Category: Research & Development

In the rapidly evolving field of medicine, staying abreast of the latest advancements, research and specialised skills is crucial for medical professionals.

Whether it’s delving into public health, clinical research, healthcare administration, or medical education, there are many postgraduate programs tailored to meet the diverse needs of medical professionals.

In this article, we will explore ten exceptional postgraduate courses that offer valuable opportunities for medical professionals to enhance their skills, advance their careers and make a lasting impact in healthcare.

Master of Public Health (MPH)

This extensive program in public health equips individuals with a broad range of skills and knowledge in areas like epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and management, environmental health and global health.

With an MPH degree, medical professionals can actively contribute to preventing diseases, promoting healthy lifestyles and developing effective public health policies.

Graduates of the MPH program can pursue rewarding careers in public health organisations, government agencies, research institutions and international health organisations, playing a vital role in improving populations’ overall health and well-being.

 If this seems like the right course for you, check out more information on a Master of Public Health with UTS Online. 

Master of Clinical Research (MCR)

This program provides comprehensive research methodology, ethics, data analysis and regulatory affairs training.

Medical professionals pursuing an MCR degree gain the necessary skills to design and conduct clinical trials, analyse data and contribute to evidence-based medicine. With a deep understanding of research principles and practices, MCR graduates are well-equipped to contribute valuable healthcare research contributions.

They can pursue rewarding career paths in academia, pharmaceutical companies, contract research organisations, or research institutions, playing a pivotal role in advancing medical knowledge and improving patient outcomes through rigorous scientific research.

Master of Health Administration (MHA)

The Master of Health Administration (MHA) program is designed for medical professionals seeking leadership roles in healthcare organisations.

This postgraduate course focuses on the management and administration of healthcare systems, equipping individuals with a deep understanding of healthcare economics, policy, strategic planning, finance, and leadership skills.

MHA graduates are well-prepared to navigate the complex landscape of healthcare delivery, drive organisational efficiency, and improve patient care outcomes. With their expertise in healthcare management, MHA professionals can pursue diverse career opportunities as healthcare administrators, hospital managers, healthcare consultants, or policy analysts, significantly impacting the quality and effectiveness of healthcare services.

Master of Medical Education (MME)

If you have a passion for teaching and shaping the future of medical education, the Master of Medical Education (MME) program may well be for you.

This program provides comprehensive training in curriculum development, instructional design, assessment methods, educational leadership and technology integration in medical education. MME graduates gain the skills and knowledge to effectively design and deliver educational programs, mentor and evaluate learners and contribute to advancing medical pedagogy.

With an MME degree, medical professionals can pursue fulfilling careers as medical educators, curriculum developers, education consultants, or faculty members in medical schools. They play a crucial role in training the next generation of healthcare professionals, ensuring the highest medical education and patient care standards.

Master of Bioethics (MBE)

Those interested in complex ethical issues in healthcare may want to consider The Master of Bioethics (MBE) program.

This specialised postgraduate course explores ethical theory, clinical ethics, research ethics, end-of-life care, and healthcare policy. MBE graduates develop a strong foundation in ethical reasoning, enabling them to navigate the intricate moral dilemmas that arise in medical practice. They are crucial in providing ethical guidance to healthcare professionals, serving on ethics committees, and shaping healthcare policies.

With an MBE degree, medical professionals can work as clinical ethicists, ethics committee members, policy advisors, or consultants, ensuring that ethical considerations remain central to healthcare decision-making and enhancing patient-centred care.

Master of Nursing (MSN)

Registered nurses seeking to advance their knowledge and expertise should study the Master of Nursing (MSN) program.

This program offers various specialisations, such as family nurse practitioners, nurse educators, nurse administrators, or nurse informaticists. Through advanced coursework and clinical training, MSN graduates acquire in-depth knowledge in advanced nursing practice, leadership, evidence-based practice and healthcare informatics.

It is an essential course in healthcare overall because MSN graduates are crucial in improving patient outcomes, shaping nursing education and driving innovation in healthcare delivery. After graduating with an MSN degree, nurses can pursue advanced clinical roles, teaching positions, leadership positions in healthcare organisations, or research positions. 

Master of Medical Science (MMS)

The Master of Medical Science (MMS) is perfect for those wanting to focus on pursuing conducting research or non-clinical careers. 

This program provides advanced training in medical sciences, research methodology, laboratory techniques and scientific writing. MMS graduates acquire the skills necessary to contribute to cutting-edge medical research, develop new therapies and expand their understanding of various diseases.

An MMS course plays a crucial role in advancing medical knowledge and pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery to improve patient care and outcomes, which is why it is so appealing to many young medics.

With an MMS degree, medical professionals can work in research institutions, pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms or pursue further education with a PhD or a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.

Master of Health Informatics (MHI)

The Master of Health Informatics (MHI) program focuses on managing and analysing healthcare data, health information systems, electronic health records and health data privacy and security.

MHI graduates possess a unique skill set that combines healthcare knowledge with information technology expertise, enabling them to bridge the gap between clinical practice and technology-driven healthcare systems. With an MHI degree, medical professionals can work as health informaticians, health information managers, data analysts, or consultants.

They are vital in optimising health information technology, improving patient outcomes and facilitating evidence-based decision-making in healthcare settings. MHI graduates are at the forefront of transforming healthcare through the effective use of technology and data-driven insights.

Master of Gerontology (MGER)

If your passion lies in providing care for older people, the Master of Gerontology (MGER) program is the perfect course for you.

This program offers specialised knowledge in geriatric medicine, social and psychological aspects of ageing, long-term care, and related policy issues.

MGER graduates acquire a comprehensive understanding of the unique healthcare needs of older adults and develop skills to provide holistic and patient-centred care.

With an MGER degree, medical professionals can work in geriatric clinics, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, research institutions, or advocacy organisations. They play a pivotal role in improving the quality of life for older adults, developing innovative approaches to care, and advocating for policies that promote healthy ageing.

Master of Sports Medicine (MSM)

For those keen on pursuing a career in the fields of sports medicine and the management of sports-related injuries, a Master of Sports Medicine program is a terrific option.

This course covers a wide range of topics including sports injury assessment, rehabilitation techniques, exercise physiology and sports nutrition.

On graduating, you can work as a sports medicine physician, team physician, rehabilitation specialist, or sports performance consultant. It is a qualification that can take you to roles anywhere in the world.

Conclusion

The world of healthcare continues to evolve rapidly, necessitating ongoing learning and specialisation for medical professionals. Postgraduate courses offered by traditional Redbrick universities or online institutions provide invaluable opportunities for medical professionals to enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and shape the future of healthcare.

All the postgraduate courses showcased above offer diverse options for medical professionals seeking to advance their careers. By pursuing further education in these specialised fields, medical professionals can significantly impact patient care, contribute to medical research, drive policy changes, and innovate healthcare delivery.

With a commitment to lifelong learning and continuous professional development, medical professionals can stay at the forefront of their fields, ensuring the provision of high-quality, evidence-based care to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

Introduction

Telemedicine as a service provider has skyrocketed in the last two years. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, when everything went digital, the healthcare industry had to comply, probably because more than 70% of the customer base was looking for a digital space where they could receive healthcare benefits as well.

If you are a healthcare provider currently making the digital shift, you are likely to start with an integrated application. A one-stop shop for all your patients, including telemedicine, online consultancies during emergencies, and a place to find all their medical data.

Unlike any other digital space, this application launch will not just dwell with a Press Release. There are sensitive issues that you need to consider, and most important, healthcare regulations you need to comply with.

Thus, healthcare software will take up more planning, more trial and error, and, most importantly, a software service provider who has thorough expertise in the matter.

In the excerpt below, we will be discussing some of the common elements you should look for when choosing through a bunch of providers.

Healthcare Software As A Service Provider

A paper in the Grand View Research once estimated the healthcare software as a service industry to reach a net worth of $14.8 Billion in 2022. This number is likely to skyrocket towards a number of $51.7 billion.

Thus, needless to say, there is a healthcare software provider in every corner of the digital sphere. Now, the real challenge is how you can differentiate the good from the bad.

1. Regulation Compliance

Healthcare as a software service provider has to be more strict with their development since healthcare regulations backed by an autonomous body play a major role in any state or country. Plus, healthcare is a matter of utmost trust, which people cannot break.

Any form of data breach and someone’s medical records are out for the wrong people to exploit. This can give your company a bad name, and trample the trust which has taken so long to build.

When we talk about healthcare software, the service provider needs to place the highest degree of security and privacy measures on the application. Then they need to incorporate every HIPAA protocol to match the integrity of the healthcare provider itself.

This means frequent risk assessments and required amendments whenever there is even the tiniest potential of threat looming.

2. Smooth Integration

20% of all healthcare consumers are looking for one application for all their important files and medical info. Plus, they also want this software to act as an emergency button to get hold of old prescriptions even months later.

Some have also voiced their requirement to speak to a health professional during emergencies, and they are unable to reach the clinic. Not just health facilities but also a section for mental health necessities.

Now, integrating them all is a challenging task. That is why you need expert healthcare software as a service provider who can build an interface that can smoothly integrate all the services.

Plus, an easily navigable one where even a not-so-technologically-sound consumer is able to add their medical records easily and also access them whenever.

3. Flexible Cloud Based Solution

A rigid software comes with an expiry date because you do not know your growth chart as of now. Your company could expand by leaps and bounds regarding healthcare development software in the next decade, and if you plan to grow a steady partnership with your current software as a service provider, you have to check its scalability and flexibility.

Exceptional cloud-based solution with impeccable security is the way to expand without fear of data breach. Your healthcare software service provider should be able to scale up as per the business requirements.

4. Support & Training

Reliable technical support and comprehensive training resources are vital for successful implementation and ongoing usage. Assess the provider’s support offerings, including response times, availability, and user assistance, to ensure they can meet your organization’s needs.

No software is 100% perfect, and you should collaborate with companies who will work as a solid support system during glitches and bugs. Especially when customers everywhere are complaining about the inefficiency, you need a strong team to help you out of the quagmire.

5. Expertise & Experience

The expertise and experience will determine your success. Especially if this is your first time going through something of this aptitude, and you have no prior experience. Not saying you have to believe whatever the software provider is saying, but you should be able to build trust with them.

This will come upon in two ways:

Check whether the company has prior experience in working for healthcare businesses. Healthcare is naturally different from other software, so a solid portfolio in the field is a must-have.

6. Credibility In The Market

Lastly, you should never pick the very first option you stumbled across. Healthcare always deals with confidential patient-doctor information, and your software should be compliant with that. If not, then the patient cannot trust you enough to offer their sensitive data to your software. Anyway, with the news of data breaches, consumers have become very calculative and cautious about their moves in the digital sphere.

So, before you choose healthcare software as a service provider, ensure to check its credibility. The trust they have built over your direct competitors, and most importantly, are they compliant with your requirements?

Benefits Of Having A Healthcare Software For Your Business

Implementing healthcare software in your business brings streamlined workflows, improved patient care, enhanced communication, and access to real-time information. It enables efficient appointment management, secure data storage, and cost savings through automation. Healthcare software also provides data analytics capabilities, scalability, and adaptability to evolving needs. 

Most importantly, it breaks the barrier between patients and doctors by providing a streamlined platform to always carry forward the conversation. Suppose it offers discreet customized consultancy for patient comfort. Plus, it helps doctors to supervise serious medical conditions 24/7 through live health tracking of the vitals. Any change and the doctor will be immediately alerted.

Hospitals that provide high-quality care and meet patients’ expectations receive positive patient satisfaction ratings. Health system managers, patients, and providers expect hospitals to provide high-quality, safe, effective, and efficient services. To provide this level of service, hospitals must be secure environments. Given the increasing prevalence of workplace violence in healthcare, hospital security has also become a critical category by which patients evaluate their healthcare experiences.

Hospital administrators agree that one of the essential characteristics of a good security program is that security officers feel responsible for the environment’s physical safety, customer service, and patient satisfaction. Patients’ experiences are affected by staff members’ level of investment in their safety and security. But efforts to keep patients and their environments secure must go beyond staff training. 

A robust hospital workplace safety plan keeps healthcare providers and patients safe. This plan must facilitate staff members’ ability to summon immediate assistance and the data collection that allows hospitals to meet accreditation standards. A safety culture emerges in hospitals where everyone is empowered to enact safety protocols. This culture goes a long way toward ensuring that patients experience high satisfaction. Hospital safety is, therefore, directly correlated to patient satisfaction.

What Factors Affect Patient Satisfaction?

The healthcare marketplace increasingly uses “patient satisfaction” to measure a hospital’s overall performance. As one American Association of Family Physicians member states, “The fact of the matter is that the marketplace […] is demanding that data on patient satisfaction be used to empower consumers. If physicians don’t get on board and try to make the data as good as possible and get our scores as high as possible, we’re going to be hurt in the marketplace. We’ll be noncompetitive.” To remain competitive—and this includes staff recruitment and retention—hospitals must achieve positive patient satisfaction reviews. 

Hospitals can improve patient satisfaction by focusing on the following elements:

• communication
• access to quality care
• patient education
• patients’ physical comfort, including safety and security

Care providers set expectations by communicating effectively with patients; when reasonable expectations are met or exceeded, patients report positive experiences. Every hospital aims to guarantee access to quality care; a healthcare institution’s primary mission is to provide accessible care that meets patients’ needs. In addition, patients who are educated about their conditions, the hospital’s procedures and protocols, and their providers’ roles are satisfied. 

These patient-centered considerations underscore the need for programs and policies that promote a human connection between providers and patients. Research suggests that healthcare service quality indicators are the most influential determinants of patient satisfaction. Among these, health providers’ interpersonal care quality is the essential determinant of patient satisfaction. Adequate, well-trained staff who are well-supported by their workplaces can provide this type of high-quality interpersonal care. This entails communicating with patients and educating them effectively. As a result, they feel satisfied with the care they receive.

How Hospitals Improve Comfort and Safety

Because patient satisfaction has become a crucial indicator of overall hospital performance, hospitals can increase their bottom lines by improving patients’ experiences. Hospitals can improve patients’ comfort and safety by altering the physical environment and adopting effective security systems. Self-reported patient satisfaction rates can be drastically improved by enacting the following concrete changes:

• Ensure comfortable accommodations and privacy: this eliminates the stress of patients sharing spaces.
• Enact safety policies: caregivers should understand and act upon policies directed toward patients’ physical safety.
• Provide adequate staffing: shortages are strongly associated with adverse patient satisfaction reports.
• Secure environments: enact security measures like emergency protocols and controlled access to hospital perimeters.

Hospital Security is Key

Creating a secure hospital environment is another critical piece of the patient satisfaction puzzle. Patients who feel safe throughout their stay in a hospital are more able to benefit from the communication, quality care, and education they receive. The increase in workplace violence in healthcare in recent years obligates hospitals to create policies to keep staff and patients safe during emergencies, including incidents of violence. Creating a workplace safety plan and educating every staff member on its protocols are critical. 

Security systems that include an emergency alert badge give providers instant access to assistance when emergencies occur. These badges ensure safety plans can immediately go into action. Though every hospital hopes to avoid instigating its safety plans in response to a crisis, patients who observe that their safety is a priority during these incidents may still report being satisfied with their experience. Furthermore, staff members who clearly understand their hospital’s security measures and who are empowered to enact them nurture patients’ confidence and feelings of safety. 

How to Encourage Safety in Emergencies

Hospital staff must be adequately trained on security protocols to ensure the best possible outcome in an emergency. Providers may unintentionally escalate incidents of patient-on-provider violence when this does not occur. But when a clear plan is in place, and staff has rehearsed this plan, the worst outcomes can be avoided. 

A workplace violence safety plan that enables every employee to quickly and discreetly report when they feel threatened allows them to focus on de-escalating violent situations and getting to safety. These employees know that a swift response is on the way. A wearable emergency button can be worn discreetly alongside an employee badge and activated without anyone noticing, notifying administrators and security personnel that an employee is in distress and needs immediate help. These emergency buttons are the first link in a system of alerts that inform all staff members of an ongoing incident and prompt them to enact their part of the workplace safety plan. 

Hospitals Meet Safety Standards Using Data

Hospital security systems that permit every staff member to report incidents also facilitate effective monitoring, as the Joint Commission requires. These requirements state that hospitals must establish processes for continually monitoring, internally reporting, and investigating various incidents. These include patient injuries, occupational injuries, property damage, and hazardous waste spills. 

Importantly, too, hospitals must monitor “safety and security incidents involving patients, staff, or others within its facilities, including those related to workplace violence.” Hospitals meet these Joint Commission standards by instituting a security system that tracks incidents and records all associated data. Hospitals can protect their front-line employees through data collection and monitoring. And safe, secure employees can better provide patients with the highest level of care. 

Security is the Foundation of Patient Satisfaction

When staff and patients feel secure, patients’ experiences are positive. Every hospital’s overall goal is to heal patients. The New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst stated, “Providers want patients to feel they are being treated with dignity and that hospital personnel are making every safe and medically-advantageous effort to heal them.”  To do this critical work, staff must feel secure and protected by their employers. 

Hospital administrators grant their employees a sense of security by providing staff with the means to discreetly summon help in an emergency. This frees up caregivers’ mental energy to do their jobs effectively. Hospitals create a safety culture by instituting workplace safety plans that include thorough employee training. Within this culture of safety, caregivers can provide the level of care that ensures positive patient satisfaction evaluations. Safe hospitals care for satisfied patients. 

Navigating the landscape of modern medical treatments is like traversing a vast labyrinth. Each turn unravels a new wave of technological advancements, simplifying solutions to health issues that once seemed complex.

Among these healthcare advancements, laser eye surgery holds a prominent place. Yet, despite its growing popularity, myths and misconceptions still hover around this life-altering procedure, creating apprehension and doubt. This article aims to address common concerns and debunk all the myths associated with this method.

As you read on, you’ll become more informed and confident in making decisions regarding your eye health. After all, vision isn’t just about seeing the world around you; it’s also about understanding the world within you.

Myth 1: The ‘Laser’ Burns The Eye

You might associate the term ‘laser’ with heat and burning. This is especially true for those who aren’t familiar with the medical uses of lasers. So, does the procedure burn the eye or not? Here’s what you need to know:

• Understanding Medical Lasers: Medical lasers aren’t like the lasers you see in science fiction movies. These lasers delicately reshape the cornea without causing harm to surrounding tissues.
• No Burning Involved: The laser won’t burn your eyes during the procedure. It’s not a heat-based process at all. Instead, it removes microscopic amounts of tissue to reshape your cornea.
• Painless Procedure: To make the procedure pain-free, the surgeon will apply numbing eye drops before the surgery. You might feel some pressure, but it’s not associated with burning or pain.

Having a clear understanding of how medical lasers work should help alleviate some of your worries. Remember, the goal of laser eye surgery is to improve your vision, not to cause you discomfort or harm.

Myth 2: Laser Eye Surgery Is Painful

The idea of having surgery on your eyes can seem intimidating. You might even imagine it to be painful. However, there are several reasons why this is one myth that needs busting:

• Pre-Surgical Care: This begins with numbing drops applied to your eyes before the surgery starts. It numbs the area thoroughly, so you won’t feel anything during the procedure.
• During The Procedure: Once the procedure begins, you may experience a sensation of pressure on your eye. However, this is quite different from pain. Think of it as someone lightly pressing a finger against your closed eyelid.
• Post-Surgery Sensation: It’s common to experience some discomfort, like a gritty sensation in the eyes, after the surgery. Note that this shouldn’t be associated with pain and is just temporary.

Although the thought of laser eye surgery might give you the jitters, it’s not a painful procedure. You can put your mind at ease, knowing that the entire process is designed to be as comfortable as possible.

Myth 3: Blinking Or Moving Ruins The Surgery

You might be concerned that blinking or moving your eyes could interfere with the procedure, but that’s just a misconception. Here’s why:

• A Device For The Eyelids: Your surgeon isn’t just going to ask you to keep your eyes open. A device called an eyelid speculum is used to hold your eyelids open. So, you don’t have to worry about blinking or messing up the procedure.
• Eye Tracking Technology: These days, laser eye surgery uses state-of-the-art eye-tracking technology. This means that the laser follows your eye’s movement during the procedure. Even if your eyes move slightly, the laser adjusts and stays on target.
• Sedative Medicine: If you’re really nervous about moving, you can always talk to your doctor about it. Some clinics offer a mild sedative to help you relax during the procedure.

So, rest easy. The professionals have thought of everything to ensure blinking or moving doesn’t interfere with your surgery. They’ve got you covered.

Myth 4: Laser Eye Surgery Is Not For The Old

Sometimes, there’s a misconception that laser eye surgery isn’t suitable for older individuals. But that’s not true, and here’s why:

• No Upper Age Limit: Keep in mind that laser eye surgery has no age limit. Everyone, both young and old, is welcome to consider this life-changing procedure.
• Vision Changes And Age: As you age, your vision might undergo changes due to conditions like presbyopia or cataracts. These conditions may require tailored approaches or additional treatments like laser eye surgery.
• Success In Older Patients: Many older patients have undergone successful laser eye surgery with results that significantly improve their quality of life. Age, as they say, is just a number!

Laser eye surgery isn’t just a young person’s game. It’s about correcting vision and enhancing life quality, regardless of the number of candles on your birthday cake!

Final Thoughts

Myths and misconceptions about laser eye surgery can foster unnecessary fear and hesitation. With a clear understanding of the procedure, one can make a more informed decision about eye care. Ultimately, it’s always wise to discuss any concerns or questions with a qualified health professional who can provide personalized advice based on individual needs and conditions.

Healthcare compliance is a facet of the healthcare industry that ensures patient well-being and health institution integrity. 

It covers a broad spectrum, including adherence to laws and regulations, ethical standards, and internal procedures, to maintain a safe and effective healthcare environment. Here are seven crucial areas of compliance in the healthcare industry and why you need them. 

Our guide will help patients and healthcare providers to better understand their responsibilities, rights, and the steps they can take to ensure compliance – ultimately leading to improved patient care and operational efficiency

1. Billing and Coding Compliance

Billing and coding compliance is one of the most critical areas of healthcare compliance. Incorrect coding can lead to overbilling or underbilling, placing providers at risk for fraud charges. 

Providers should use codes that accurately reflect the services they offer and keep updated records about the care given. 

To ensure billing and coding compliance, it’s essential that healthcare providers have adequate documentation, maintain accurate records of services provided, and ensure proper training for their staff on coding practices – all of which is easy with the right Revenue Cycle Management Guide.

2. HIPAA and Patient Privacy Rights

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that establishes patient privacy rights. It requires healthcare organizations to secure confidential health information (PHI), including electronic, paper, and verbal records related to patient care. 

Healthcare providers must adhere to HIPAA regulations by taking necessary measures such as storing PHI in secure locations and providing employees with training on proper security and privacy protocols.

3. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Control

Fraud, waste, and abuse should be minimized. This means having policies and procedures to detect and prevent fraudulent activity. 

Healthcare organizations should also have a system in place to detect and address billing errors or overpayments due to incorrect coding and establish processes for the proper documentation of services rendered. 

By implementing robust systems for monitoring and auditing, healthcare providers can reduce the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse.

4. Quality Improvement Programs

Quality improvement programs are designed to ensure that organizations maintain high standards of care. 

Initiatives should include measures such as developing goals for patient outcomes, monitoring performance indicators, collecting data on process improvement efforts, conducting staff surveys, and using patient feedback to inform improvements. 

Quality improvement programs help ensure that healthcare providers meet their commitments and provide patients with the best possible care.

5. Environmental Health and Safety Regulations

Medical professionals must maintain a safe and healthy working environment by following all applicable state and federal laws. 

This includes ensuring proper storage of hazardous materials, providing safety equipment to safeguard staff from workplace hazards, implementing emergency procedures, and adhering to infection control protocols.

6. Infection Control Compliance

Infection control compliance is all about adhering to stringent protocols, including hand hygiene, proper cleaning and disinfection of patient care areas, using personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed, and following standard precautions for handling infectious materials. 

Organizations should also develop strategies to ensure that staff are trained on infection control practices and that staff compliance is monitored regularly.

7. Labor Law Compliance in Healthcare

Employees in the medical field take care of patients. But who takes care of the workforce?

Labor law compliance protects the rights of healthcare workers and ensures equitable working conditions. 

Healthcare organizations must comply with all applicable labor laws, including those related to wages, hours worked, overtime pay, vacation and holidays, termination procedures, payroll records, employee benefits, discrimination and harassment prevention policies, and workplace safety regulations.

Conclusion

Compliance in the healthcare industry is a multifaceted endeavor, encompassing a wide range of areas. 

Each aspect plays a vital role in ensuring safety, quality, and ethical conduct in healthcare provision. Adherence to these regulations safeguards healthcare organizations against potential legal liabilities and builds trust among patients and stakeholders. 

Achieving comprehensive compliance requires continuous effort, monitoring, and education. As the healthcare landscape evolves, so too must our commitment to upholding these crucial standards, in pursuit of the ultimate goal – the well-being of patients and the broader community.

The US healthcare industry is not well, and the diagnosis is trained professionals’ deficiency. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033, with primary care being the most short-staffed. While this is a complex issue that needs multiple solution components, the adoption of primary telehealth technology is one of the solutions to the crisis.

Drivers of the primary care shortage

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on primary care practitioners, as many have suffered from the virus themselves, and even more personnel have experienced burnout and depression due to overwork. However, this global health crisis is not the sole cause of the dire lack of qualified primary care physicians. The most important underlying issues in the healthcare industry include:

Rapidly aging US population. The Administration of Aging reports that the number of Americans over 65 years old has increased by 38% during the last ten years, while the younger population grew only by 2%. Furthermore, 20% of the people aged between 65 and 74 assess their health as fair or poor and require primary care three or four times more often than others.

The overall national health. According to the CDC, 6 in 10 adults in the US live with a chronic disease of some kind. Such patients always need more attention from their primary care physician, annual lab tests, and condition monitoring. Moreover, COVID exacerbated many health issues, forcing chronically ill patients to contact their physicians and receive care even more frequently.

The challenges of medical education. The US medical education system can’t keep up with the demand for trained primary care professionals. Becoming a physician is a lengthy and very costly process, and many students simply can’t afford to study this long and pay the tuition. The Medicare & Medicaid funding can only support one thousand residency positions across the US, which is not nearly enough to avert the shortage crisis. It’s good that there is special healthcare training software for training medical staff that help optimize the learning process.

How telehealth can help

While telemedicine is not a cure-all solution for staffing shortage, it can contribute to more efficient primary care and a wider coverage area per physician. This is how telehealth technology can mitigate medical personnel scarcity:

More flexibility for physicians: Allowing healthcare professionals to work from anywhere they like boosts their job satisfaction, prevents burnout, and also adds appeal to the primary care career. With more jobs across all industries being done remotely, people can be more willing to dedicate themselves to becoming healthcare professionals if they have desirable job conditions.

More accessible care: Through telehealth, physicians can provide services to patients from any remote location. This can not only cover constantly underserved areas and compensate for the lack of physicians there, but also enable care professionals to easily substitute each other so they are able to take a much-needed day off.

Better preventive care: Studies show that roughly 12.9% of patients miss primary care appointments, risking exacerbating their condition.​​ Work or family commitments, forgetting the appointment, and transportation difficulties are the most common causes for not showing up. Telemedicine enables patients to consult their primary care physician at the onset of the problem and fix it faster.

How to adopt telehealth successfully

Despite many clear advantages of telehealth for primary care providers, many organizations are reluctant to adopt the technology. The most common obstacles to implementing telemedicine are its cost, privacy concerns, and personnel’s reluctance to change their established workflows. However, a properly implemented solution is definitely worth the effort, as it can bring significant ROI and boost the practice’s efficiency. If you are a healthcare provider looking to implement telehealth software, make sure to keep in mind four essential components:

A solution aligned with your needs: There are dozens of telehealth platforms for providers to choose from, so choose wisely. Begin by determining the services you want to provide via the telehealth platform and the requirements your practice has for its features, security, scalability, interoperability, and other important characteristics. Then, look for a solution that will cover them all and won’t have any unnecessary add-ons.

New workflows: The adoption of telehealth software can require significant changes to the existing medical workflows. If a provider fails to organically incorporate remote healthcare delivery into everyday routines, it becomes a burden, putting even more pressure on personnel and slowing the organization down. What is more, people don’t like to change their ways of working, so the healthcare organization’s leadership should make an effort to guide through telehealth transformation.

Staff training: Don’t skip the vendor-supported user training. Professionals that have received sufficient training are less likely to burn out, show higher efficiency at work, and are more satisfied with their job.

Educating patients: Offering telehealth services is only the beginning – healthcare providers should then effectively convince patients to use them. Though in 2021, 37% of adults used telemedicine, it is still a relatively low number, especially taking into account that it consists primarily of a wealthier, urban-located population. For telehealth to aid with staffing shortages, providers must conduct educational campaigns to encourage all types of patients to use it.

Wrapping up

There are not enough trained physicians to cover the US national needs. This situation stems from multiple underlying issues, and in order to fix it we need more accessible medical education, larger residency funding, better job conditions for medical professionals, and other structural changes that can’t happen in a day. What we can do to alleviate the situation right now is to implement telemedicine to help existing physicians reach more patients and prevent them from burning out. If implemented correctly, this technology can make visits to primary physicians more comfortable and easier for both doctors and patients, resulting in improved population health and medical professionals’ satisfaction with their job.

Everyone deserves to be comfortable, happy, and healthy, maintaining their quality of life to enjoy each day to the fullest. Sadly, not everyone feels satisfied with where they are in life, often related to internal battles with their mental health or illnesses that limit their health and happiness. While the cannabis compound, cannabidiol (CBD), can’t guarantee that you’ll enjoy a better quality of life, it might be able to improve your life in some of the following ways:

Relieve Pain

Chronic pain can be life-changing, with many people struggling to work, enjoy social opportunities, and engage in activities they used to love. As a result, they can feel anxious, frustrated, and depressed. Many people explore quality cannabis products to relieve pain and discomfort when they don’t feel comfortable with primary treatment options or doctor-prescribed medications and therapies don’t work.

It’s important to understand that CBD research is in its infancy, and more quality studies must be conducted to learn more about how CBD interacts with chronic pain. However, current research suggests that CBD might help treat chronic pain related to specific conditions.

Ease Arthritis Symptoms

Remaining mobile when you have arthritis can be challenging. This inflammatory condition causes tissue deterioration around the joints, leading to pain, motion loss, and stiffness. When you’re in pain every time you move, it’s not always easy to work, enjoy life, and even manage basic tasks like shopping. There are many arthritis medication options on the market, but a growing body of evidence suggests CBD and other cannabinoids might ease the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.

Research exploring cannabinoid delivery systems for pain and inflammation treatment confirmed that the cannabinoid system has potential for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases like arthritis. It also noted that patients with chronic arthritic pain are among the most prevalent users of therapeutic cannabis products. If arthritis is impacting your ability to live life to the fullest, cannabis and CBD products might be worth exploring further.

Reduce Anxiety

Anxiety can be debilitating, with many people struggling to perform everyday tasks like grocery shopping and walking to the mailbox without being overwhelmed by their feelings. Managing and treating anxiety is possible with a multi-modal approach, but CBD might also be worth exploring since many people claim it can help them feel calm.

Researchers conducted a study involving 57 healthy men and tasked them with a simulated public speaking test. The men were divided into four groups: the first group receiving 150mg oral CBD doses, the second receiving 300mg, the third receiving 600mg, and the fourth, a placebo. Their findings were that 300mg ‘significantly reduced anxiety’ during the speech. The researchers advised that therapeutic CBD doses should be determined to translate CBD into clinical practice.

Help PTSD Symptoms

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, can affect anyone who has experienced a traumatic event, such as war veterans. Many people suffering from PTSD experience relief with therapy, medication, and prolonged exposure therapy; others pair these treatment options with CBD and find it helpful.

In a small 2018 study, 11 people with PTSD received psychiatric care and CBD in an outpatient clinic. All
but one experienced a reduction in their PTSD symptoms. Other studies have also confirmed these findings and encouraged further research.

Reduce ALS Symptoms

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurological disease affecting the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. These cells are responsible for the movement of muscles we use for tasks like walking, talking, and chewing.

There is no cure for ALS, but medical professionals often recommend medications, therapy, and surgery to slow the disease and reduce discomfort. CBD doesn’t cure ALS, nor does it eliminate all symptoms. However, many people living with ALS experienced great relief when they received THC and CBD treatment for ALS spasticity.

One study found that daily CBD and THC resulted in high treatment satisfaction, with the study results suggesting that THC and CBD might become a valuable addition to symptomatic therapy for the condition. More research is required to determine their efficacy for ALS symptoms other than spasticity.

Everyone deserves to have an excellent quality of life, but it’s never guaranteed. If an illness, injury, or condition is limiting your ability to thrive, talk to your local healthcare provider about CBD. It might be an option worth exploring for potentially being able to experience relief from pain, suffering, and uncomfortable symptoms. 

Spinal cord injuries come with a long list of devastating symptoms. Extreme pain, incoordination, and loss of bladder control are just three of their worst punishments. Paralysis is the worst they have to dole out, which adds a host of expenses to your medical budget. You’ll need to create a more accessible home with ramps, lifts, and accessible bathroom features. While taxpayers boost Canada’s robust healthcare system, the legal challenges remain complicated in areas that need specialized guidance. Every province has unique laws that are well-known to the attorneys in the area. If you are a resident of Edmonton and have suffered a spinal injury, consult Edmonton spinal injury lawyers who can help to assess your legal options.

Understanding Canada’s Public Healthcare System

Patients aren’t required to pay medical attention at a public clinic. No law requires public health coverage, but you can’t use governmental services in some provinces unless you have insurance. The waiting period for coverage varies from province to province, but you’ll have to wait an average of three months before it kicks in. Medicare only offers basic, “medically necessary” services. The system is in the top 10% of the world’s best nations on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index, but burnout and attrition have led to a shortage of medical staff. The average patient waits three months for a specialist appointment, but some patients wait as long as a year. That leads to stress, pain, and lost income. Your diagnosis will be delayed, and your condition may deteriorate. To make matters worse, you must schedule wait times between every specialist you see, so it can take years to dent your symptoms. That isn’t an option for many patients, particularly when dealing with severe pain and disability.

Private Healthcare Insurance

Canada is home to more than a hundred private clinics throughout the country. They’re independently run, usually by doctors, but their prices can be steep. Even so, most patients pay their bills primarily out of their pockets. Private healthcare insurance can make the load much lighter, but the average insurance holder spends about $2,000 a year on services their insurance doesn’t cover. Provincial health insurance doesn’t cover physiotherapy, prostheses, psychologists, or prescription medication—if you have a spinal cord injury, you’ll probably need all four of those services.

Private insurance is intended to cover expenses that the public system does not. Most plans cover medical equipment and nursing, so they fill an important gap. If an employer provides your insurance and you lose your job, you’re left at the mercy of a system riddled with gaps.

Given enough patience and sheer force of will, the Canadian healthcare industry can be a boon that can make a significant difference in your quality of life. All it takes is a comprehensive understanding of the red tape. It can certainly be done, but if another’s negligence or wilful maliciousness causes your injury, you shouldn’t have to struggle with the administrative nightmare.

Insurance

If you or the at-fault party in your accident has personal injury coverage, many of your healthcare bills will be covered by an insurer. The average settlement in Canada is between $10,000 and $30,000 for minor injuries, but the average accident benefits claim is $25,500. While that might seem like an exceptional payout, the net lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury is over $300,000. Most of those costs fall in the first year of the injury. To complicate the matter further, insurers often try to lowball their clients.

Personal Injury Compensation

Taking the legal route to personal injury care addresses many challenges that insurance and Medicare do not. Your lawyer will include future medical care in your desired compensation and household renovations to make your living space more accessible. They’ll also address your pain, suffering, and any psychological care you need for the rest of your life. They’re a boon for those with unethical insurers, too. A personal injury lawyer will push for a better settlement from your provider and the at-fault party. This kind of coverage will help you to adapt to the changes in your life and expose you to the best healthcare available.

The herbal industry has experienced significant growth and transformation in recent years as more people turn to natural remedies with reported benefits.

The landscape of the herbal industry encompasses various sectors, including herbal medicine, dietary supplements, herbal teas, essential oils, and herbal cosmetics.

Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longfiolia) was introduced to the market as early as 1995, but the market was filled with quality issues due to impurities and adulterants.

According to Dr. Andrew Huberman from Stanford University, “The supplement market is filled with garbage.”

However, things have changed in the last decade as more clinical trials were conducted to validate Tongkat Ali’s benefits.

Fast forward to 2023, consumers are shifting to quality Tongkat Ali supplements in recent years to benefit from its purportedly wide range of health benefits – despite concerns of rising side effects.

Further investigations to the top supplements in the US showed that most best-selling Tongkat Ali supplements are not clinically tested. Only less than 1% are lab tested and clinically tested to work.

It means consumers are not getting the benefits of Tongkat Ali as advertised.

In the background, placebo-controlled clinical trials on Tongkat Ali continue to rise to verify its wide range of health benefits such as testosterone, libido, muscle strength, fat loss, anaerobic performance, immune system and mood.

We reached out to Shahid Shayaa, Founder of AKARALI, to better understand the consumer insights and landscape.

AKARALI is a leading Tongkat Ali supplement that is clinically tested with more than 26 clinical trials on humans, manufactured in an FDA-approved facility, and lab tested by EUROFINS.

“We have seen a significant shift of consumers buying more clinically tested Tongkat Ali supplements due to better efficacy and higher safety standards”, he said.

He added the best Tongkat Ali supplements are using standardized hot water root extract to gain the most benefits due to higher eurycomanone, eurypeptides, glycosaponin and pollysacharrides.

“We live in the digital world where consumers expect faster results and higher gains from Tongkat Ali”, he further explained.

With expected benefits in 30 days or less and new levels of safety tests being conducted each year, does that mean more medical professionals are recommending Tongkat Ali to their patients?

We reviewed some of the top medical professionals to get more insights and their thoughts about Tongkat Ali.

Dr. Rena Malik, Dr. Andrea Militello, Dr. Ismail Tambi, and Professor Kery Bone are part of a growing number of medical and healthcare professionals who are passionate about Tongkat Ali benefits.

According to Dr. Rena Malik (M.D), an urologist specializing in men’s health from the University of Maryland, she covered extensively on Tongkat Ali’s supplementation and its effects on health.

“If you want the best Tongkat Ali, watch out for hot water root extract”, she said in her last video of Tongkat Ali.

Andrologist Dr. Andrea Militello (M.D) mentioned Tongkat Ali’s benefits and how it may benefit men’s fertility and reduce ED-related symptoms. Dr. Miltello is an award-winning doctor based in Rome and runs more than 7 clinics in Italy.

Whilst you do not require any prescriptions from doctors to buy Tongkat Ali, you are advised to consult your medical professionals first before using it, and also to check for other underlying medical conditions or drugs interactions that may cause severe side effects.

But in reality, that rarely happens. And Consumers continue to purchase Tongkat Ali to achieve their health goals.

And we are seeing more older men and women buying Tongkat Ali for overall revitalization to restore hormonal balance. According to WHO, 1 in 6 people will be aged 60 by 2030, and the usage of Tongkat Ali as an aging supplement is expected to rise exponentially.

With more than 500 Tongkat Ali products on Amazon, consumers are now overwhelmed by choices.

This means doing your research on Tongkat Ali brands that are reputable and backed by quality Tongkat Ali extract is more crucial than simply falling for the marketing hype.

As the world is experiencing a major shift to more natural supplements, consumers want the best.

If you want the best, clinically tested Tongkat Ali supplements using standardized hot water extract sets a new benchmark that will exceed consumers’ expectations and industry standards.

What’s left is your own effort to do your research before buying one.