Historically, improvements in medicine significantly decreased, or nearly wiped out, many diseases, including polio, measles, rubella and smallpox. Are you curious about what new developments will improve diagnosis and treatment options for patients? To answer that question, a team at Cleveland Clinic identifies what they consider the top 10 medical innovations for the coming year. What […]
Top Medical Innovations for 2020 – Part 1
Health care is a rapidly evolving field. There is a constant stream of new developments changing the way doctors diagnose and treat patients. Wondering what innovations are on the horizon? Every year, Cleveland Clinic assembles a panel of 80 doctors and scientists to determine the top 10 medical innovations for 2020. According to the report, […]
Do Hospital Policies to Prevent Falls Help or Harm Patients?
No one wants to fall. It can be painful. And embarrassing if you fall in public. But when you’re weak and ill, like many hospital patients, falls can lead to serious health problems. In order to reduce the frequency of falls, hospitals and other health care facilities have fall prevention programs. But do these hospital […]
Safety Risks for Patients
Although medical care helps us get and/or stay healthy, there are safety risks for patients that we should all know about. And many of these risks are related to technology. As we all know, technology is great when it works, but it can be a nightmare when things go wrong. As frustrating as this […]
Health Technology Hazards for 2020
As a worry wart, the worst-case scenario easily enters my mind in most situations, particularly with health-related concerns. Pushing my overactive imagination aside, there really are legitimate hazards lurking in hospitals that increase your risk of complications. And many of the hazards are related to the use of technology in health care. What are the […]
Hospital Safety Concerns for 2020
The prospect of medical procedure and/or a hospital stay scares most of us. We worry about our recovery. And we are nervous that we might not wake up from anesthesia. Furthermore, what if the doctor makes a mistake? Or, what if there is a failure of some kind along the way? These concerns are legit. […]
Understanding Medical Information Is Harder Than Most Realize
“You don’t know what you don’t know.” It might be a tired adage, but it really applies to navigating the medical world. Certainly, you need to understand health information for the best chance of a good outcome. But understanding medical information is harder than most realize. One’s ability to understand health information is formally called […]
When and How to Report Doctor Misconduct
As hard as I try to be the best version of myself possible, I sometimes disappoint myself. It’s safe to assume that everyone has moments they’d like to replay or forget entirely. Humans aren’t perfect. And that includes doctors. It goes without saying that doctors aren’t perfect. Therefore, doctors can make mistakes or behave rudely. […]
Why is Sepsis so Dangerous?
Over 40% of US adults have never heard of sepsis, yet it is the leading cause of death in US hospitals. What is sepsis? How do you get it? And why is sepsis so dangerous? The what, how and why of sepsis. What is sepsis? Sepsis is a serious medical condition caused by an overwhelming […]
How to Sleep Better in the Hospital
I think I’m not alone when I say that I’m not fun to be around when I am sleep deprived. Not only am I grumpy, I don’t feel good. As we all know, sleep is important for our bodies and our minds. And it turns out that sleep is very important for physical healing. But […]