Food Service Technology: Is It Making Patients Happier?

More and more hospitals are putting together health resources into their cafeterias and campuses to offer healthy options to patients, workers, visitors, and guests. Regardless of it being hospital-operated or outsourced to food service providers on contract, hospitals are reporting healthy food improvements are associated with higher patient and employee satisfaction.

Healthy hospital advocates have a hunch that this setting is especially powerful for bringing about extraordinary changes in chronic diseases and setting an example for personnel wellness due to the fact that there are more than 5,000 registered hospitals in the United States. Over 36,000,000 patients were hospitalized in the United States in 2010; the majority of people received dietary guidance or suffer from a diet-related chronic disease. Hospitals also hires over 5 million people in the United States, including employees in food service and maintenance who are more likely at risk of getting chronic disease as a result of diet. Approximately 48 percent of hospitals provide on-demand room service for patients, according to a survey of 184 providers by Food Service Director Magazine. In addition, approximately 67 percent of facilities with a food and beverage budget over $5 million reported using room service.

Introducing food services with technology has its benefits in that hospitals are reducing waste as well as improving patient satisfaction.There has been an increase in hospitals becoming more tech-oriented with their food service systems. The change reflects the broader efforts by hospitals to cut costs and inefficiencies while improving patient satisfaction and the quality of care. Technology is also playing a vital role with health systems standardizing meal choices across their networks, support on-demand room service and to set up analytics for the reduction of food waste.

The following are the food innovations that are taking place in healthy hospital cafeteria and campus initiatives:

• Expansion in quantity, quality, and a variation of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Updating healthy vending choices and labeling
• More cafeterias giving accurate nutritional content data during purchasing
• Expanding restaurant-style, already-cooked items for patients and cafeteria visitors
• More kitchens are providing foods containing zero trans fat, reduced saturated fats, and other healthy fats

A very good example of hospitals using the food service technology system is Shore Medical Center in Somer Point, NJ. This facility used paper menus for the deliverance of food meals to patients. Using paper menus caused unnecessary food waste; as a result, patient satisfaction plummeted. Some patients received food they didn’t want due to items being removed from their order and replaced with substitutions to follow dietary restrictions and allergies. On many occasions, trays were delivered when patients were away from their room; if the patient had ordered a hot meal the food would end up becoming cold and tossed out.

The 198-bed hospital introduced MyDine, a food service provider Unidine that links information on patients’ dietary restrictions and allergies. This is entered and stored into the patients' electronic health records using the tablet. This is used by guest service representatives. They interact with patients on a one-on-one basis to talk about menu choices which will reflect their diet; simultaneously, making sure patients are ordering what they want and when they want it. The tablets updates every 30 seconds, along with dietary changes made in the patient’s EHR, or electronic health record, so the representatives discuss only the menu items the patient is only allowed to have.

Healthy hospital advocates have confidence that investing in hospital wellness will aid in the reduction of healthcare cost, improve employee productivity, reduce absenteeism, and enhance patient satisfaction and experience as well as health outcomes. This is a very great idea that food service technology for hospital settings are working because of the rising cost of healthcare and more people are conscious about their health.

Using Pinterest as a Healthcare Marketing Tool (SPEC WORK: Healthcare Success Article )

Unlike other industries, healthcare marketing can be very challenging. You can't get results when you have issues with trust and credibility. This is definitely the case with social media. Using social media as a healthcare marketing tool has become very important in terms of communication in real-time.

Social media is the place where your current and prospective patients seek recommendations as well as for healthcare providers. This is the go-to place where you, as a healthcare provider, want to build rapport with loyal and long-term patients. Within the healthcare industry, social media aids in engaging with patients, promote new partner relationships and improve the physician's credibility and trust. According to a study, about 57 percent of patients decide where to get treatment based on a healthcare provider's social media presence. In a separate report, 60 percent of physicians think that the impact of social media is improving the quality of care that they provide to patients. When social media is having a great impact on patient satisfaction and boosting brand reputation, it's not surprising that many physicians are joining this phenomenon.

What are the perks of healthcare marketing on social media?
The perks of social media healthcare marketing is that it let physicians and health experts to connect with patients in real-time. Speaking of connecting with patients on social media, the platform that not many healthcare providers think about in terms of marketing their businesses is Pinterest.

What is Pinterest? How does it benefit healthcare marketing?
When most people think about Pinterest, they think about as a social networking site--in reality, it really a search engine. Pinterest is a search engine platform that is used both actively and passively. This means that having active marketing engagement through on this platform can build up company/brand awareness, generating traffic, and of course, social media presence.

Pinterest has over 100 million active users on a global basis. As far as healthcare marketing is concerned with the Pinterest audience and demographic, women dominates as opposed to men,
in terms of seeking healthcare information and making healthcare decisions at 80 percent. This platform presents a lot of potential for new and effective healthcare marketing and sales initiatives.

When a patient is looking for a health and medical solution, he/she want support from an authority they know and trust. As a solution, social media will provide that; it will establish these crucial connections with your target market, so the physician becomes the go-to resource for anyone seeking medical care.

With healthcare marketing with Pinterest, here are a few benefits it provides and more:

• Educating patients: Social media and content marketing lets physicians to share useful information with their patients. This aids support preventative care initiatives; also makes it much simpler for patients to make decisions on which type of medical care that is in need.
• Building brand awareness: The vast majority of brands know that if they want to get the best results, as in sharing important information to their customers, they need to be active and be engaging on Pinterest. The same should apply to healthcare providers. The proper healthcare marketing approach will assist in reaching the target audience that is suitable, whether it is a foot surgery patient or a family member that needs assistance in searching for dental care.

In addition to educating patients and building brand awareness, healthcare providers can retrieve content on their own business website. From their business website, they can access content that they want to pin or they may want to re-created something where it can be pinnable. Of course, the pinnable content from the website needs to be carefully chosen and as with most health and medical information, medical/regulatory considerations will apply.

In order for healthcare providers to be successful in promoting their business and generating traffic with their website on Pinterest, having high quality images are king! This includes great copy layout, photography, graphics, and infographic-style presentations. 

Before healthcare providers think about promoting their business on Pinterest, they will have to come up a with strategy plan, such as determining the approach of the content marketing, know the requirements of maintaining and monitoring the content, and coming up with a budgeting and implementation plan to be a success on Pinterest. The key to success on Pinterest: persistence and patience.

Long-Term Care: The Future and Its Challenges

The U.S. Population, in particular the senior citizen population, has grown exponentially, making up approximately 70 percent of individuals ages 65 and older. With this senior citizen population boom, attitudes have changed in terms of long-term care. The long-term care industry are facing some real challenges by the expansion of offerings and increasing specialized care.

Long-term care industry in the United States has been experiencing growth from 2016 to 2018 and this trend is expected to continue. The senior citizen population is calling for array of demands for all types of long-term care. However, the ongoing cost will continue to put this industry under extreme pressure.

The Baby Boomer generation makes up approximately 67 million living in the United States in 2018. This is the group that will be the driving force in making decisions whether senior living is the right fit for their aging loved ones and for themselves.

Due to the rise of the senior citizen population, the increasing rates of chronic diseases, advancement in medical technology, longer life expectancy, there will be many people ages 65 and older (and sometimes younger people with disabilities) that will need long-term care in the near future. There is a dilemma: there are a shortage a health care personnel; this is at an alarming rate. There are some challenges for the health care industry: to begin focusing on fixing the broken system that exists in both in providing long-term care services and the payment system for services that are performed. The long-term care industry is facing some challenges:

*Senior Citizen Population: According to the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, about 70 percent of people ages 65 and older will need long-term care in his/her lifetime. At least 40 percent of this population will take place in a skilled nursing-home setting. It is apparent that the combination of an aging population and longer life expectancy will increase the demand for every facet of long-term care services in the future. Other concerns are the trends that show smaller family sizes, higher divorce rates, and higher costs for caring for a family member. These factors have the potential of reducing the amount of informal care unavailable to senior citizens (as well as people with disabilities).

Long-Term Care (LTC) system in the United States should be an asset in our attempts of building a stronger community for everyone, whether local or regional, and regardless of the age and disability. The majority of families at some point will face the necessity for LTC for older family members or younger relatives with a disability. This is very difficult for families to plan effectively for LTC needs, which varies and showed often be provided over a period of several years. The economic and emotional challenges in connection with caregiving can be overwhelming, especially if the care is provided either by a family member or through a facility (e.g. nursing home or assisted living facility).

The long-term care needs will increase within the next few decades with the aging of the Baby Boomers of 10 million Americans who are in need of LTSS (Long-Term Services and Support), 5.2  are people ages 65 and old, and 1.7 million are ages 85 and older. These numbers are expected to double within the next 30 years. The resources will triple by 2040; this is due to the fast-growing population of people ages 85 or older, and the longevity of younger individuals with physical and mental disabilities.

*Short Staffing of Health Care Personnel in the Workforce: The demand for long-term care is expected to outnumber supply of health care professionals that are qualified to provide these services, which will lead to a shortage of health care professional by 30 percent or more. This shortage of health care professionals already exist in many areas of the country, as there are not enough qualified personnel to fill open positions for direct caregivers to senior citizens. It is a known fact that long-term care workers are paid less than personnel workers in acute health care settings; these are one of the factors in the shortage of workers in the long-term care settings.

The large turnover rate is common in many long-term care settings, which is a contribution to inadequate staffing levels and lack of quality of care. Nurses, along with other long-term care personnel, need more competitive wages, more continuing education opportunities, and better working conditions, if the heavy turnover rate is to be reduced. Long-term care personnel work in a challenging setting, as they must provide care for various individuals with different medical conditions and disabilities to manage and to navigate the challenging family dynamics that is associated with working in long-term care. Low wages, less-than-stellar working conditions, because of short-staffing and a high turnover rate, lack of benefits, and high personal injury rates are the main dilemmas the focus should be on and find a resolution to increase job satisfaction and boost employee morale.

In the long haul, long-term care facilities must take action now to attract more health care personnel into their settings, perhaps either by offering more workable wages and more benefits as well as forming a partnership with educational institutions that will train nurses and other health care professionals, or by aiding with scholarships and/or offering signing bonuses.

According to an AARP report in 2013, "caregiver support ratio" is referred to as the number of prospective caregivers, ranging from ages 45 to 65 for every individual ages 80 and older. The ratio is expected to decline to 4:1 by 2030. The ration is expected to keep decreasing to 3:1 in 2050.

*Quality of Care as a Whole: As long-term care setting is constantly evolving, so has the necessity for quality care. Caring for senior citizens must be of the most important quality, client-focused, responsive, efficient, as well as cost-effective. The quality of care provided varies, depending on the facilities. The gaps in the Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) long-term care safety net is in need of discussion as the quality of the safety net varies, depending on the state. Eligibility for services and benefits has its limitations in many states, and not all will qualify for monetary waivers to aid with the care costs. This must be investigated so that the quality of care is available to everyone and the gaps in the safety net has closure.

Speaking of services, the HCBS (Home and Community-based Services) Medicaid waiver-funded programs have grown faster than other part of the public-funded LTC system within the last decade. This is one of the pivotal reasons for the decline in the nursing home participation throughout the country, from 1.7 million in 2005 to 1.6 million in 2012, and for the federal Medicaid nursing home budget's stabilization at approximately $48 billion since 2006. Ten states has a higher percentage of their Medicaid LTSS benefactories in HCBS programs than in nursing home settings and spend more of their Medicaid dollars in the community than in nursing homes. Several other states are on a mission to succeed in reaching the same goal of having a balanced LTC system within the next few years, mainly under the sponsorship of their more established aging network organizations.

These trends are a large percentage of retirees do not have the resources to pay for their own LTC; this indicates that the senior citizens of the future will be more dependent on public-funded programs and community involvement. Communities will be pressured to get the levels of financing and social capital, which is a requirement. This saves senior citizens that cannot afford to pay for their own LTC from being abandoned or on the streets.

The LTSS system of care is a necessity for the purpose of quality and efficiency of care for senior citizens and to prepare the nation for the large demographic increase within the next 20 years. In most states, the aging network organizations are imperative and widely supported parts of local communities. They are in a great position to serve as a gateway for community-based unified health and LTSS systems. Due to the shift of the aging network by HMOs, this would suggest that a lost opportunity in the development of community-based and person-oriented systems of care.

We, as a society, are at great risk of abandonment of a large number of non-affluent senior citizens and disabled individuals, who will be depending on the LTSS service as these populations rise. The OAA (Older Americans Act) programs are crucial and provide the bare essentials as well as very cost-effective. However, the public-funded LTSS system relies solely on the Medicaid funding.

If the aging networks are constantly shut out from the Medicaid-supported LTSS programs, then one of the lifelines of community-based non-profit social and health care could be lost to the disadvantage of taxpayers an those individuals that rely on the public-funded LTSS system.

        

10 Most Commonly Prescribed Drugs in the United States

Guess what? Did you know that the American people are prescribed more drugs more than ever before? Yes, it is true! Prescription pain medicines may be dominating our headlines, whether on television or on social media, but what are exactly the ten most prescribed drugs in the United States?

The following are the ten most commonly prescribed drugs that are present in the United States:

-Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl)

-Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)

-Atorvastatin (Lipitor)

-Metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza)

-Simvastatin (Zocor)

-Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (OxyCotin, Percocet, Vicodin)

-Metoprolol (Lopressor, Metoprolol Tartrate)

-Amlodipine (Norvasc)

-Omeprazole (Prilosec)

-Albuterol (ProAir HFA, Provertil HFA)

Now that we know the name of the ten most commonly prescribed medications in this country, what are the functions of these medications?

-Levothyroxine: This medication treats thyroid disorders as well as giving more thyroid hormone when thyroid levels are very low.

-Lisinopril: Lisinopril is ideal for high blood pressure and ACE inhibitor that makes the blood vessels become wide; this will allow the blood to flow more freely.

-Atorvastatin: This drug is used for treating high cholesterol and it lowers bad cholesterol levels and boosts good cholesterol levels.

-Metformin: Metformin is oral medication for controlling diabetes; it controls blood sugar levels in people that are living with Type 2 diabetes.

-Simvastatin: Like atorvastatin, simvastatin is used to treat high blood cholesterol and it also boost good cholesterol levels and lowers the bad cholesterol.

-Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen: It is used as a pain reliever and it plays a vital role in disrupting the pain signals in the brain.

-Metoprolol: Metoprolol is used for the treatment of high blood pressure and in addition, it reduces heartbeat and force, which allows for the relaxation of blood vessels.

-Amlodipine: This treats high blood pressure and it keeps calcium from entering the blood vessels and heart cells; makes the blood vessels become wide.

-Omeprazole: This medication is for acid reflux treatment. It reduces the acid levels that are present in the stomach.

-Albuterol: Albuterol is a bronchodilator for asthma or COPD. It also relaxes that muscles in airways for the purpose of increasing the airflow in the lungs.

So, why are these ten prescribed drugs so common here in the United States? These are reasons that we hear about in the headlines: poor diet, smoking, excessive drinking, lack of physical activity, and of course, smoking.

The bottom line: we all should try to adopt a healthier lifestyle and maybe there will reduce the chance of us depending on prescription medications for our bodies to stay in shape.

What are your experiences with prescription drugs? Please feel free to make comments or provide feedback in the Comments box.

The 9 Dangerous Medication Combinations

For many of us, medication is a big factor in our lives in terms of treatments of many diseases and conditions that millions of people would otherwise succumb. However, sometimes we may tend to combine these medications--without having any knowledge about the interactions of these drugs and without consulting a physician. As a result, we may be paying a very fatal price.

The following are the nine dangerous medication combinations:

1) Tylenol and antibiotics: Mixing Tylenol with any type of antibiotics is more likely to cause an interaction in terms of liver function, as in its processes.

2) Aspirin and diabetic medications: When taking aspirin along with diabetic medications is more likely to boost the blood-sugar lowering effects.

3) Sleeping aids and Benadryl: This is a very lethal medication combination. Taking these two medication combinations can result in very serious problems with the central nervous system, or CNS.

4) Antidepressants and St. John's Wort: These can result in serotonin syndrome, which features delirium and diarrhea, just to name a few.

5) Anticoagulants and Vitamin K: Vitamin K produces blood-clotting substances that can have a negative impact on your anticoagulant medications.

6) Antibiotics and birth control contraceptives: We are talking about antibiotics again, but this time, it involves birth control contraceptives. Taking antibiotics may limit the birth control contraceptive's effectiveness. In the event that an antibiotic medication has to be taken, use an alternative method of contraceptives for pregnancy.

7) Grapefruit and cholesterol medications: Grapefruit and any type of cholesterol medications taken together may result in kidney damage and cause the muscle fibers to become weak.

8) Coffee and asthma medication: Drinking coffee and taking medication for asthma can increase the heart rate as well as blood pressure.

9) Blood pressure meds and licorice: This combination of medication can cause hypersensitivity with a hormone involving the adrenal cortex.

There are some ways of avoiding drug interactions: 

-Never take any medications involving alcohol
-Never combine medication without consulting a physician
-Always talk with a pharmacist about medication interactions
-Take medication with water only
-Please read the warning labels

Hypoglycemia vs. Hyperglycemia

Since we are on the topic of talking about diabetes, whether it is Type 1 or Type 2, we might as well continue to talk about it--this time it is hypoglycemia vs. hyperglycemia.

What does these two have in common with diabetes? It has something to do with our blood sugar levels, either too low or too high.

What is hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia?

Hypoglycemia refers to low blood glucose, or blood sugar level. Our body needs glucose in order for us to have enough energy to function. During the time that we eat, our blood absorbs glucose. If we have eaten just a little bit too much, or more that what our body need, then your liver and muscles will store the extra glucose. When our blood sugar level decreases, a hormone will send a message to your liver to release glucose.

The following are some symptoms of hypoglycemia:

-Fast heartbeat

-Sweating

-Hunger

-Weakness/Fatigue

-Sweating

-50 to 54 mg/dL

People who are suffering from diabetes, this is often a side effect as a result of diabetic medications. We can increase our blood sugar level by eating or drinking something that have carbohydrates.

This is not limited to people suffering from diabetes. Non-diabetics can also have hypoglycemia; some of the causes could come from medications, hormones, enzyme deficiencies, just to name a few.

Unlike hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia is the result of having a blood glucose level that is abnormally high. The blood sugar level with hyperglycemia is above 200 mg/dL. This is usually a likely sign of diabetes, whether it is Type 1 or Type 2 and/or prediabetes.

Other causes of hyperglycemia may include pancreatic cancer, certain medications, pancreatitis, and Cushing's Syndrome, just to name a few.

These are some symptoms of hyperglycemia:

-Frequent urination

-Dry skin

-Blurred vision

-Extreme thirst

-Hunger

-Drowsiness

Severely high blood sugar levels may cause a medical emergency as in diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, or hyperglycemic hypersmolar non-ketotic syndrome, or HHNS (also known as hyperglycemic hypersmolar state).

With Type 1 diabetes, insulin is the go-to treatment and for life-threatening increases in blood sugar levels. As with Type 2 diabetes, a combination of oral and injectable medications is usually the best solution in controlling diabetes.

Now that we know the difference between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, we can more likely manage our blood sugar levels at a reasonable level. If your blood sugar level becomes unmanageable, please consult a physician or doctor.

Have you had experiences with either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia? Please feel free to post your comments or give feedback in the Comments box.


Next post: What are the Dangerous Medication Combinations?

How to Take Charge of Your Diabetes

Did you know that approximately 700 people every day are diagnosed with diabetes, whether it is Type 1 or Type 2? This number is very alarming, but this is the state of our healthcare system.

When most people think of diabetes, they are often thinking about Type 2 diabetes, which is more common. In addition, Type 1 diabetes also exist, but it does not get talked about as much. Many people think that all diabetes is the same, but it is not. Diabetes is an autoimmune disease

There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2.

First of all, Type 1 diabetes develop when the insulin that is making cells in the pancreas; the glucose stays in the bloodstream. It is often diagnosed during childhood when children are experiencing high blood sugar signs and symptoms; it is insulin-dependent. This causes the sugar levels in the blood to increase when it cannot be corrected naturally. Increased blood sugar levels, or hyperglycemia can affect the body in a negative way. If levels become super high and/or remain high for a substantial period of time, ketoacidosis is likely to occur; this can be fatal.

Unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes is insulin-resistant, which causes the body not to produce enough insulin or when the body is resisting the insulin that it is producing. High blood sugar levels and obesity plays a huge role in Type 2 diabetes. It affects more than 3 million people. Sometimes, a person with Type 2 diabetes may be asymptomatic. Usually, as Type 2 diabetes progresses, it can become worse in the case that the pancreas produces less insulin.

Have you heard of prediabetes?

Yes, there is a such thing. Prediabetes occur when you are a likely high-risk candidate of developing Type 2 diabetes based on high blood glucose (sugar) levels, family history, just to name a few.

The question is how can you take charge of your diabetes?

For Type 1 diabetes, it is important to take insulin on a daily basis, either with injection or an insulin pump. Also, check your blood sugar levels throughout the day, eat a healthy and well-balanced meal, and participate in regular activity.

With Type 2 diabetes, you should work on and keep a healthy weight, exercise on a regular basis, and also eat a healthy meal; the impact of Type 2 diabetes can be greatly reduced or slowed down by doing these things that I just mentioned.

Just because you may have or been diagnosed with diabetes, it is not the end of the world! You can still live a normal life, with a few lifestyle changes.

Do you have a personal story about living with diabetes, whether it is Type 1 or Type 2? Please feel free to comment or give feedback in the Comments box.


Next post: Hypoglycemia vs. Hyperglycemia