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 'improvements'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:11:40 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803233&cid=t_145450_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F09%2Fpsychologys-history-of-being-mesmerized%2F All words have a history. But some are particularly interesting to explore when it comes to psychology — because they’re directly born from it. How many times have you been mesmerized by something, so captured by it that it was like you were in a trance? The word “mesmerize” dates back to an 18th century Austrian physician named Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815). He established a theory of illness that involved internal magnetic forces, which he called animal magnetism. (It would later be known as mesmerism.) Mesmer believed that good physical and psychological health came from properly aligned magnetic forces; bad health, then, resulted from forces essentially being out of whack. He noticed a treatment that seemed to work particularly well in correcting these misaligned force... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803233 Mon, 09 May 2011 15:35:51 +0100 4803233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642934&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fmammograms-arent-as-useful-after-breast.html Well, yip-diddy-doo-dah! After breast cancer treatment, they send you on your way in your life and tell you, 'be vigilant, follow up with your doctors, and get regular mammograms'. Now they say 'mammograms are not as useful after breast cancer - they are less effective/less sensitive. The study (of course another study) recommends ultrasounds, MRIs and possibly the new 3D mammograms which were just approved by the FDA.Thank you for confusing me and stressing me out some more (I am supposed to reduce the stress in my life). I do know where I go for treatment, first of all if you have any previous history, you get the specialized super duper digital mammograms as opposed to the regular digital mammograms. And if there is any question, you get sent for an ultrasound right then and there. But ... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642934 Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:31:00 +0100 4642934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4527951&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Fspeaking-of-medical-records.html I didn't realize the government was pushing all this technology on to hospitals and doctors but they are. They are spending billions of stimulus dollars to get away from pen and paper. They have a long way to go, only 30% of doctors are using electronic records. Apparently the system works for hospitals but not independent practices. Hospitals can afford to go electronic. Doctors who are independent it is a bigger step - even with stimulus money.Where I am treated, starting a year or so ago, they went electronic. First they had two years worth of medical records put into the system. Then everything going forward is electronic. You are never greeted by a nurse with a big medical file (mine was getting big enough to get require a hand cart to lug around) but now they carry a laptop. In addit... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4527951 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 10:36:00 +0100 4527951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455443&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F02%2Ftreatment-advances-and-changes.html As in the proverbial Ginzu knife commercials, "but wait, there's more!" But what if isn't more, there is less? We are always hearing about the newest medical treatment protocol. You have already been through 8,937 treatment protocols and have acquired a second bedside table to contain your prescription bottles and have set up a third spreadsheet to manage them. And then your doctor says, again, for the 8,938th time 'there has been a new treatment protocol - and I would like you to try one of these once a day. Its a new medication and should help you.' You have heard this again and then head to the pharmacy to visit your friends at the prescription pick up counter and pick up another vial of pills. Blah, blah, blah. But what if your doctor said 'take this instead of these other six prescrip... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455443 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 11:28:00 +0100 4455443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436845&cid=t_145450_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FhhTb65BWQDQ%2F In conclusion our research has shown that cryptic crosswords can help improve cognitive functioning in later life, which might not be the case for general knowledge crosswords. Overall the take-home message is continue doing the cryptic crosswords, even if they are a struggle! —  Nicholas Almond has been based at the University of Leeds, UK, for almost twelve years. Nick has just completed his PhD in cognitive neuropsychology, which investigated the relationship between cognitive activity and cognitive decline in healthy aging. . References 1. Hambrick, D. Z., Salthouse, T. A. & Meinz, E. J. (1999). Predictors of Crossword Puzzle Proficiency and Moderators of Age-Cognition Relations. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 12(2), 131–164. 2. Dunlosky, J., Kubat-Silman, A. K. & Her... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436845 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:13:30 +0100 4436845 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179311&cid=t_145450_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsrZu8MkomN4%2F By David BoazThe National Transportation Safety Board is calling on states to require motorcycle riders to wear federally approved helmets. “Too many lives are lost in motorcycle accidents,” Christopher A. Hart, NTSB vice chairman, said in announcing that helmets had been added to the board’s annual “most-wanted list” of safety improvements. “It’s a public health issue.” No, it’s not. Motorcycle deaths are not a public health problem. If motorcyclist A doesn’t wear a helmet, that has no impact on cyclist B. Riding a motorcycle without a helmet may be a bad idea, but it is an individual and non-contagious problem. The meaning of “public health” has sprawled out lazily over the decades. Once, it referred to the projec... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179311 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:17:15 +0100 4179311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3754048&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39026&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarolinemfr.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fconcepts-i-can-live-with.html I have followed the transition of the hospital where I am treated from paper to electronic records. This is going on everywhere and promises to help patients and improve their care. A long time ago, you would check in and they would call the nurses station and tell them you were there. Then they added computers and the nurses would be notified electronically and would come out with a medical file to get you from the waiting room. Now they come out with a laptop (I wonder how often one gets dropped) to get you from the waiting room and bring you back to (the closet) where you will wait for your doctor. Everything is electronic. Well almost. I have been told that the next step in the transition is to have all patient notes be typed in electronically. And now they are working backwards from 2... Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3754048 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:10:00 +0100 3754048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545606&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F05%2Ffashion-plates.html I found them at a garage sale...and was transported, instantly, to my friend Erica's yellow farmhouse, the fertile must of the cows, the murmur of machinery, the hot, stifled air of the piano room at the front of the house. I never had this toy, myself. But she did...and I think she was rather confused by my interest in it as the fascination, for her, had long ago worn off. The quick and easy perfection of your creation as you slid the wax stick over the raised fashion plate, the hours you could spend coloring in your own combinations of dresses, pants, tops, hair styles, accessories...I was smitten! It seems funny to me now, looking back at my childhood, which was mostly a story of sports, outdoors, tomboyishness - those fashion plates, and my dozen or so baby dolls, were the feminine mom... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545606 Fri, 07 May 2010 18:12:00 +0100 3545606 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467992&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fups-and-downs.html Caleb was up for a brief time this morning. Other than that half hour, he has been laying down in bed, mostly sleeping. He continues on the IV fluids and hasn't really taken anything to drink since yesterday in the E.R. His diarrhea doesn't seem to be slowing down much yet, and it is still bloody. We did collect a sample last night and sent it off to Mayo for analysis in their superb lab there. This morning, we saw an infectious disease doctor, who is consulting the CDC and local health department for possible clues as to what this infection could be. All of the physicians continue to suspect E. coli 0-157. If that is the case, antibiotics could cause irreparable damage to Caleb, so as of now, he is not receiving any specific treatment for infection.He is at Luther Hospital, room 4129. I a... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467992 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:39:00 +0100 3467992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2948461&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fback-up-hill-on-this-rollercoaster.html For this reason the argument which is always forthcoming to silence those who conceive extraordinary hopes of man, namely the appeal to experience, is for ever invalid and vain. A mightier hope abolishes despair. We give up the past to the objector, and yet we hope. He must explain this hope. We grant that human life is mean, but how did we find out that it was mean? What is the ground of this uneasiness of ours; of this old discontent? What is the universal sense of want and ignorance, but the fine innuendo by which the great soul makes it enormous claim? Why do men feel that the natural history of man has never been written, but always he is leaving behind what you have said of him, and it becomes old, and books of metaphysics worthless? The philosophy of six thousand years has not searc... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2948461 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:47:00 +0100 2948461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2947106&cid=t_145450_136_f&fid=39016&url=http%3A%2F%2Fturquoisegates.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fmore-improvements.html Amelia has sat up for quite some time today. She is still arching her back somewhat, and as you can see in this photo, her eyes don't track quite right nor are all of her facial expressions symmetric. However, things seem to be going in the right direction for now. Her antibiotics have been restarted because there is still uncertainty about the source of the infection. Haemophilus B influenza and one other common bacteria latex assays (rapid screening tests) came back negative in her spinal fluid. Her spinal fluid is showing no neutrophils now (markers of bacterial infection); neutrophils were present in her previous spinal tap from Tuesday. However, there are more cells indicating viral infection now than there were then. There is some question whether they have effectively been treating ... Turquoise Gates blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2947106 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:43:00 +0100 2947106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367556&cid=t_145450_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FQpdsx--4dF0%2F During my last doctor visit I noticed that all the doctors and nurses were carrying laptops. Everything a patient told them got entered into a system. They went through a long list of questions (that I had already answered many times before) so that now all the information could be stored electronically. Enter the era of Electronic Health Care Records (EHRs). While I think this is a good idea, I also think doctors still need to be cognizant of eye contact and listening to patients in addition to recording their complaints on a computer screen. The recent stimulus package “has approved $20 billion for EHRs” so obviously this is a movement that our president supports. I think it’s a step in the right direction, but it still isn’t perfect. I’m concerned about th... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367556 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:18:58 +0100 2367556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353955&cid=t_145450_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2Fz-myvW1TxG4%2F My wife and I just came back from an inspiring Goldman Prize Award ceremony, where seven grassroots environmental changemakers were recognized for their work and resiliency, and shared their passion and purpose with everyone attending the event. We did hear too from Al Gore, Tracy Chapman, Robert Redford, and the founder of the awards 20 years ago, Richard Goldman.  The BBC recently published an Op-Ed by Mr. Goldman on the story behind the Awards themselves: article Here. He explains how... - "One morning in 1989, as I sat with my daily breakfast and newspaper, I read about the most recent Nobel laureates and wondered if there was a comparable award for environmental work." - "We asked a staff member at our foundation to do some research and he found that nothing yet e... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353955 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:27:08 +0100 2353955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1859755&cid=t_145450_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F413804847%2Fwhy_workshops_waste_money.html Have you ever attended a great workshop, and experienced an aha moment, only to find people forget to roll out any new insights back at work? It’s no coincidence that workshops waste money, and tend to defeat their purpose, if you look at how the brain learns and retains new ideas. How so? While the brain synapses with fast driven ideas, with mentally charged fuels and an impetus for improvement at workshops, change requires more.  It takes time and applications with guidance to override the brain’s natural proclivity to default past former ruts. Life-changing improvements are implemented through extended guidance that increases serotonin hormones for learning and growth. Yet significant changes tend to be abandoned shortly after brief workshops. Participants drop inspir... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1859755 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:20:30 +0100 1859755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1146475&cid=t_145450_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fgood-news-and-bad-news.html Well, you've probably already seen the news on the ADA's website, and while this is the first indication that all of the efforts of patients, their doctors and CDE's have yielded actual proof that their efforts have paid off. But naturally, a slight majority (60%) isn't good enough.Dr. Earl S. Ford, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta said "As welcome as the recent favorable trends in glycemic control are, additional efforts are needed to help the approximately 40% of patients with diabetes who do not have adequate glycemic control."But I think its very unrealistic to assume it will get much better than this -- honestly. First of all, the struggle to achieve this was monumental, with tools that could best be described as prehistoric at best. Think about how crude the... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1146475 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:00:00 +0100 1146475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1131182&cid=t_145450_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F211280769%2F Let’s see… 30 minutes. That is all it takes to lower your risk for heart disease, help combat type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, increase energy, lower cholesterol and help to beat cancer. You don’t need to spend hours at the Gym and spend thousands of dollars on equipment, just get yourself out there for a brisk after dinner walk and use some cheap sand dumbbells or soup cans. Heck, I even use my kids as a barbell sometimes and do sit ups with them on my legs. Studies have shown that simply walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes or more on most days can lead to significant health improvements. Add simple strengthening exercises two or three times a week and the benefits are even greater. My big thing is that the exercise not only lowers my blood sugar but gives me th... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1131182 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:49:49 +0100 1131182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=852674&cid=t_145450_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F153922845%2Fcan_a_thought_change_your_firm.html When you change a thought does it change a reality too? Carl, a retail store manager told about how his work and career goals skyrocketed, after he simply decided to look at the few good qualities of a cranky supervisor. Others claim that misery is misery, and what you think cannot change that fact. Where do you stand in this debate?New research about the brain and about quantum physics joins the mind to related realities ... far more than many people realize. How so? Einstein gave us one compelling picture of energy from the human brain that literally contributes to the formation of reality. General agreement exists among scientists that when we link the possibilities of the mind with the opportunities that exist in reality – both create a powerful influence on the ou... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=852674 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:43:36 +0100 852674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=847513&cid=t_145450_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F153160334%2Fgembutsu_consultants_for_brain.html Change can work in a firm’s favor – and Gembutsu Consulting shows how it happens in four brain based stages.1. Engage people's intelligences for solutions. You’d be hard pressed to miss Gembutsu Consulting’s  emphasis on transformation – built on quality consensus  that capitalizes on problem solving tools … such as creating solutions … in smaller bite sized segments. It’s not usually a given though.2. Motivate waste elimination and refined processes. Perhaps you’ve introduced change and ended up with chaos. Have you ever altered one part of a system at work, for instance, only to have all the other parts shift and consume that change … so that its effect is barely felt … or not at all evident? The key... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=847513 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:30:56 +0100 847513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=700802&cid=t_145450_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F128531120%2Fenter_your_blog_to_create_a_bo.html Earlier this month I plucked One Word Inspirations From 100 Sites.Over the past week I retuned to your snippets of “inspiration” in order to expand the one word list into action plans that move our business minds forward in a new way. Then a great book idea came to me….Let’s hold a contest for change and for a copy of my 2005 book, MI in the Classroom and Beyond. What a great list of tools we’d create – and it could well lead into a book we could write together, titled Business Matters – Change and the Human Brain! Here are the rules… 1). First, choose one word from the list below – other than your own. That leaves you 99 choices from the list! 2. Then, create a brief doable plan for work this week that shows that word in operation. &... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=700802 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:49:12 +0100 700802