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.

There Is No Silver Bullet

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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.

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.

Most states require auto insurance. But that huge market hasn't translated into an informed customer base. These are some of the biggest misconceptions regarding how car insurance does and doesn't work.

Big Pixels

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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.

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.

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.

We Are Living Longer

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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.

Privatize the VA?

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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.

Ben Carson, MD, became a household name this year thanks to his run for the Republican nomination for president. But his first moment in the spotlight came from a groundbreaking procedure he performed nearly 30 years ago. That story tops this week's PMD Critical List.