The high cost of new diagnostic and treatment technologies means that they have to be used selectively, and at that point decisions must be made about who should get to use them. In recent years there have been increasing charges of improper use of these new technologies, coupled with increasing discussion of their costs and benefits. Unfortunately, the use of such technology tends to spread indiscriminately and so add indiscriminately to health care costs. Given this situation, there is a need to examine the relevance of new diagnostic and treatment methods, the causes of technological abuse, the ethical aspects of the use of medical technology, and even the relationship between technology and society.
Changing recommendations for when women should get mammograms have created conflict and confusion. Not only do recommendations from different sources vary, but some have moved in opposite directions. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force scaled back its recommendation in 2009, saying women at average risk should begin screening at age 50 and repeat the test every two years. The group, the governments’s independent panel of preventative-health experts, said women in their 40’s should discuss the pros and cons of screening,including possible false positives and follow-up tests, with their physicians. Previously the task force had recommended mammograms every one to two years starting at age 40.
The medical assistant professional must be aware of the phobias that their patients may have and know how to react should a fearful episode occur on the job. Below are some of the top phobias you may encounter.
Patient anxiety. There are books devoted to it. Web sites. There’s even “White Coat Syndrome,” which causes a patient to have high blood pressure and other symptoms only in the doctor’s office. The fact is when it comes to visiting the doctor, anxiety-induced symptoms can range from mild fear to a full-blown clinical phobia.
There are “Five Rights” to accurate medication administration. If all are observed, the potential for mistakes is drastically reduced. Nurses learn these rules in school. The tendency to skimp on them is a problem that often stems from factors such as overconfidence and staffing shortages. There is no excuse to skimp on rules; follow the rules and keep your patients safe.
If you are interested in a career in the medical field, it can help to get advice from people who have already been there. Many professionals write blogs now, and they can provide helpful insight into what you need to do in order to become successful in a variety of medical careers. Here are 50 of the top medical career blogs:
Open source healthcare is forging forward quickly on the Internet. But, fast developments often produce many failures. But, many medicinal open source projects that have gained success development. This success shows that open source alone is not the solitary factor in development. Instead, look to great management, public relations, marketing and a sound program that stands up under the scrutiny of a growing number of peer users and, often, patients.