Archive for year: 2021

Every day, the healthcare systems from all around the world have to suffer and lose many resources, especially now since COVID-19 is suppressing it even more. Doctors might sometimes give a wrong diagnosis, treatment plans are also delayed or patients are given a false positive test for different diseases. Many resources are allocated for the healthcare department in order to ensure that patients are given a diagnosis and also the right treatment plan. It might also happen that the patient’s body cannot handle a certain medicine that doctors are not aware of and that can be even worse for the patient.

AI and Machine Learning are offering opportunities for the healthcare industry

Computers and algorithms can search huge amounts of data, much faster than the human body can, in order to find the right diagnosis, make a treatment plan, and improve the overall healthcare system and safety for their data. Healthcare is now a key industry for the big companies, using their AI and machine learning for certain healthcare projects. Many organizations are already involved in creating tools that will help the healthcare industry, even two big companies, such as IBM and Microsoft. 

Besides the fact that diagnosis, treatment, and tests will be more accurate than ever, the overall costs for the medicine and pharmaceutical industries can be reduced by up to 100 billion dollars every year. Although AI and machine learning might not be capable to find the diagnosis of a patient by themselves, the doctors can use the data provided to ensure the right diagnosis was given to the patient. 

An algorithm will perform better when it has exposure to data. The healthcare system is like a paradise for an algorithm since it contains a tremendous number of databases and information. Right now, all this data is going to waste because the storage systems are so different one from another and there are many privacy concerns involved. 

AI is responsible for Diagnosis

A good amount of work for disease identification and diagnosis is done by the AI. What the AI mainly does is this: vital information, such as lung function, blood pressure, glucose level, etc. is being analyzed by the AI and the results are being compared to the normal levels. By comparing millions of data every second, the AI is capable of finding and identifying the right disease within seconds. 

Heart diseases are one of the main problems that algorithms are trying to diagnose and prevent. The AI is now able to determine the risk factor of a person to develop heart disease by looking at its age, blood pressure, and other aspects, but it can’t make the analysis for the medication that person might be on or the condition of the other biological systems. The main focus now is to realistically make the AI predict who is at risk of developing heart disease and when this might happen, as a study by Stephen Weng suggests. 

Machines are also trained to read CT scans and interpret information from other imaging diagnostic tests. This procedure is still in a trial phase, but it can also act as an assistant for the radiologist or it can indicate an abnormality that the radiologist was not able to detect.

How AI and Machine Learning helps Respiratory Medicine

Since AI is working with huge sets of complex data, it is very useful for respiratory medicine, especially for lung illnesses that develop as a result of toxic exposure, lung cancer, restrictive lung diseases, fibrotic lung disease, and other conditions. The diagnostic criteria might sometimes overlap, which is a reason why doctors should pay attention to the results of the AI and make adjustments accordingly, if necessary. 

The AI can also compare different results of a CT scan for the lungs of a patient or it can compare with the results of other patients. This way, the AI is more effective and can easily find the information about a patient that suffered from the same condition really quickly. Once they have the right diagnosis, they can find the treatment plan and monitor the overall results and improvements of the patient.

Monitoring Drug Response

AI and machine learning can gather information from different platforms, as there was an experiment where social media was put to work and connect people that suffer from cancer in order to ensure different treatment options. AI did a very good job and sorted the information from Twitter and Facebook comparing the different answers from the participants. The pharmaceutical industry is now trying to determine what treatment works better for a patient based on their genealogical tree and biology. 

Monitoring Health Epidemics

The algorithms are used to perform regular checks on news reports, social media, and government websites in order to find an outbreak. There was one case when a computer algorithm was able to detect an Ebola outbreak more than one week faster than the World Health Organisation did. 

This is just the beginning of AI and machine learning to perform at their best for the healthcare industry. It might be a long shot for the algorithms to be able to diagnose a patient by themselves, but as they are gathering more and more data, there is a possibility that in the near future they will be able to develop a full diagnosis and treatment plan without aid from a specialist.

Today, psychotherapy and medication are the go-to interventions for a wide range of mental health issues, ranging from depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety, to full-blown disorders such as substance use disorder (SUD) and personality disorders.

Even with massive advances in the current understanding of how the brain works and how clinicians can assist patients with recovery, mental health issues remain challenging to treat. This is mainly because of the social baggage associated with mental health and the difficulty of maintaining a proper therapeutic regime over the extremely long recovery times needed for most psychiatric issues.

However, better technology and a deeper understanding of neuroscience have significantly improved the odds of psychiatric patients undergoing recovery. Below are some tech-forward ways it is already being done that are likely to make their way into the mainstream soon enough. If you’re in North Texas, check out these resources for inpatient drug rehabs in Dallas.

Biometric Identity Protection

The American Opioid Crisis has been the cause of a lot of identity fraud in the healthcare system, as people with drug use problems and drug suppliers turn to identity theft as a way to illicitly obtain prescription medications, particularly opioids, benzodiazepines, and stimulants. Many of these drugs see widespread use in healthcare, particularly in mental health, which means fraud raises the cost and availability of critical drugs.

Biometric patient identification can prevent medical identity theft in such cases and eliminate this type of fraud. However, in the future, it will hopefully improve outcomes for more psychiatric patients who need lifesaving medication.

Telecounseling

Consulting with a counselor or psychiatrist regularly is an important part not just of the initial recovery period, but also for aftercare. However, having regular consultations is not easy for many patients for several reasons.

First, the stigma against mental illness remains strong, and this is especially true where personality disorders or substance use is involved. This stigma often makes it very difficult for psychiatric patients to seek the help they need, even if they know it’s necessary.  

Others simply cannot spare the extra mental effort needed to meet with a therapist due to the nature of their condition. Still, others do not have access to mental health services due to their location or some other reason.

Teleconsultations and telecounseling are, thankfully, far more accessible than ever before, with the availability of these services being greatly boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While there are practical limitations in what could be done through remote meetings with mental health experts, these sessions can help fill a vital need in aftercare that has been present for decades.

A.I. Therapists

Of course, even if you could get access to a therapist who does online consultations, there are probably times that you won’t be able to get immediate access to them. Thankfully, advanced AI and specialized apps can now offer constant support whenever human therapists or support groups couldn’t be present.

Though not a one-for-one substitute for a qualified human therapist, advanced artificial intelligence offer instant support for an individual that needs immediate attention, allowing it to plug one of the most persistent holes in mental health aftercare.

Real-time Vital Signs Monitoring

Stress and anxiety can influence negative behaviors like overeating or drug and alcohol use. However, the presence of these is not always obvious to the individual undergoing it. Thankfully, stress and anxiety exhibit physical symptoms that can be easily detected.

Some individuals with mental health issues related to stress are already using commercially available wearable devices like Fitbits or Apple Watches to monitor signs of stress. There are also specialized devices that could send data directly to one’s physician so that specific patterns and stressors can be more accurately identified. 

These devices allow people with stress issues to take a more active role in maintaining their mental health, which in turn can aid in building more sustainable, mentally healthier lifestyles over time.

Healthcare Gamification

Gamification, the process of turning otherwise mundane activities into games, has attracted a lot of interest in mental healthcare, particularly where substance use disorders are involved. 

Motivational Interviewing is a form of gamification that allows recovering individuals to maintain an interest in their healthcare. This can be done through apps that gamify the process or simply through parlor prizes awarded at therapy or consultation sessions. Some mental health centers are even experimenting with cash prizes or rebates as a reward for attending sessions.

Remarkably, the value of the prize is not as important for reinforcing behavior as the stimulation the brain gets when presented with a reward. This means that relatively simple gaming apps specifically designed to aid self-care may soon be a standard part of recovery treatments for many mental health patients, improving their long-term outcomes at a minimal cost.

Should You Go For Tech-based Treatments?

While it could be a huge help for specific cases, technology is only one part of the equation that helps improve patient outcomes. If you are interested in more tech-centric solutions for your mental health, be sure to talk to a clinician who is up-to-date on your preferred type of care. This will ensure the best possible results and should help you achieve your desired wellness goals.

Introduction

Electronic Health Records (EHR) is a well-known source for patient care, analyzing patient data, and reducing extremely high costs. Also, the EHR systems have benefited the healthcare industry to decrease mortality rates for acute and chronic diseases of patients.

The system of remote patient monitoring and care has been introduced since the 1960s when astronauts started to explore space. However, it took a long time for us to integrate the software and healthcare platforms in but with the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the global lockdown has stimulated the telehealth adoption process in our daily lives. 

And it’s not surprising that the industry of healthcare software development has risen more than before as there are reputable companies providing several medical software solutions to patients and doctors, such as: 

• Interacting in-real time
• Appointment settings and tokens
• Laboratory tests assignments & Results
• Collecting and maintaining private health information (PHI)
• Video calling with medical experts

By integrating the best technologies, these software solutions help doctors, patients, nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists, etc. For instance, a touchless patient identification platform like RightPatient can help ensure patient data integrity, prevent duplicate and overlaid medical records, and enhance patient safety. 

As we all know that throughout the pandemic, patients have shifted to telehealth services to receive medical care, thus, it became hard for providers to monitor patients’ data to the EHR system. 

At this point, the healthcare providers started to search for interoperability, hence, the next need becomes the integration of EHR with telehealth solutions.

Now the whole world is leaning towards digitalization, hence hybrid telehealth matches the innovative care model, care providers would require to integrate telehealth solutions within the EHR system to enhance clinical workflows. 

Moreover, modern telehealth providers are generating solutions in a way that would help them to integrate with common EHR solutions, through increasing interoperability. When these platforms are tangled they assist to streamline patients’ data in an exclusive window. 

This, eventually, benefits providers to deliver a more reliable care delivery system. In this post, we will find out why integrating telehealth is a great idea and what are the benefits that come with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and telehealth integration.

What is Telehealth integration?

Integrating telehealth into the EHR system can benefit providers to enhance clinical workflows. Most telehealth providers now generate solutions that mix with popular EHR systems, which improves patient care and grows interoperability.

Whenever the platforms combine, such as EHR systems and telehealth solutions, taking care of patients becomes an easy task.

A perfect telehealth experience will be the same as a virtual visit to the office instead of FaceTiming with your family.

With an integrated telehealth solution, it’s simple for the administrative department to check in the patient while the nurse interacts with the patient.

What is EHR integration?

An electronic health record (EHR) is the electronic storage of a patient’s health data or paper health chart. EHRs often cover medical history, analyses, diseases, immunization records, labs, radiology pictures, medication history, medical data, and other related financial records.

EHR integration is a critical start for any health software that aspires to take advantage of the wide range of data prepared in digital health systems. 

The mass of digital health records is collected in EHRs, including both data regarding specific patients and more extensive knowledge about healthcare systems and communities.

Integration of Telehealth and EHR

Nowadays, telehealth providers started to develop systems that can be integrated with EHR platforms that help patient data to transfer quickly. When utilized simultaneously, telehealth and EHR systems can excellently enhance the care delivery system. 

There are several different business cases for integrating with EHRs. So, after integrating with an EHR, the apps that serve specific customers can produce more satisfying expertise and conceivably even drive upgraded health outcomes by developing standard healthcare activities such as scheduling, telehealth, and billing. 

When there is a way to access organizational data saved in EHRs, digital products easily can help healthcare systems to enhance business and patient results organization-wide, with processes and simplifying business necessities like patient data interchange, profits cycle management, and acquisition.

Benefits of EHR and Telehealth integration

There are so many EHR integration solutions that render methods to progress healthcare data between EHR systems and applications and services. 

• Automate Data Entry: Integrating these two systems reduces the requirement for double data entries. When providers take records throughout a telehealth visit, this data directly accords into the patient’s health record, easing the data entry process. 
• Synchronize Patient Insurance Data: Telehealth and EHR systems can check patient fitness before appointing them for a virtual telehealth visit. This guarantees providers are compensated for their experience and services, decreasing confusion and expensive obstacles in the workplace. 
• Streamline the Provider and Patient Virtual Care Experience: Installing telehealth technology within the system’s EHR system delivers providers easy access to the patient’s health records, using the same method they are now familiar with.
• Advanced Clinical Workflow: As the pandemic falls, healthcare providers will regard the hybrid telehealth example, where patients will get benefits of both in-person and virtual meetings. In such a situation, managing clinical workflow like administrative duties such as appointment booking & notices, answering inquiries, etc. gets simple with EHR telehealth integration. 

Conclusion

Integrating these two systems facilitates the stream of information, decreases the possibility of mistakes while updating a patient’s records, enhances patient outcomes, and analyzes the billing process. Providers contemplating implementing a telehealth system requires a platform that perfectly integrates with their current EHR system. This way, they will be able to provide the best outcome to their customers.

Everybody wants to move around without any constraints. But when you feel an ache in your knees each time you walk or climb the stairs, your range of motion would naturally be limited.

Knee pain seems to be a common condition among individuals, particularly adults. According to a podiatrist Sunshine Coast residents trust, its causes could range from sprains or injuries to overexertion or an underlying health complication like arthritis. Once it becomes unbearable, you might need to visit a specialist.

Luckily, there are ways you can relieve that sensation and keep your knees healthy over time as well, and one of those is doing some stretches. If you’ve been experiencing discomfort in your knee, here are seven stretches that would help ease it:

Seated Knee Stretch

Extension exercises can help strengthen your knee muscles while ensuring that your joints are in good shape. Integrating your regular workout routine with knee extensions will help you avoid injury and enable you to be more flexible.

Here’s how you can perform knee stretches:

• Sit up straight with your shoulders down and back.
• Lift and extend one leg.
• Hold the position for a few seconds, tightening the muscles in front of your thighs before moving your leg back down.
• Make sure your movements are slow and precise.
• Switch legs, being sure to maintain a full knee stretch (leg completely straight).
• Perform five times per leg.

Kneeling Lunge

Curtsy lunges are thought to be fantastic for developing and conditioning your derrière, which is great for improving your posture. With powerful gluteal muscles, back and knee discomfort may be avoided or alleviated, decreasing your chance of getting injured.

To perform a kneeling lunge, bend your knees and hips to move into a lunge position. Pause for a moment, and then lift yourself back up. Maintain a vertical angle between your right shin and the ground to prevent your knee from pushing over your right foot. Do five rounds of left and right kneeling lunges in a row.

Hamstring Stretch

Hamstring stretches are common exercises performed by dancers, joggers, and sprinters to increase the flexibility of their muscles during their warm-up routines. Aside from that, they can help one prepare for more strength-based knee therapy.

When doing a hamstring stretch, shift your weight onto your right foot with your left heel flexed upward. Lean forward from the hips, and then bend your body to the right. While doing this, straighten your right leg and flex your toes up. A 30- to 60-second stretch should be done around the back of the knee before you change sides. If you’re unsure how to correctly perform these steps, you can search the internet for videos.

Half Squat

A half squat is when you squat halfway down then hold it for five seconds. A stretch like this may be a good place to start for those with knee pain.

To begin, stand with your feet hip-distance to shoulder-distance apart. Lower your body to a tolerable depth while keeping your back flat and your core supported. Push your hips backward, and bend your knees as you lower your body. Push yourself back to its starting position after a five-second pause. Perform 10-15 repetitions. If it’s too easy for you, you can try holding five- to 10-pound dumbbells.

Single-Leg Raises

Exercises like leg raises are beneficial for building stronger quadriceps—the big muscles in the front of your thighs that connect to your knee joints. If you wish to do this movement, begin by performing one set of four repetitions on each leg.

Lie on your back on the floor or bed with your arms at your sides and your toes pointed upward. Then, gently raise your leg several inches while keeping it straight and straining your leg muscles. Finally, before you gently lower your limb, be sure to tighten your abdominal muscles and hold for a count of five. Repeat with the other leg.

Leg Stretch

Leg stretches are also an excellent method to strengthen your quadriceps. They’re done by sitting on the floor with both legs straight out in front of you. Do this with your back straight and while you’re supporting yourself with your hands on each side of your hips. Now bend one knee until it feels stretched but not uncomfortable. Hold that posture for five seconds, and then gently extend your leg out as far as you can, keeping that stance for another five seconds.

Wall Slide

Wall slides are a rehabilitative warm-up activity that improves shoulder mobility and flexibility. But other than that, it’s a challenging quad workout for strengthening the knee joints. However, be very careful not to strain your knees while performing this exercise.

To do this, stand erect against a wall, pushing your back and buttocks flush against the surface. Next, place your feet 12 inches apart from one another and six inches apart from the wall. To slide down the wall, push gently downward, and then hold a 45-degree bend in the knees for five seconds. Finally, return to the upright starting position by gently sliding up the wall.

Conclusion

The easy stretches and simple exercises discussed in this article may help you relieve minor knee issues without taking medication or going under the knife. Keep in mind that your knees are among the most crucial joints in your body’s fundamental structure. So regardless of your age or profession, take excellent care of them in order to live a healthy, pain-free life.