A Perfect Fit: Surgical Team’s Intricate Dance Results in New Life for An Old Knee
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on May 4, 2012 in Patient Advocacy, Wellness | 0 comments
Last spring, I entered a local hospital operating room for the very first time (as an observer), that is. Four times previous, I was wheeled in (as a patient) for successive shoulder operations. It was a remarkable and personally meaningful experience getting to actually watch the intricacies of this surgical procedure that repaired both of my shoulders and helped me regain muscle strength and optimal mobility. The truth is, I was hooked. Having had the rare opportunity to actually see how a surgical operation plays out (especially after having undergone it myself) piqued my interest in a big way.
Since then, I started looking ahead and wondering what it would mean if I ever needed a hip or knee (or God forbid…shoulder replacement surgery). How similar would the recovery process be to my other surgical experiences? Would it take a longer or a shorter amount of time in terms of function and mobility? Are there special considerations I’d need to take into account that are unique to “replacement” surgeries versus the type of shoulder repair I’d already had? And finally, I just plain wondered, “How do they do it exactly?”
All About Disability
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 27, 2012 in Patient Advocacy | 0 comments
By Debra Novotny, Social Security District Manager in Greensburg, PA
Disability is something most people do not like to think about. But if you’re not able to work because you have a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death, you may be able to get Social Security disability benefits. Here’s what you need to know.
You should apply for disability benefits as soon as you become disabled. It can take months to obtain all your medical records and process an application for disability benefits (three to five months, on average).
Generally, the information we need includes:
- Your Social Security number;
- Your birth or baptismal certificate;
- Names, addresses, and phone numbers of the doctors, caseworkers, hospitals, and clinics that took care of you, and dates of your visits;
- Names and dosage of all the medicine you take;
- Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics, and caseworkers that you already have in your possession;
- Laboratory and test results;
- A summary of where you worked and the kind of work you did; and
- A copy of your most recent W-2 Form (Wage and Tax Statement) or, if you are self-employed, your Federal tax return for the past year.
IMPORTANT–Do not delay filing for disability benefits if you don’t have all the above information in your possession. Social Security will assist you in getting the necessary documents, including obtaining your medical records.
Naming Those Pre-Surgery Jitters To Rid Yourself of Them
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 25, 2012 in Patient Advocacy | 0 comments
By Michele Howe
Polling a group of diverse men and women on what causes them to experience “pre-surgery jitters” surprised me. Their answers (which were both specific and passionately expressed) were not what I anticipated.
I had expected men to be anxious about one set of concerns and women another. Wrong. Come the night before surgery, there was plenty of agreement between the sexes on what was worth losing sleep over. Contrary to what I had previously believed true, it seems that a person’s sex; educational background, economic stability, or prior medical history has little to do with what individuals secretly fear about entering the operating room. Although each person cited a particular area that triggered his or her inner alarm to go off, there was a single common theme running through every named fear. Bottom line: it was loss of control (imagined or real.)
Though men and women cited different types of concerns that trigger anxiety, underlying each was the fear that the unexpected could occur and there would be little they could do about it. This realization is accurate in part; no one is completely (or partly) in control. What people fail to acknowledge, however, is the power they can exert when they take an active role in alleviating as many of their fears as possible. It’s the old adage, “knowledge is power.” The good news for every patient is that there are specific steps that minimize the uncertainty and reduce those pre-surgical jitters. But before that…here’s a rundown of what folks fear most.
Financial Aid Policies for Healthcare Organizations
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 22, 2012 in Patient Advocacy | 0 comments
By Nicholas Newsad
With high-deductible health plan enrollment growth of 1,000% over the past seven years, an increased number of patients are finding themselves paying $1,000 or more per year in deductibles, coinsurances, and copays.
Most healthcare providers, especially those claiming tax-exempt status as not-for-profit organizations, assess patients’ inability to pay in determining eligibility for financial aid. Claiming tax-exempt status under the “health promotion” purpose defined by the IRS, exempts a healthcare provider from paying taxes in exchange for providing social services and/or related safety net services that the government would otherwise have to provide.
Inability to Pay
It is a commonly accepted practice for financial aid and charity care to be offered to patients who are determined to have a genuine inability to pay. Providers may request evidence of a patient’s financial hardship by requesting the completion of a financial aid application and copies of bank statements, pay stubs, or tax returns. Various forms of financial aid made be offered based on the level of financial hardship demonstrated.
Are Your Meds Making You Sick?
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 6, 2012 in Patient Advocacy, Senior Care, Wellness | 0 comments
Robert S. Gold
A Pharmacist’s Guide To Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions, Reactions And Side Effects Common Drug Combinations Can Be Lethal
Dangerous drug interactions and common drug-induced illnesses are a hidden epidemic in the United States. Unqualified use and abuse of prescription drugs is becoming commonplace as many doctors prescribe multiple meds because either they don’t have the time to fully diagnose, or worse, they are pressured to prescribe (sell) highly profitable drugs. In the United States alone adverse drug interactions cause death, injury or hospitalization to more than 2 million people each year and that number could be the tip of the iceberg, as millions of cases go undetected or unreported.
Are Your Meds Making You Sick? A Pharmacist’s Guide to Avoiding Dangerous Drug Interactions, Reactions and Side Effects is a highly accessible and clearly formatted quick reference for the layperson. Written by Robert S. Gold, RPh, MBA, a clinical hospital pharmacist and affiliate instructor of clinical pharmacy at Purdue University with over 27 years of experience, Are Your Meds Making You Sick, shows readers how to protect themselves by learning to think like a clinical hospital pharmacist. Gold lists “16 Rules of Safe Medication Use” that can help prevent the most common adverse and dangerous drug interactions. He then gives specific examples and scenarios featuring the thirty-six drugs that are the most prevalent offenders and explains how even seemingly good drugs can harm a patient’s kidney, liver, brain and heart if the patient’s medical history and physical vulnerabilities are not taken into account.
Helping Kids Cope when a Parent is Sick
Posted by Pittsburgh Healthcare Report on Apr 3, 2012 in Patient Advocacy, Pediatrics | 0 comments
By Kathleen McCue, MA, CCLS
The first thing most parents ask when diagnosed with a serious illness is “What about my children? How do I tell them? How do I support them? How do I get them through this?” It is difficult enough for a parent to face the reality of their own illness, but becomes even more overwhelming when there are children in the family who may be impacted by the reality of the experience.
“A severe parental illness can cause emotional distress and developmental problems for children, but when managed well, the family crisis can produce resiliency and strength for those same children” says Kathleen McCue, author of How to Help Children Through a Parent’s Serious Illness and Someone I Love is Sick. “Parents are the best resource for helping their own children, and by using available tools such as the books above, parents can receive guidance in explaining things to children, preparing them for changes and monitoring their behaviors and fears.”
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