MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'follow up'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:15:31 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086172&cid=t_220723_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Foverwhelmed-ers-continue-to-rise-to-the-challenge%2F2011.07.31 Last night I was contacted by a physician in the local urgent-care.   I like him, and we made polite, but brief, conversation.  ‘So, are you guys busy?’ I gave him the status report.  ‘Well, yeah.  We have about 25 people waiting to be seen the waiting room is full and every patient room is full.  Also, we just received a gun-shot wound to the head by EMS.’ ‘Wow, sounds terrible!  So, here’s what I need to send you…’ What he sent was, in fact, reasonable.  A young woman with signs and symptoms of meningitis (who was treated earlier in the day for and upper respiratory virus…with Amoxicillin, of course.) She needed a lumbar puncture, which I performed and which was  negative. But I had this thought.  I could probably have said, (more…) *This blog ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086172 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:00:39 +0100 5086172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028544&cid=t_220723_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FwKz9SlXCSVs%2F Tonight I happened to eavesdrop (the beauty of Twitter) on a Twitter conversation between Bobby Ghaheri, MD (@DrGhaheri) and Chad Peterson (@hosewater2). Dr. Ghaheri is an ENT/Facial Plastic Surgeon and Dr. Peterson is a hockey loving urologist. I loved their twitter exchange about email and Twitter follow up with patients, so I’m posting it here for others to comment on. UPDATE: Since there’s a problem with pulling in the tweets automatically from Twitter, here’s what was said: DrGhaheri Bobby Ghaheri, MD I use email and Twitter to follow-up on my patients. #hcsm hosewater2 Chad Peterson @DrGhaheri I don’t use email or twitter with patients. Just encourages unnecessary undocumented interactions. Is twitter HIPaa certified? DrGhaheri Bobby Ghaheri, MD @hosewater2 I ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028544 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 05:39:14 +0100 5028544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968491&cid=t_220723_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhospitalization-vs-discharge-when-is-one-the-preferred-option%2F2011.06.25 I received a call recently from an emergency room (ER) physician about a patient who presented there with rectal bleeding. Does this sound blogworthy? Hardly. We gastro physicians get this call routinely. Here’s the twist. The emergency room physician presented the case and recommended that the patient be discharged home. He was calling me to verify that our office would provide this patient with an office appointment in the near term, which we would. We had an actual dialogue. This was a refreshing experience since the typical emergency room conversation of a rectal bleeder ends differently. Here’s what usually occurs. We are contacted and are notified that the patient has been admitted to the hospital and our in-patient consultative services are being requested. In other words, we ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968491 Sat, 25 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4968491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592532&cid=t_220723_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FCc5NbTKqPmo%2F Do you remember the IMPACT study published in 2009? It was a randomized clinical trial with healthy older adults that compared a computer-based cognitive program that trains audi­tory pro­cess­ing (Brain Fitness Program, Posit Science) with educational video programs (control group). People who used the program improved in the trained tasks, which was not that surprising, but there was also a clear ben­e­fit in audi­tory mem­ory, which wasn’t directly trained. A 2011 paper reports the 3-month follow-up results of the IMPACT study. The 487 participants in the original study were 65 and older. Training was 1 hour a day, 4 to 5 days a week, for a total of 40 hours in 8 to 10 weeks. There was no contact with the researchers between the initial training study and the follow-up study. T... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592532 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:26:01 +0100 4592532 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512619&cid=t_220723_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ffacilitating-mutual-support-group-participation%2F If a healthcare or social service provider suspects that a patient or client has a substance use disorder (SUD), the provider should ensure that the client receives formal treatment. Once the client receives formal treatment—or if he or she refuses or cannot afford treatment— the provider’s next step is to facilitate involvement in a mutual support group.Matching clients to treatment based solely on gender, motivation, cognitive impairment, or other such characteristics has not been proved to be effective.Clients who are “philosophically well matched” to a mutual support group are more likely to actively participate in that group. Thus, the best way to help a client benefit from mutual support groups is to encourage increased participation in his or her chosen group.Professional ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512619 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:43:00 +0100 4512619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294555&cid=t_220723_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fdenver-screening-criteria-blunt-cerebrovascular-injury%2F Blunt cerebrovascular injury (i.e., damage to the carotid and/or vertebral arteries) is an increasingly recognized entity in trauma and the Denver Screening Criteria have been developed to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. The screening signs and symptoms of BCVI include: Focal neuorlogical deficit Arterial hemorrhage Cervical bruit in a patient less than 50 years of age Expanding neck hematoma Neurological exam inconsistent with head CT scan Cerebrovascular accident on follow-up head CT not seen on initial head CT. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294555 Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:21:14 +0100 4294555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552243&cid=t_220723_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-follow-up-what-doctors-can-learn-from-dentists%2F2010.05.11 I have to give my dentist credit. He and his staff know when I am due for a cleaning and call me to schedule an appointment without fail. They also call to remind me the day before an appointment. Many dentists, I understand, do similar kinds of things for their patients. As a patient, I like being reminded — it’s a great service. I also like the fact that someone’s looking out for me. From a business perspective it makes a lot of sense as well. Fewer “no shows,” more cleanings, more billings, and so on. It’s too bad that more physicians don’t routinely follow up with their patients, particularly when it really counts. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Mind The Gap* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552243 Tue, 11 May 2010 14:33:07 +0100 3552243 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262546&cid=t_220723_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F02%2Forthopedic-surgeon-dr-john-keeve-discusses-time-board-usns-comfort%2F Dr. John Keeve of Washington state has been operating on severely injured Haitians and says enthusiasm for their work must be tempered by the realization that many patients will lack all semblance of badly needed follow-up care. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262546 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:49:03 +0100 3262546 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3239847&cid=t_220723_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F04%2Fa-wish-list-for-a-pain-management-programme-2%2F After coming up with some of the content and structure for a programme, and discussing the need for a stable clinical team with effective skills in group-based CBT and an applied behavioural focus, today I thought I’d add in something about selecting, assessing and follow-up that’s required. I get absolutely frustrated with reading and hearing about interventions that are either not required to furnish, or don’t consider outcomes – both psychometric questionnaire results (thought to indicate change in the ‘real world’) and real world outcomes.  The art of making sure that what we do makes a difference, and knowing how to do this well seems to be quite lost on many clinicians and it really frustrates me.  I’d find it professionally unsatisfying if... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3239847 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:51:36 +0100 3239847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2470013&cid=t_220723_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F10%2Fchronic-disease-management-follow-up-and-support-needs-from-diabetes-is-this-a-model-for-pain%2F Self management for chronic pain is not the only area in which self management has been introduced. Heart disease, obesity and diabetes are all very commonly managed with a combination of biomedical and self management strategies. While reviewing different ways to provide support for people who have newly developed coping strategies, I have found a fairly limited number of studies directly examining varying options for providing follow-up. This paper by Fisher, Brownson, O’Toole and Anwuri (2007), while not an empirical study itself, does draw on the experiences of fourteen self management programmes for diabetes management that have been studied under the auspices of the Diabetes Initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in St Louis, Missouri. I’m not suggesting that pa... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2470013 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:29:23 +0100 2470013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2211489&cid=t_220723_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fzimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use%2Fpostpartum-blues-and-depression%2F Everyone expects the postpartum period to be a joyful happy time welcoming the newborn home and into the family. Unfortunately, however, many women will experience either short or long-term mood disturbances in the year after giving birth. In fact, at least 40-80 percent of women experience postpartum blues, which is a short-term, transient condition characterized by mild, but often rapid, mood swings from elation to sadness, accompanied by tearfulness, crying spells, irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and insomnia. Symptoms typically peak on the fifth postpartum day, and fortunately usually resolve within two weeks without treatment other than support and reassurance. It is important for women experiencing the blues to get adequate rest and sleep, which may require additiona... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2211489 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:04:51 +0100 2211489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2115590&cid=t_220723_109_f&fid=35044&url=http%3A%2F%2Fadultaddstrengths.com%2F2009%2F01%2F19%2Fwas-your-new-years-resolution-a-wish%2F Many people make “New Year’s Resolutions” that are more like vague wishes but they don’t call them that. I’m going to lose 10 lbs, I’m going to drink less/exercise more/be more positive etc Nothing wrong with a wish, but just saying you’re going to do something in the new year with out a strategy or plan to do it will usually lead to nothing other than disappointment. People forget that a wish or an idea is the first important step, but it’s a beginning, not a complete solution. Not much power behind a resolution if you have no strategy or plan. Putting that strategy or plan to paper or computer makes it more real, especially if you schedule follow up to go along with it. For those of you who have trouble with New Year’s resolutions, yo... Adult ADD Strengths blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2115590 Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:54:14 +0100 2115590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2084355&cid=t_220723_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbeating-cancerthis-time%2F I’m off to see my oncologist for my regular three month follow-up this morning. It’s funny, I can’t remember any appointment or meeting unless I write it down, but I never forget the oncologist appointment, so that one I rarely write down, although I do get the times mixed up but never the day. The only thing that is a bit of a nuisance is that the office is busy and since these follow-up appointments take maybe 15 or 20 minutes, it doesn’t seem worth the 20- to 30-minute wait to see the doctor. Oh well, they’ve stuck with me this long, I’m sure I can weather the inconvenience. After almost five years since starting treatment, I am feeling pretty confident. I am told my risk of cancer spreading gets lower as time goes by and I am pretty sure that I won&#... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2084355 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:50:40 +0100 2084355 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806604&cid=t_220723_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fvirtual-colonoscopy-ready-for-prime-time%2F Virtual colonoscopy is an x-ray examination of the colon used to screen for cancer. It is also called CT colonography because the x-ray test used is a CT scan (also called computed tomography or CAT scan for computed axial tomography). Virtual colonoscopy is in the news because of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that compared the x-ray test to traditional colonoscopy and found comparable results in terms of identifying abnormal growths. But while the headlines will tout the positive findings, there are a few things you should know before undergoing one of these procedures. First off let me say that screening for colon cancer is an extremely important and life-saving yet underutilized undertaking that I’ve written about before, and which you should unde... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806604 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:29:44 +0100 1806604 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779892&cid=t_220723_117_f&fid=36026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fzimney%2Fmany-colon-cancer-patients-dont-get-proper-follow-up%2F After surgery for colon cancer, you are still at risk, both for cancer recurrence and for development of another new colon cancer. Because of this it’s important for colon cancer survivors to be followed closely and monitored carefully. But new research has found that many such survivors aren’t getting the proper follow-up care. And it looks as though the fault lies more with the doctors than it does with the patients. If you or someone you love is a colon cancer survivor, it’s important to know the guidelines for follow-up in order to ensure you’re getting the right tests. In the study, published online in the journal Cancer on September 8, 2008 - only 40 percent of colon cancer survivors who were followed for three years had all the right doctor visits and tests. But since 92 per... Dr. Z's Medical Report blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779892 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:05:55 +0100 1779892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1909239&cid=t_220723_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F286469542%2Ftubal-reversal-pregnancy-statistics.html Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center Mission Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center is the only medical facility specifically for tubal ligation reversal surgery. We provide the most detailed information about tubal reversal available from any doctor, hospital, or medical institution. This blog post describes how we are able to do this. Electronic Patient Database Keeping track of patients following [...] (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1909239 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:59:12 +0100 1909239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1909249&cid=t_220723_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F286469552%2Fwhy-choose-us.html Our Tubal Reversal Center is Unique Dr. Berger is the only physician in the country with a practice that is specifically limited to tubal reversal surgery. That is the only procedure performed here with Dr. Berger performing four reversals each day, five days a week. We have a high staff/patient ratio with one or [...] (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1909249 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:42:38 +0100 1909249 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=848313&cid=t_220723_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F09%2F07%2Fhow-are-children-surviving-cancer%2F Filed under: Childhood CancersHow are children surviving cancer today? Better than ever before. Some childhood cancer patients, now in their young adult years, are expecting to reach milestones in their lives others before them never would have reached.Today, 1 in 1,000 young adults in the United States is a childhood cancer survivor. In the 1970s, the chance a child would outlive leukemia or lymphoma was 25 percent. Today, it's 80 percent. That's better than most adult recovery rates.As recovery rates rise, a new frontier is on the horizon -- follow-up for these young people as they age. You see, the very treatments that saved these individuals may cause them complications later in life. It's not yet clear what happens when kids live 20 to 30 years beyond diagnosis. But teams at St. Jude ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=848313 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 848313 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=714009&cid=t_220723_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F04%2Ffree-teleconference-follow-up-testing-what-you-need-to-know%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Cancer events, Services, Cancer SurvivorsLiving Beyond Breast Cancer will hold a free teleconference, Follow-up Testing: What You Need to Know, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Thursday, August 16. Speaker Virginia F. Borges, MD, will discuss follow-up testing after initial treatment, including follow-up testing guidelines, insights into future tests, the uses or limitations of screening tests and the emotional impact of follow-up testing. She also will explain the need for routine follow-up for other treatment-related health matters, creating a plan to monitor overall health and the role of follow-up tests for women with advanced (metastatic) breast cancer. Dr. Borges is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colora... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=714009 Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 714009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=464813&cid=t_220723_111_f&fid=34711&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmillinersdream.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fweekend-update-21707.html Interesting discussion going on here, thanks to Shamhat who posed the original question. Join in!***** ***** *****I found out I was licensed on Saturday morning last week, a week ago today. I had proctored the night before, for my colleague in her childbirth class way out on Whidbey Island Wednesday night, the 7th. I firmly believe it the perfect night before a big test. I was distracted, doing something I love, and with a dear friend.After her class, about 10 p.m. I headed to the ferry termimal 10 minutes away. I caught the 10:30 P.M. ferry from there to Mukilteo and drove to Renton that night, arriving and locating the test site (I thought.) I drove the few blocks and then checked into the hotel nearby, where I'd made a reservation the day before, about 11:30 p.m. Coming home and then he... Milliner's Dream blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=464813 Sun, 18 Feb 2007 04:00:00 +0100 464813