The Leading Physicians of The World

Medicaid, the nation’s public health insurance program for low-income people, now covers nearly 60 million Americans, including many working families, as well as many of the poorest and most fragile individuals in the US society. Medicaid is the largest source of financing for nursing home and community-based long-term care, and it provides essential funding for the safety-net delivery system on which many Americans rely. Most Medicaid enrollees would be uninsured without the program. Medicaid is a counter-cyclical program; during the economic recession, it expanded as intended, assisting millions of people affected by loss of employment and health coverage and declining income, but also straining state budgets. A Growing Program In 1965, the United States enacted Medicare for the elderly – and also Medicaid to help pay for health care for very poor children, the disabled, and seniors. At first, the types of people eligible for Medicaid were those receiving cash welfare ...

New entrants from outside the traditional business of healthcare are redefining the US$9.59 trillion global healthcare market for consumers, providers, and investors in both developed and developing nations. These savvy, entrepreneurial players are bringing innovative business models, more affordable and convenient care options, wellness and fitness and more to address heavy challenges. Here are some of the ways in which each of these technologies is already making waves in the medical industry.       1.       Blockchain Blockchain technology has the potential to transform health care, placing the patient at the center of the health care ecosystem and increasing the security, privacy, and interoperability of health data.Moreover, blockchain technology may be the key to super-charging one of the most important medical trends of the last decade: medical record sharing. Systems that allow the sharing of digital medical records between va...

How can you be sure your patients understand the health information you pass on to them? By focusing on health literacy , doctors, nurses and other clinicians can better help patients comprehend complex health information-something of critical importance given today’s transformative healthcare environment. The definition of health literacy is evolving. It used to be about problems or lack of skills that patients had in medical settings, and it has evolved into looking at the alignment between the demands and complexities of health care systems with the needs and abilities of patients, families, caregivers and anyone receiving health information.Here are the practical health literacy tips for providers.       1.       Don’t panic First of all, literacy is very complex.  All people have a range of literacy skills and processes.  Only a few of these are captured by any assessment. Consider smart phones.  They’r...

Thanks to innovative mobile technology and the prevalence of broadband networks, patients are investing in their own healthcare more than ever before. From searching for a physician online to tracking fitness activities via wearable technology— patients are embracing mHealth and technologies that will help improve their well-being. In fact, the number of adults using smartphones to monitor their health grew to 75 million in 2012 — a number expected to more than triple by the end of 2018! However, as more and more patients get active through mHealth technology, security should remain top of mind for providers. According to EHR Intelligence, security was the #1 concern among individuals, so ensuring the connection, transmission and protection of patient data is imperative. We are now at the point where it is possible to measure almost every component of human physiology and many elements of behavior. But just having data from disparate devices and apps doe...

The process of curing a patient requires an approach which involves considerations beyond treating a disease. It requires several skills in a doctor along with technical expertise. Studies have shown that good communication skills in a doctor improve patient’s overall satisfaction. There are certain basic principles of practicing good communication. Patient listening, empathy, and paying attention to the paraverbal and non-verbal components of the communication are the important ones that are frequently neglected. Proper information about the nature, course and prognosis of the disease is beneficial. Besides, patients and attendants should always be explained about the necessity and yield of expensive investigations and risks/benefits involved in invasive procedures. One should be extremely cautious while managing difficult encounters and breaking bad news. Formal training of the doctors in improving communication skills is necessary and has proven to improve overall outcome. ...

Modern medicine has advanced well beyond x-rays. The two most commonly used tests besides x-rays are CT scans and MRIs, both of which provide more detail than simple x-rays. If you need specialized imaging, it can be helpful to understand the operation and uses for a CT Scan vs. MRI. In some ways these two tests are similar to one another. They both show cross-sectional pictures of the body, but they accomplish this with different techniques. CT (computerized tomography) uses multiple x-rays, taken at different angles, to produce the cross-sectional imaging. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses magnetic fields and radio frequencies. Because of the differences in techniques, the tests show the same parts of the body in different ways and are selected based upon the possible diagnosis. A CT scan is a combination of a series of X-ray images taken at different angles; the CT uses a computer to create images from these X-rays. An MRI is a scan that uses magnetic fields an...

The Institute of Medicine defines health literacy as “the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand the basic information and services they need to make appropriate health decisions.” Studies show that health literacy is a strong predictor of health status. Inadequate health literacy can lead to numerous negative effects on an individual’s health and well-being, including poor self-care, increased utilization of health services, and decreased likelihood of receiving preventive care and services. Poor communication with patients also contributes to reduced patient satisfaction and engagement. Health information can be confusing even for those with advanced literacy skills. How are health care providers making health care information easier to grasp? There are many ways a provider can offer health care information to a patient to ensure understanding, depending on which type of learner you are. ● Visual learners  — Learn best by look...

  Effective doctor-patient communication is a crucialstep in building a therapeutic doctor-patient relationship, which is the heart and art of medicine. This is important in the delivery of high-quality health care. Much patient dissatisfaction and many complaints are due to breakdown in the doctor-patient relationship. However, many doctors tend to overestimate their ability in communication. Over the years, much has been published in the literature on this important topic. Here are some tips for better doctor-patientcommunication .       1.       Attention Because of everything they have on their minds, physicians may not be fully attentive in the exam room. Doctors often rely on automatic, fast thinking when interacting with patients. But practicing mindful attention can help them slow down enough to use deliberate, more conscious thinking when patients present signs of something serious.       2. ...

The percentage of children and teens who are overweight has doubled in the past 30 years. A total of 17 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Like adults, overweight children and adolescents are at risk for a variety of health consequences, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. Those facts are changing the way that researchers are approaching obesity itself, as well as its causes and treatment. Obesity is a complex problem with many drivers, including our behaviour, environment, genetics and culture. However, at its root obesity is caused by an energy imbalance: taking in more energy through food than we use through activity. Physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits for children, such as muscle and bone strength, health and fitness, improved quality of sleep and maintenance of a healthy weight. There is also evidence that physical activity and partic...