Home Monitoring Improves Blood Pressure Control
Posted By Clod on January 20, 2012
Automatic monitoring of blood pressure (BP) in patients’ homes, with weekly reports to physicians, was effective in reducing BP levels, according to a report published in the June 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Patients who had automatic BP monitoring in this randomized, controlled clinical trial had reduced readings compared to a control group of patients who received “usual care,” and the benefits were particularly striking for African-American patients.
And that’s Really all it Takes, Part 1
Posted By Clod on January 18, 2012
How to Navigate Tricky Friendship Dilemmas
Even though friendship is good for mental and physical health, some situations between close friends can cause a great deal of stress and anguish.
Linda Bucklin and Mary Keil, co-authors of the book, “Come Rain or Shine: Friendships Between Women” (Adams Media Corporation, 1999), advise friends to be as honest with each other as possible. “If you, for instance, speak the truth and the friend can’t hear that, an obstacle has been placed between you that will impact your level of closeness,” they say. “How you handle those differences will either hold a friendship at a superficial level or provide you with the chance to become more vulnerable and intimate with each other.” (more…)
Cost Savings Equal Self-Support
Posted By Clod on January 11, 2012
At Conway Regional Medical Center, the board of directors decided to take a leading role in improving the health of the surrounding community. Their goal was to create a state-of-the-art hospital-based health and fitness center for a community of 30,000 people that was affordable to the community, yet financially self-supporting, without hospital subsidization. (more…)
Set Up an Ergonomically Correct Computer Area at Home, Part 2
Posted By Clod on January 4, 2012
Almost as important as the chair is proper placement of the keyboard. It should permit elbows and wrists to be at a comfortable angle for typing. If the desk or table is about elbow height, the keyboard can go right on the table or desk. If not, an articulating or adjustable keyboard tray can be used. The best ones tilt so that the angle and height of the keyboard can be adjusted, and they have room for the mouse. Very few home computer desks come with an adjustable keyboard tray, but trays can be purchased separately and attached to a table. The mouse should be adjacent to the keyboard so the user doesn’t have to reach for it. (more…)
Set Up an Ergonomically Correct Computer Area at Home, Part 1
Posted By Clod on December 23, 2011
A computer can be the one piece of home equipment we can’t live without that also drives us crazy! A computer with Internet access provides a window on the world, but often at a price of intrusiveness and demands on our time and physique.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. A well-planned computer area pays dividends in satisfaction and good health for the whole family. (more…)
Side-Effects of Drug Litigation The Fen-Phen Fiasco
Posted By Clod on December 20, 2011
Last week, the first of what is expected to be a cascade of unfavorable verdicts came down against the Wyeth-Ayerst division of the pharmaceutical giant American Home Products (AHP). This verdict follows the 1997 recall of two anti-obesity drugs, fenfluramine (Pondimin) and diphenfluramine (Redux), after reports were published concerning a possible association between their use and heart-valve damage.
Risk Management What Is It, Part 2
Posted By Clod on December 14, 2011
When most people think of risk management, they think of protecting against injury due to accident or negligence. Thoughts of facility inspections, elimination of hazards, careful supervision and liability waivers often come to mind. In this column, however, we will consider risk management in a broader context. (more…)