Nowadays, with healthcare improving by the minute and hospitals becoming very innovative, how can I trust a doctor who still only manages a flip phone with their essential capabilities? There have been advancements in health technology and I don’t want my physician to consult and diagnose me with expired practices. If my colleagues can receive better checkups and innovative experiences that can improve their lives by ten fold using what is newly available to them, I deserve the same treatment. I think physicians should begin adopting and accepting that technology has moved on and sometimes the idea of fixing what doesn’t need to be fixed is exactly what needs to be fixed. They do not want to be left behind while new medical graduates take their stand as the new generation of physicians involved with iPhones, iPad, Blackberry, Android with communication through Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Yelp, etc. The foundation of Health2.0 conference in San Francisco is exactly that opportunity to involve yourself with medicine that is ever changing. 

I strongly believe that medicine will be in the hands of telepresence and physicians will take it upon themselves in the next few years to become a type of “online doctor” not just for technology purposes but also for patients who want to be discreet about themselves and of course, costs of running their own practice/clinic and travels. Why not a treat a patient in the comfort of your home or surround as they are in their own comfort zone? In this industry, you just can’t limit yourself to what your physician already knows but what knowledge they are already experiencing and putting into action as part of their practice. 

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/doctors-who-like-it-old-school-5676745.html

While pay-for-performance programs are great Human Resource recruitment strategies, can they really improve clinical outcomes, quality of care, contain costs, and improve patient satisfaction?  Absolutely.   Coupled with wellness, behavior modification and preventive healthcare programs and consistent, accurate, quantitative data analysis; pay-for-performance programs can achieve the desired results for both patients and healthcare organizations alike. 

The challenges that exist for healthcare providers are churning and burning to meet demand management.  With the focus on increasing RVUs and revenue, providers are treating more patients per day, which leaves little time for providing wellness education or referring patients to preventive healthcare programs.  Providers end up treating their patients’ current symptoms, providing medication and advising them to schedule follow up appointments.  Consequently, obese patients are less likely to self-refer to weight management classes or take necessary steps to lose 10-15 pounds which studies have shown decrease pressure on the heart and significantly lowers high blood pressure. 

This type of patient/provider relationship also lowers the chances of diabetic patients getting bi-yearly tests for glaucoma, AC1 testing, and leaning about the benefits of healthy eating to decrease the devastating effects of the disease.   This often results in obese and diabetic patients requiring extensive inpatient care and numerous costly but possibly avoidable surgeries.  If healthcare organizations do not change this behavioral pattern for providers and patients, pay-for-performance programs will continue to stagger or fail altogether.

Other challenges facing healthcare organizations today are: measuring the effectiveness of quality and accurately trending decreasing costs.  What is quality?  Some healthcare organizations define quality as timely, accessible, healthcare; others define it is patient-centered with an emphasis on wellness and prevention.  Which definition is correct and if followed which leads to quality healthcare?  Little research and data shows that pay-for-performance reduces costs.  Without a two-fold approach of combining timely healthcare and wellness-related programs, the high cost of inpatient care will far out-weigh any perceived decrease in costs associated with diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Most patients demand and all deserve quality healthcare.  Healthcare organizations should offer pay-for-performance to providers and managers who are optimizing quality care, educating and referring patients to wellness-related programs and containing costs for their most prized assets, patients.  Conversely, healthcare organizations and providers with an alarmingly high number of patients with poorly managed obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other manageable diseases should be penalized.  If there is a price to pay for quality care (pay-for-performance), there should be a price to pay for poorly managed care, termination or reduction-in-pay.

To comment please visit: http://www.practicemanagernetwork.com/Blog/HC-Trends/Pay-for-Performance.html

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/pay-for-performance-5676626.html

While pay-for-performance programs are great Human Resource recruitment strategies, can they really improve clinical outcomes, quality of care, contain costs, and improve patient satisfaction?  Absolutely.   Coupled with wellness, behavior modification and preventive healthcare programs and consistent, accurate, quantitative data analysis; pay-for-performance programs can achieve the desired results for both patients and healthcare organizations alike. 

The challenges that exist for healthcare providers are churning and burning to meet demand management.  With the focus on increasing RVUs and revenue, providers are treating more patients per day, which leaves little time for providing wellness education or referring patients to preventive healthcare programs.  Providers end up treating their patients’ current symptoms, providing medication and advising them to schedule follow up appointments.  Consequently, obese patients are less likely to self-refer to weight management classes or take necessary steps to lose 10-15 pounds which studies have shown decrease pressure on the heart and significantly lowers high blood pressure. 

This type of patient/provider relationship also lowers the chances of diabetic patients getting bi-yearly tests for glaucoma, AC1 testing, and leaning about the benefits of healthy eating to decrease the devastating effects of the disease.   This often results in obese and diabetic patients requiring extensive inpatient care and numerous costly but possibly avoidable surgeries.  If healthcare organizations do not change this behavioral pattern for providers and patients, pay-for-performance programs will continue to stagger or fail altogether.

Other challenges facing healthcare organizations today are: measuring the effectiveness of quality and accurately trending decreasing costs.  What is quality?  Some healthcare organizations define quality as timely, accessible, healthcare; others define it is patient-centered with an emphasis on wellness and prevention.  Which definition is correct and if followed which leads to quality healthcare?  Little research and data shows that pay-for-performance reduces costs.  Without a two-fold approach of combining timely healthcare and wellness-related programs, the high cost of inpatient care will far out-weigh any perceived decrease in costs associated with diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Most patients demand and all deserve quality healthcare.  Healthcare organizations should offer pay-for-performance to providers and managers who are optimizing quality care, educating and referring patients to wellness-related programs and containing costs for their most prized assets, patients.  Conversely, healthcare organizations and providers with an alarmingly high number of patients with poorly managed obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other manageable diseases should be penalized.  If there is a price to pay for quality care (pay-for-performance), there should be a price to pay for poorly managed care, termination or reduction-in-pay.

To comment please visit: http://www.practicemanagernetwork.com/Blog/HC-Trends/Pay-for-Performance.html

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/pay-for-performance-5676626.html

While pay-for-performance programs are great Human Resource recruitment strategies, can they really improve clinical outcomes, quality of care, contain costs, and improve patient satisfaction?  Absolutely.   Coupled with wellness, behavior modification and preventive healthcare programs and consistent, accurate, quantitative data analysis; pay-for-performance programs can achieve the desired results for both patients and healthcare organizations alike. 

The challenges that exist for healthcare providers are churning and burning to meet demand management.  With the focus on increasing RVUs and revenue, providers are treating more patients per day, which leaves little time for providing wellness education or referring patients to preventive healthcare programs.  Providers end up treating their patients’ current symptoms, providing medication and advising them to schedule follow up appointments.  Consequently, obese patients are less likely to self-refer to weight management classes or take necessary steps to lose 10-15 pounds which studies have shown decrease pressure on the heart and significantly lowers high blood pressure. 

This type of patient/provider relationship also lowers the chances of diabetic patients getting bi-yearly tests for glaucoma, AC1 testing, and leaning about the benefits of healthy eating to decrease the devastating effects of the disease.   This often results in obese and diabetic patients requiring extensive inpatient care and numerous costly but possibly avoidable surgeries.  If healthcare organizations do not change this behavioral pattern for providers and patients, pay-for-performance programs will continue to stagger or fail altogether.

Other challenges facing healthcare organizations today are: measuring the effectiveness of quality and accurately trending decreasing costs.  What is quality?  Some healthcare organizations define quality as timely, accessible, healthcare; others define it is patient-centered with an emphasis on wellness and prevention.  Which definition is correct and if followed which leads to quality healthcare?  Little research and data shows that pay-for-performance reduces costs.  Without a two-fold approach of combining timely healthcare and wellness-related programs, the high cost of inpatient care will far out-weigh any perceived decrease in costs associated with diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Most patients demand and all deserve quality healthcare.  Healthcare organizations should offer pay-for-performance to providers and managers who are optimizing quality care, educating and referring patients to wellness-related programs and containing costs for their most prized assets, patients.  Conversely, healthcare organizations and providers with an alarmingly high number of patients with poorly managed obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other manageable diseases should be penalized.  If there is a price to pay for quality care (pay-for-performance), there should be a price to pay for poorly managed care, termination or reduction-in-pay.

To comment please visit: http://www.practicemanagernetwork.com/Blog/HC-Trends/Pay-for-Performance.html

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/pay-for-performance-5676626.html

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Body Mass Index is a tool that tells doctors the amount of body fat a person is carrying.
BMI is calculated based on two factors: weight and height, measuring a person’s pounds versus their height (in inches). A six foot tall person weighing 175 pounds will have a different BMI than a 175 pound five-foot-four- inch tall person. BMI is a quick way to figure out whether an individual falls within a normal body fat range.

The Body Mass Index â?? What Does the Number Mean?

BMI helps doctors understand whether a patient is at a normal weight or whether they are
overweight or even obese. A BMI below 18.5 indicates that a person is underweight. BMIs between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered normal, while the 25.0 â?? 29.9 range indicates a person is overweight. BMIs over 30.0 indicate a person is obese.

Calculating BMI

Use this formula to calculate BMI:

BMI = (weight in pounds X 703) / (height in inches X height in inches)

For example, someone who stands five foot ten inches tall and weighs 192 pounds
would calculate their BMI like this:

192 pounds X 703 = 134,976.

Five foot ten inches (60 inches) X 60 inches = 4,900.

134,976 divided by 4,900 = a BMI rounded off to 27.5

If math isn’t your strong suit, there are also many BMI calculators available online.

Is the BMI accurate?

It’s important to remember than the BMI is a general tool. Many factors can influence a person’s BMI, including body type, age, gender and the presence of muscle. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat, so it can influence a person’s BMI â?? especially among well-conditioned athletes. People of stocky build may also find BMI to be inaccurate measure. That is why it’s so important for people to speak with their doctor about their weight, especially if they are experiencing weight gains and losses, which could indicate other health conditions.

It’s important to watch your weight in order to maintain good health, and BMI is a tool that allows us all to quickly get a handle on where our respective weights should be.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/weight-and-bmi-5675976.html

Positive attitude is necessary: Even though the majority of people are now overweight, modern society still looks down on fat people.

This could be because of physical aesthetics. However, health experts are more concerned about the health complications arising from carrying too much fat and too many pounds on the body. Whatever reason you have used for choosing to lose weight, now is the time to become positive. To be a benefit to yourself, and also to others, get a positive attitude. When you state your goals with your program to lose weight, it will work better if you use positive terms. When you have a goal of losing weight, you must focus on the weight to are losing, not on how overweight you still are. This will help in keeping your spirits up. When you are on a weight loss program, you are cutting back on food, so instead of talking about what you are not eating, talk about what you are, instead. Exercise is a part of a weight loss program, so talk about how minutes of exercise you will be doing, rather than phrasing it in the negative, like you are not going to be a couch potato today. Negative words will drag you down, and positive words will raise you up. Create measurable goals: When setting your goals, try to look at the aspect of quantity as well as the quality factor. An objective measuring of your progress is just one of the things you can achieve by doing this. Rather than making it a goal to lose weight (quality), add the number of pounds you want to lose (quantity) in a certain time frame is an example of this. You could for example eat an extra serving of something such as fruit, salad or vegetables (quantity) for the day instead of focusing on eating less (quality). You can track your progress this way.

Goals for the last part: The important part of a weight loss program is to finish where you want to be, so aim high. When you are trying to win a prize, you give it your all to win, with your weight loss goal, that needs to be your prize. They also focus their efforts on the things that need to be done at present while also building on the gains of the past. For example, your long-term goals may be to exercise a little every day, cook healthier dishes, and live a healthy lifestyle even after you have lost weight.

In conclusion, setting goals for losing weight is about being smarter about the process. When you decide what you want to accomplish, make sure it is realistic and achievable, then write the goals down before you get started.

Many of these weight loss tips are often very helpful with several fitness issues, which also includes weight reduction. If you one of those folks who are trying to find natural ways to lose weight and develop muscle mass, then look into the links below.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lose-weight-much-easier-by-setting-time-bound-goals-5669926.html

Positive attitude is necessary: Even though the majority of people are now overweight, modern society still looks down on fat people.

This could be because of physical aesthetics. However, health experts are more concerned about the health complications arising from carrying too much fat and too many pounds on the body. Whatever reason you have used for choosing to lose weight, now is the time to become positive. To be a benefit to yourself, and also to others, get a positive attitude. When you state your goals with your program to lose weight, it will work better if you use positive terms. When you have a goal of losing weight, you must focus on the weight to are losing, not on how overweight you still are. This will help in keeping your spirits up. When you are on a weight loss program, you are cutting back on food, so instead of talking about what you are not eating, talk about what you are, instead. Exercise is a part of a weight loss program, so talk about how minutes of exercise you will be doing, rather than phrasing it in the negative, like you are not going to be a couch potato today. Negative words will drag you down, and positive words will raise you up. Create measurable goals: When setting your goals, try to look at the aspect of quantity as well as the quality factor. An objective measuring of your progress is just one of the things you can achieve by doing this. Rather than making it a goal to lose weight (quality), add the number of pounds you want to lose (quantity) in a certain time frame is an example of this. You could for example eat an extra serving of something such as fruit, salad or vegetables (quantity) for the day instead of focusing on eating less (quality). You can track your progress this way.

Goals for the last part: The important part of a weight loss program is to finish where you want to be, so aim high. When you are trying to win a prize, you give it your all to win, with your weight loss goal, that needs to be your prize. They also focus their efforts on the things that need to be done at present while also building on the gains of the past. For example, your long-term goals may be to exercise a little every day, cook healthier dishes, and live a healthy lifestyle even after you have lost weight.

In conclusion, setting goals for losing weight is about being smarter about the process. When you decide what you want to accomplish, make sure it is realistic and achievable, then write the goals down before you get started.

Many of these weight loss tips are often very helpful with several fitness issues, which also includes weight reduction. If you one of those folks who are trying to find natural ways to lose weight and develop muscle mass, then look into the links below.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lose-weight-much-easier-by-setting-time-bound-goals-5669926.html

Positive attitude is necessary: Even though the majority of people are now overweight, modern society still looks down on fat people.

This could be because of physical aesthetics. However, health experts are more concerned about the health complications arising from carrying too much fat and too many pounds on the body. Whatever reason you have used for choosing to lose weight, now is the time to become positive. To be a benefit to yourself, and also to others, get a positive attitude. When you state your goals with your program to lose weight, it will work better if you use positive terms. When you have a goal of losing weight, you must focus on the weight to are losing, not on how overweight you still are. This will help in keeping your spirits up. When you are on a weight loss program, you are cutting back on food, so instead of talking about what you are not eating, talk about what you are, instead. Exercise is a part of a weight loss program, so talk about how minutes of exercise you will be doing, rather than phrasing it in the negative, like you are not going to be a couch potato today. Negative words will drag you down, and positive words will raise you up. Create measurable goals: When setting your goals, try to look at the aspect of quantity as well as the quality factor. An objective measuring of your progress is just one of the things you can achieve by doing this. Rather than making it a goal to lose weight (quality), add the number of pounds you want to lose (quantity) in a certain time frame is an example of this. You could for example eat an extra serving of something such as fruit, salad or vegetables (quantity) for the day instead of focusing on eating less (quality). You can track your progress this way.

Goals for the last part: The important part of a weight loss program is to finish where you want to be, so aim high. When you are trying to win a prize, you give it your all to win, with your weight loss goal, that needs to be your prize. They also focus their efforts on the things that need to be done at present while also building on the gains of the past. For example, your long-term goals may be to exercise a little every day, cook healthier dishes, and live a healthy lifestyle even after you have lost weight.

In conclusion, setting goals for losing weight is about being smarter about the process. When you decide what you want to accomplish, make sure it is realistic and achievable, then write the goals down before you get started.

Many of these weight loss tips are often very helpful with several fitness issues, which also includes weight reduction. If you one of those folks who are trying to find natural ways to lose weight and develop muscle mass, then look into the links below.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lose-weight-much-easier-by-setting-time-bound-goals-5669926.html

Positive attitude is necessary: Even though the majority of people are now overweight, modern society still looks down on fat people.

This could be because of physical aesthetics. However, health experts are more concerned about the health complications arising from carrying too much fat and too many pounds on the body. Whatever reason you have used for choosing to lose weight, now is the time to become positive. To be a benefit to yourself, and also to others, get a positive attitude. When you state your goals with your program to lose weight, it will work better if you use positive terms. When you have a goal of losing weight, you must focus on the weight to are losing, not on how overweight you still are. This will help in keeping your spirits up. When you are on a weight loss program, you are cutting back on food, so instead of talking about what you are not eating, talk about what you are, instead. Exercise is a part of a weight loss program, so talk about how minutes of exercise you will be doing, rather than phrasing it in the negative, like you are not going to be a couch potato today. Negative words will drag you down, and positive words will raise you up. Create measurable goals: When setting your goals, try to look at the aspect of quantity as well as the quality factor. An objective measuring of your progress is just one of the things you can achieve by doing this. Rather than making it a goal to lose weight (quality), add the number of pounds you want to lose (quantity) in a certain time frame is an example of this. You could for example eat an extra serving of something such as fruit, salad or vegetables (quantity) for the day instead of focusing on eating less (quality). You can track your progress this way.

Goals for the last part: The important part of a weight loss program is to finish where you want to be, so aim high. When you are trying to win a prize, you give it your all to win, with your weight loss goal, that needs to be your prize. They also focus their efforts on the things that need to be done at present while also building on the gains of the past. For example, your long-term goals may be to exercise a little every day, cook healthier dishes, and live a healthy lifestyle even after you have lost weight.

In conclusion, setting goals for losing weight is about being smarter about the process. When you decide what you want to accomplish, make sure it is realistic and achievable, then write the goals down before you get started.

Many of these weight loss tips are often very helpful with several fitness issues, which also includes weight reduction. If you one of those folks who are trying to find natural ways to lose weight and develop muscle mass, then look into the links below.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lose-weight-much-easier-by-setting-time-bound-goals-5669926.html

Positive attitude is necessary: Even though the majority of people are now overweight, modern society still looks down on fat people.

This could be because of physical aesthetics. However, health experts are more concerned about the health complications arising from carrying too much fat and too many pounds on the body. Whatever reason you have used for choosing to lose weight, now is the time to become positive. To be a benefit to yourself, and also to others, get a positive attitude. When you state your goals with your program to lose weight, it will work better if you use positive terms. When you have a goal of losing weight, you must focus on the weight to are losing, not on how overweight you still are. This will help in keeping your spirits up. When you are on a weight loss program, you are cutting back on food, so instead of talking about what you are not eating, talk about what you are, instead. Exercise is a part of a weight loss program, so talk about how minutes of exercise you will be doing, rather than phrasing it in the negative, like you are not going to be a couch potato today. Negative words will drag you down, and positive words will raise you up. Create measurable goals: When setting your goals, try to look at the aspect of quantity as well as the quality factor. An objective measuring of your progress is just one of the things you can achieve by doing this. Rather than making it a goal to lose weight (quality), add the number of pounds you want to lose (quantity) in a certain time frame is an example of this. You could for example eat an extra serving of something such as fruit, salad or vegetables (quantity) for the day instead of focusing on eating less (quality). You can track your progress this way.

Goals for the last part: The important part of a weight loss program is to finish where you want to be, so aim high. When you are trying to win a prize, you give it your all to win, with your weight loss goal, that needs to be your prize. They also focus their efforts on the things that need to be done at present while also building on the gains of the past. For example, your long-term goals may be to exercise a little every day, cook healthier dishes, and live a healthy lifestyle even after you have lost weight.

In conclusion, setting goals for losing weight is about being smarter about the process. When you decide what you want to accomplish, make sure it is realistic and achievable, then write the goals down before you get started.

Many of these weight loss tips are often very helpful with several fitness issues, which also includes weight reduction. If you one of those folks who are trying to find natural ways to lose weight and develop muscle mass, then look into the links below.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lose-weight-much-easier-by-setting-time-bound-goals-5669926.html