks up to months before any effect is felt. Also, the amount that a particular person must consume after the gout symptoms subside may also differ, depending on the severity of the gout, age of the person, and other factors.

The use of cherry juice as a treatment for gout is very much recommended to anyone experiencing severe gout symptoms, and the beauty of it, is that it has no side effects because it is natural.

Medical Billing and Coding - A Critical Part Of The Health Insurance System

Today and during the previous years the demand for hospital care has been steadily increasing. This trend is observed all around the world. People are requiring more health care services.

The reason for this is because a lot of people are growing old. This is not just in the United States but also in other countries and continents like Europe, Australia and Asia.

The demand for medical care all over the world is affecting the medical care industry on a positive way. It helps in shaping the hospital care industry of other countries; the same is true in the US where the medical care industry is already advanced in the US. The increase in hospital care service requirements is enabling countries to rethink their medical care system and work for a better system that caters to the needs of their aging population.

One great health care system development is the use of health cards and health insurance. This part of the clinical care is not new but because of the increased demand in health care services, the medical care insurance system is becoming more efficient and more people are opting in to get one.

Using health cards pay-off during health related emergencies wherein operations and other related services are needed by the health insurance policy holder. Some costly surgical operations are covered by the insurance companies, so having the appropriate health insurance is valuable.

Really, the health insurance system has matured and become very efficient. However, do you know that at the heart of this system are professional medical billers and coders? They are the people that make all these happen. The medical billers and coders are the ones who work behind the curtain, classifying services rendered by the physicians, preparing the health insurance claims and submitting them to the proper insurance companies, and finally monitoring and waiting for the payment from the insurance companies.

Medical billing and coding professionals are the critical part of the health insurance system. Without them the health insurance claims for rendered services won't be filed and the physicians will not be paid. If this happens frequently, the health insurance system won't function at all because physicians will not render services to patients who only have their health insurance to cover for the medical bills.

The medical billing and coding professional avoids the above situation from happening. They make sure that proper medical bills and included in the insurance claim and then they follow-up the status of each and every medical bill to make sure it is settled, then see to it that the proper physician is compensated.

That's what medical billing and coding professionals do. Though they are in the administrative side of health care, they are still a very valuable part of the entire health care industry as a whole.

Signs and Risk Factors of Addiction

An individual who is in a situation where he is continuously using a particular substance may be suffering from addiction. Aside from substances, addiction may also pertain to a continued behavior of a person that doesn't benefit him at all. Different kinds of neurological impairment that leads to the behaviors mentioned can also refer to addiction. Examples of addictions that people suffer are abuses of alcohol, drug, exercise, and gambling.

When a person becomes addicted to something, he would have difficulties in controlling how to use it and then they become very dependent to cope with their daily life.

There are certain situations when a particular habit of a person becomes an addiction. For comparison purposes, a habit is done by choice, or a person did a particular because he wants to. This habit can be stopped anytime a person chooses to and can be successful in avoiding it if he has the willingness to do so. Psychological and physical component would never be an issue in a habit. Addiction, meanwhile, can be controlled but there are outside forces involved with it especially since there are certain conditions already involved.

The real cause of addictions varies on a case-to-case basis which is why it is not fully understood. There are, however, general causes as to why a person gets addicted. It includes a combination of physical, mental, circumstantial, and emotional factors.

One of the signs of addiction is when a person gets very dependent to a particular substance. The substances may include drug, alcohol, and nicotine. Under substance dependence, there are a number of signs when it is already happening to a person. One is the failure to stop from using the substance despite attempts of giving up. Another one is withdrawal symptoms. If a person has attempted to get rid of his addiction, his body would react to it dramatically. When the body feels that the level of a substance dipped, a person would experience physical as well as mood-related symptoms. Some of them include moodiness, bad temper, and lack of focus, frustration, and anger.

Every individual can get addicted to something while he ages but there are certain factors that would increase dramatically the risk of suffering it. One is through genetics or family history. Any individual who has a relative that has problems in addiction have a high risk of eventually experiencing it. Two main causes for this are environmental and circumstantial factors.

Computerized Records Coming to the ED

That's starting to change thanks to efforts undertaken in 2009 to begin standardization of electronic record-keeping within the healthcare industry. The federal government did its part to begin encouraging the adoption of electronic records by including significant funding in the stimulus package to help defray the costs of hospitals and medical facilities making the transition. And although adoption of electronic records is still slower than many would like, it is progressing. In the world of the ED and emergency medical jobs, the transition cannot come soon enough.

Delays in Care

At the core of the electronic record issue in the emergency department is the fact that a lack of patient records can often delay treatment. Of course, no emergency medicine doctor would forgo a life-saving procedure while waiting for paperwork to arrive, but once a patient is out of immediate danger treatments are often delayed while the emergency room staff waits for patient records to be faxed over from the doctor's office. If a patient should be admitted to the ED in the middle of the night it could be 8 to 10 hours before the hospital receives appropriate documentation.

Emergency medicine jobs would be made so much easier and more efficient if the hospital ED would convert to electronic records. But the hospital is not alone. Primary care physicians, specialists, and clinics all need to adopt the same electronic system in order for it to work as intended. When fully implemented, healthcare facilities could share patient information with just the click of a button. Imagine how much more quickly and efficiently treatment could be dispensed in the ER.

Security Concerns

One of the concerns of adopting widespread electronic medical records is that of personal security. In order for all this to work properly, records need to be stored on a centralized database which can be accessed by all of the facilities on the system. Understandably, patients are concerned that their personal information could fall into the hands of those who would use it improperly. Therefore, in order to get the system fully implemented across the board certain security measures need to be developed.

Emergency medicine jobs are tough enough without having to deal with the inefficiency of paper record keeping. Change is tough, we know that. But as individual hospital EDs are making the transition to electronic records they are quickly realizing all the benefits. Let's hope the adoption rate of electronic record-keeping increases in the coming years.

Policy Form To Be Given To All Home Health Care Applicants

It can be very difficult and challenging for a disabled person or someone who cares for a disabled person to find a home health care aide who is compatible, honest, and reliable. All of the suggestions below come from my personal experience, having had MS for 40 years. My hope is that this list gives you some direction to follow in order to find a health care aide to suit your needs and to make your life better.

• You must be able to lift and transfer the person in your care to and from the toilet, bed, shower, or anywhere else the patient wishes to go in a safe and strong manner; not putting him or her in any danger. Learn how to properly and safely help your patient to transfer and move about.

• You must always retain a professional manner, not discussing your personal problems, money problems, health issues, or your family information. You are there to care for your patient and not to burden them with problems of your own.

• You must not take or make personal calls while you are on the job. Handle your personal life when you are not on the job.

• You must pay attention to your patient and do things that she requests in a manner that you are told.

• You must never ask for food or drinks other than water while you are on your job.

• DO NOT take advantage of your patient's disability in any way shape or form. Your patient has you there because there are things that they can no longer do. She is in a vulnerable position and to take advantage of them is unconscionable and will not be tolerated.

• Be on time. If you find it necessary to be late or cannot be there on the appointed day make sure that you call your patient as soon as possible. Do not make them wait for you unnecessarily thereby causing them stress and having to readjust their schedule to suit yours. And never make them have to track you down by calling you or the agency which has hired you.

• The person in your charge is your boss and as such you will act accordingly by being polite, cheerful, caring and by doing a professional and thorough job with whatever task is asked of you just as he would with any other employer.

• Do not rush or cut corners so that you can get out of there as soon as possible. You are being paid with taxpayer money or money from the patient's themselves or their family and as such you are expected to work hard and not to make excuses for substandard work ethics.

• Laziness will not be tolerated and if you are asked to do something do it with a concentrated effort and to the best of your ability. Take personal pride in your work knowing that you were doing something of worth and importance. Not everyone is able to take on being a home health care aide and if you do your job well you are invaluable.

• Make sure that you ask your patient if there is anything else you can do for them before you leave. Make sure that they are comfortable and satisfied with the work you do have done for them.

• If you have any questions about where something belongs or how the patient would like something to be done ask her and don't just put things where you feel like it or do things your own way no matter what the consequences. 

Just because the person in your care has a disability does not mean that she is ignorant or not aware of your actions. Realize that it may be hard for people with disabilities to ask for help and to be assertive so it is up to you to make sure that things are done for their convenience and not for yours.

• Never put your patient in an uncomfortable position of having to be afraid of you or to feel that you will take measures to intimidate herby being verbally or physically abusive or by your body language causing your patient to be uncomfortable or even afraid of you. To do so is not only immoral but also illegal and if you are such a person you must be prepared to take the consequences.

• Do not ever ask your patient for money. It is cause for immediate dismissal.

• Do not complain about circumstances in your own life. The person in your care has enough to worry about and should not be put through any more stress than they already have.

• If you are tired or having a bad day do not take it out on your patient. More than likely he or she is having a much worse day than you are.

• Theft of any kind will not be tolerated, is unconscionable, illegal, and cause for immediate dismissal as well as prosecutable.

• If your patient is in a wheelchair or lying in bed do not hover over them thereby making them uncomfortable that you are in a higher position than they. It is rude to your patient and your job is to make them feel as good about themselves as you possibly can.

• Always treat the person in your care as you would wish to be treated if you were in their situation. Be compassionate, caring, and helpful. There may come a day when you yourself will need the help of an aide and act as the aide that you would wish to have in your home and taking care of you.

Health IT - Best Practices for PHI Data Security and Selecting the Right Cloud Computing Provider

In recent months, cloud computing is a topic that is getting a lot of attention especially when applying the technology in healthcare. Cloud computing is becoming more attractive to medical organizations predominately due to the benefits that the technology offers including reduced enterprise IT infrastructure and power consumption costs, scalability, flexibility, and accessibility.

At the same time, cloud computing pose significant potential risks for medical organizations that must safeguard their patients protected health information or PHI while complying with HIPAA Privacy and Security rules. The increased number of reported PHI breaches occurring over the past two years along with ongoing HIPAA compliance and PHI data privacy concerns, has slowed down the adoption of cloud technology in healthcare.

To help medical organizations and providers mitigate PHI data security risks associated with cloud technology, consider the following five best practices when selecting the right cloud computing provider:

1. Understand the importance of SSL. Secure socket layer (SSL) is a security protocol used by web browsers and servers to help users protect data during transfer. SSL is the standard for establishing trusted exchanges of information over the internet. SSL delivers two services that help solve some cloud security issues which includes SSL encryption and establishing a trusted server and domain. Understanding how the SSL and cloud technology relationship works means knowing the importance of public and private key pairs as well as verified identification information. SSL is a critical component to achieving a secure session in a cloud environment that protects data privacy and integrity

2. Not all SSL is created equal. The trust established between a medical organization and their cloud computing provider should also extend to the cloud security provider. The cloud provider's security is only as good as the reliability of the security technology they use. Furthermore, healthcare organizations need to make sure their cloud provider uses an SSL certificate that can't be compromised. In addition to ensuring the SSL comes from an authorized third party, the organization should demand security requirements from the cloud provider such as a certificate authority that safeguards its global roots, a certificate authority that maintains a disaster recovery backup, a chained hierarchy supporting their SSL certificated, global roots using new encryption standards, and secure hashing using the SHA-1 standard. These measures will ensure that the content of the certificated can't be tampered with.

3. Recognize the additional security challenges with cloud technology. There are five specific areas of security risk associated with enterprise cloud computing and medical organizations should consider several of them when selecting the right cloud computing provider. The five cloud computing security risks include HIPAA Privacy and Security compliance, user access privileges, data location, user and data monitoring, and user/session reporting. In order for medical organizations and providers to reap the benefits of cloud computing without increasing PHI data security and HIPAA compliance risks, they must select a trusted service provider that can address these and other cloud security challenges.

4. Ensure data segregation and secure access. Data segregation risks are a constant in cloud storage. In a traditional client hosted IT environment, the internal IT administrators of the organization controls where the data is located and the access granted to clinicians and support staff. In a cloud computing environment, the cloud computing provider controls where the servers and the data are located. Even though certain controls are lost in a cloud environment, proper implementation of SSL can secure sensitive data and access. A medical organization will know that they are on the right path to selecting the right cloud provider if they provide the organization with three key elements as part of their cloud hosting solution: encryption, authentication, and certificate validity. It is highly recommended for organizations to require their cloud provider to use a combination of SSL and servers that support 128-bit session encryption and should also demand that sever ownership be authenticated before one bit of data transfers between servers.

5. Make sure the cloud provider understands HIPAA compliance. When a medical organization outsources their IT infrastructure to a cloud computing provider, the organization is still responsible for maintaining HIPAA compliance with all Privacy and Security rules. Since healthcare organizations can't rely solely on their cloud provider to meet HIPAA requirements, it is highly recommended to select a cloud provider that has experience with HIPAA compliance and has compliance oversight processes and routines in place. Cloud computing providers that refuse to participate in external audits and security certifications are signaling a significant red flag and should be dismissed from further consideration.

SSL is a proven technology and a cornerstone of cloud computing security. When a medical organization is evaluating a cloud computing provider, the organization should consider the security options selected by that cloud provider. Knowing that a cloud provider uses SSL can go a long way toward establishing confidence. The right cloud computing provider should be using SSL from an established, reliable and secure independent certificate authority. Furthermore, when selecting a cloud computing provider, healthcare organizations should be very clear with their cloud provider regarding the handling and mitigation of risk factors beyond SSL.

Medical organizations that effectively performs PHI security and HIPAA compliance due diligence as part of their cloud computing provider selection process, will be best positioned to consolidate IT infrastructure, reduce IT cost, mitigate the risk of PHI data breaches, and increase business sustainability resulting from the adoption of cloud technology. This outcome will allow healthcare providers to focus more of their energy and resources to patients thus improving care and outcomes.

How To Choose A Team Oriented Transplant Program

Facing the challenges of organ transplant is emotional. Whether you are the patient or a loved one looking for a transplant program, the task can seem insurmountable. Every transplant center has an extensive team of medical professionals that work together before, during and after a patient receives an organ replacement. It is imperative that patients and their families have a general idea of what to expect as the process progresses.

A team of doctors and care givers is necessary because our organs are not independent from the rest of our body. The human body is wonderfully and intricately connected, like the children's song says, "the foot bone is connected to the leg bone," and in a healthy individual all of our body organs work in a perfect rhythm. Patients that have a failing organ normally have negative conditions in other organs as well.

In order to identify patients who will be good candidates for transplant surgeries, lots of exhausting and extensive testing has to be completed. Depending on the patient's circumstances, there will be many x-rays, MRI's, CAT scans and blood tests performed to diagnose the organ failure. In order to confirm and refine the diagnosis, many tests will have to be repeated and patients should seek a second opinion from specialists.

Unfortunately there are thousands of people with failing organs, but there are not enough healthy organs available. This means candidates will be screened on several factors before acceptance into whichever transplant programs they'll need to be a part of. Their general overall health, financial circumstances and motivation are all evaluated. To be blunt, physicians do not want to "waste" a healthy kidney on a non-compliant diabetic. If patients are not willing to take medication, show up for appointments on time or they have a poor attitude they may be refused access to a program.

Once a patient is accepted into a medically approved program, he will be introduced to his medical coordinator and the supporting team member. The team will naturally include transplant surgeons; some other professionals are listed below.

1. Infectious disease specialists: These specialists will monitor patients after the transplant for any infections that are possible. 

2. Psychiatrists: Provide counseling to assist patients with the emotional aspects of transplant procedures and coping skills. 

3. Nurse coordinators: Help with medication, scheduling appointments and patient education. 

4. Immunologists: Develop plans to prevent rejection. 

5. Pharmacists: Assist with inpatient and outpatient medications. Starting before surgery, medication will be a life-long daily necessity. 

6. Social workers and Financial services personnel: Even though many insurance companies will pay the bulk of the transplant process, the patient will still have a lot of expenses to deal with. These people find ways to help patients to afford the surgery as well as support costs after the surgery is completed

A successful team approach in transplant programs revolve around constant communication between the patient and the team of specialists. The team should be supportive from the start of the relationship and make it a priority from the beginning to keep the patient informed through every step of their transplant program.