The same technology you would find in a grocery store check-out line is coming to a hospital near you!  Bar codes are linking patients to their prescribed medications, cutting down on the number of preventable medical errors.

When nurses roll into patient rooms at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, they are rolling right along with their electronic nursing station on wheels.

Every patient now gets an arm band with a unique bar code – specific to them and their personal medical information.  “Every wristband is tied with a bar code and that bar code stays with the patient throughout their entire visit,” said WCCH Chief Information Officer, Trey Rion. (more…)

We hope you’re all of the above, but sometimes it’s good to get a snapshot of what’s happening around you health-wise. Here’s a look around the world of health at the moment. And if you do have a condition that other’s need to be aware of in a time of need, consider MedibandPlus – details here.

1. It’s Mother’s Day soon!

And that means many organisations are gearing up for things like the Pink Triathlon, because Mother’s Day is not only a celebration, it’s a tribute to women everywhere, to their health and to their worth. Supporting events like the Pink Triathlon or Pink Ribbon Day is a great way to support women everywhere, young, old, mothers or not.

2. Are you taking fish oil supplements? Then (more…)

Sometimes all you need is a little information – a nudge, as it were, to help make decisions about exercise, health and how to keep your family strong and happy. Here’s some general titbits from around the interwebz… And don’t forget, if anyone in the family suffers from an allergy, make sure they can get help fast with a Mediband – so medical assistance can access your history quickly.

1. Comfort food that’s good for you! Buying the groceries and cooking daily is a chore we could all do without, but unless you have an ‘Alice’ on the job, there’s no avoiding it. You can enjoy comfort foods though like mashed potatoes, roast lamb and lemon stir fry without jumping through hoops, spending up large and counting the calorie cost. Here’s how.

2. Watch those knocks. Are any of your children involved in contact sports? Then these guys say young, developing, brains are at greater risk than adult brains. They have a couple of tips to increase safety, such as better training, the warning signs of concussion, and get your child off the field.

3. Flu season coming up.  Consider the vaccination shot; for you, the kids and your partner. Yes, ‘it’s only a cold’ but consider the upside; relatively healthy through it all, no sick days for you or the kids and the ability to go into a crowded movie theatre without shuddering.   (more…)

It’s hard enough staying healthy when you’re already healthy. But what if you’re in ill-health? Chances are you need to be extra-careful. Here are a couple of ways to stay alert. And if you do have a condition that needs urgent attention, consider MedibandPlus – details here.

1. Is there mercury in the fish I eat? Doesn’t matter if you drink tea or black coffee soon after eating fish. The details are here, but essentially the key facts are that eating larger fish increases your chances of mercury ingestion. Stick to prawns, tuna, salmon and you should be fine and … drink tea or coffee (according to Canadian researchers).

2. Are you vegan or vegetarian? Then you’ll need a nutrient top up. (more…)

Sometimes all you need is a little information – a nudge, as it were, to help make decisions about exercise, health and how to keep your family strong and happy. Here’s some general titbits from around the interwebz… And don’t forget, if anyone in the family suffers from an allergy, make sure they can get help fast with a Mediband – so medical assistance can access your history quickly.

1. Don’t sit around all day. A recent Australian study suggests that a lot of time spent at a desk or in front of a tv can shorten your life. Don’t do it for more than a few hours a day is the suggestion and make sure you exercise – in almost any form – at least once a day. Reduce the sedentary time is the key. The study looked at more than 400,000 adults aged 45 and over. Those who sat for more than 11 hours a day were 40% more likely to die during the study period. The survivors sat for less than four hours a day.

2. 1 in 88 children may have a form of autism. 2008 data across 14 communities seems to suggest (more…)