RSSCategory: Columns

Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors

Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors

Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.

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May 22, 2012 | By | Reply More
People with asthma get the green light for exercise

People with asthma get the green light for exercise

Many people with asthma avoid exercise because they’re afraid it could trigger symptoms or even a full-blown asthma attack. But a new study finds that not only is it safe for people with asthma to exercise, but doing so could reduce their risk of asthma symptoms and attacks.

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Park improvements lead to more vigorous exercise, not just more use

Park improvements lead to more vigorous exercise, not just more use

Investing in attractive and functional park features could pay off significantly in terms of increasing exercise, leading to positive health consequences for low-income communities, researchers say.

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Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking

Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking

Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.

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May 2, 2012 | By | Reply More
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation

Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation

Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?

Don’t bet on it.

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April 24, 2012 | By | Reply More
Out-of-network care is expensive — but a couple of new options help

Out-of-network care is expensive — but a couple of new options help

A new database lets you find out the prevailing rates for medical procedures in your area, and the 2010 health-care reform law provides better protection when people receive out-of-network emergency care.

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April 17, 2012 | By | Reply More
Medicare now covers annual depression screening

Medicare now covers annual depression screening

Older people have lower rates of depression than younger groups. But depression often goes undiagnosed in the elderly, who feel the stigma of mental illness more acutely than younger people and are often less likely to seek help. Medicare began to cover annual depression screening in primary-care settings.

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April 8, 2012 | By | Reply More
New processes help hospitals spot—and stop—drug errors

New processes help hospitals spot—and stop—drug errors

Errors involving drugs are the most common type of medical errors, harming about 1.5 million people each year. A recent example shows how easily these errors can happen . . .

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April 3, 2012 | By | Reply More
Some insurers paying patients who agree to get cheaper care

Some insurers paying patients who agree to get cheaper care

Insurers have tried to cajole us into using less-expensive health providers by promising lower co-pays and other cost-sharing breaks. Now, they’re trying an even more direct approach: cash rewards.

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March 27, 2012 | By | Reply More
New book offers checklists to help hospital patients

New book offers checklists to help hospital patients

As anyone who has been a patient or a visitor at a hospital knows, they’re often confusing, chaotic places.

By the time you learn the routines and the rules, with any luck you’re recovered and on your way out the door.

Elizabeth Bailey’s father wasn’t that fortunate . . .

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March 6, 2012 | By | Reply More
FDA issues warnings on popular cholesterol drugs

FDA issues warnings on popular cholesterol drugs

“Statins”, the commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, can cause impaired memory, diabetes, muscle and liver damage and other problems, but the benefits of the drugs still outweigh the risks, FDA says.

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February 29, 2012 | By | Reply More
Five-year campaign seeks to use prevention to cut heart disease

Five-year campaign seeks to use prevention to cut heart disease

The 5-year Million Hearts Campaign hopes to help millions of Americans improve their heart health by preventing and treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and tobacco use.

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February 7, 2012 | By | Reply More