Lifestyle

As healthcare-related data breaches increase, chief information officers (CIOs) at healthcare facilities around the country are faced with a significant challenge – ensuring that patients and physicians have access to the data they need while at the same time protecting that data from falling into the wrong hands.

As the recent attacks in Paris remind us, no place is safe from terrorism. Yet as travelers we can take precautions that can help to keep us safer and, in critical situations, there are resources to obtain crucial information and to communicate with loved ones.

When Congress eliminated Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula earlier this year, many believed it meant, among other things, an increase in the number of accountable care organizations. For practices joining these ACOs, that means taking on additional risk.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could do just one thing to fix Sick Care spending? Unfortunately, the worlds of Sick Care and health are complicated places and we need a more comprehensive strategy to fight the inflation beast.

Despite great gains in diversity in the medical profession as a whole, the US still has relatively few female cardiologists, according to a recent report. That story tops this week's PMD Critical List. Also on the list: why a good doctor might be "bad" for your health.

If you find yourself nodding in agreement too much when you hear things about the state of medicine, put a space between the stimulus and the response and consider these 10 points.

Here's a look at the five most popular stories on PMD during the week that ended Nov. 20.

This summer, analysts were abuzz when Verizon announced its acquisition of AOL. This is probably not the last news we will hear about consolidation and convergence of healthcare, telecommunications, media, and mobile.

Carillon Miami Beach has big plans. They're investing $30 million over the next two years to expand the hotel's services and refine its wellness focus.

Today, many 40- and 50-year-olds are finding themselves stuck between two generations that rely on their financial assistance. So how can you survive the middle without getting squeezed?

Using automated, digitized pattern recognition in medicine is evolving from a decision support tool to a standalone tool. Once again, advances in technology are rapidly outpacing the legal, regulatory, and socioeconomic rules affecting adoption and penetration of the big pixel industry.

Patients interact with disparate elements of the Sick Care system at differing levels of intensity and motivation. They seem to evolve through a series of stages of involvement.

Most people are familiar with the immigrant debate. Do they pay for themselves in taxes and otherwise or not? Whatever the answer, there is another issue that is less in the news-our own native-born residents who do not pay taxes.

The Tax Foundation has come out with its 2016 State Business Tax Climate Index. Today's hard-working but struggling physicians-fed up with their current predicament-might want to use the information to make a change in their life.

Vacationers, fed up with roads that feel like parking lots, over-priced hotels, expensive-but-mediocre meals, and crowds everywhere, are looking for "secondary cities." Winston-Salem, NC, is just right.

In his new book, "Being Mortal," Atul Gawande, MD, writes that the western fear of death has caused our modern healthcare system to go awry. He argues a new approach is needed in order to help patients cope with and understand terminal illness.

The end of the year holiday season can be filled with joy and anticipation, but it can also come with some financial stresses, even for physicians.

As more and more big box retailers get into the walk-in clinic game, traditional medical practices should look to independent pharmacies for tips on how to survive, and thrive.

How do you truly thrive in your retirement years? While a life on the golf course is a nice fantasy, it gets old quickly. Here are some ways to continue to find meaning after you hang up the white coat.

Worldwide, workers don't use 20% of their vacation days, according to Expedia's recently released 2015 Vacation Deprivation study. That amounts to a median average of foregoing five days of rest and recuperation out of an average of 25 possible days.

As Americans' life expectancy grows, so too do the demands on our retirement savings. Today's workers need to plan differently in order to ensure they'll have sufficient funds for a long and happy post-work life.

The biggest complaints from patients are 1) they have to wait in the waiting room; and 2) the doctor didn't spend enough time with them or explain things in a way they could understand. It's about time doctors do something about it.

Physician relocation is a two-fold situation: On the one hand, you're starting your career and entering a new phase of life. On the other hand, it can be one of life's most stressful events. This is especially true if you have a family and are already established in your community, or are moving across the country.

A visit to Auschwitz can be perplexing for tourists. The heavy history of the World War II concentration camp is too much for some travelers, but the monument also stands as a means for human beings to reckon with our history.

The promise of adequate care to US citizens should not stop with veterans. Now is a good time to debate the issues and make the tough choices.

With the 2015 elections in the rearview mirror and the 2016 presidential election already dominating the news, healthcare reform, and Medicaid expansion in particular, is returning to the forefront. These states utilize the program at the highest rates.

Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give." That's a good way to think about volunteering.

Where do you go in search of a great Caribbean all-inclusive resort? Try the Dominican Republic, home to five of TripAdvisor's 10 Travelers' Choice award-winners for Caribbean all-inclusives.