August 22, 2012 — Physicians in the United States suffer from more burnout than other workers in the United States, new research shows.

A national survey of more than 7000 US physicians reveals that close to one half report having at least 1 symptom of burnout.

“The fact that almost 1 in 2 US physicians has symptoms of burnout implies that the origins of this problem are rooted in the environment and care delivery system rather than in the personal characteristics of a few susceptible individuals.

“Policy makers and health care organizations must address the problem of physician burnout for the sake of physicians and their patients,” the authors, led by Tait D. Shanafelt, MD, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, write.

The survey findings were published online August 20 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

First National Study

Extensive data on physician burnout have been published, but to the investigators’ knowledge, no national study has yet evaluated rates of burnout among US physicians or explored differences in burnout by specialty.

Burnout among US physicians has also not been previously compared with burnout among US workers in other fields. Dr. Shanafelt and colleagues therefore conducted a national study of burnout among physicians from all specialties using the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. (more…)

All the news that’s fit to print… from a wide range of sources around the interwebz. Enjoy! And don’t forget, if you or a family member has a medical condition, protect yourself with a Mediband – so medical assistance can assess your needs quickly.

1. Keeping the family healthy.  Yes, it’s not easy when everyone’s running here and there, but a few basic rules, as demonstrated by you, will keep everyone happy and healthy! Here’s how: Make them, and you, eat breakfast everyday. It’s a trigger for the entire bodily system and is vital. Get them walking at least 30 minutes a day – whether it’s to and fro the bus stop, down to the shops, whatever – make them walk. Sit less, move more. Eat smaller, more regular meals… the list goes on.

2. The risks of making kids fat. It’s worth thinking about how best to keep your kids at their optimum weight. Childhood obesity is on the increases and the risks are becoming clearer by the day. (more…)

Stay healthy, stay fit with all the news that’s fit to post, right here. Do you or a member of your family have a medical condition that could be dangerous? MedibandPlus – details here – is a unique and simple way to get help fast.

1. Putting baby to sleep

Putting baby to sleep is generally a big challenge for every new mother. What strategies do other people use? How do sleeping patterns change as baby grows? What are the tips as recommended by the experts, for getting baby to settle? All you need is here!

2. Keeping baby’s teeth healthy.  It seems that oral dental health is a big issue in children 2 – 5, with around 25% of children experiencing decay. Most parents aren’t feeding kids lots of sugar, so what’s the issue? According to this article, the problem is sending little ones to sleep with a bottle; mostly used to pacify the child and give them a sense of security. Trouble is the sugars in the milk or juice don’t get washed out by normal saliva when the child is sleeping. (more…)

Australia’s new e-health system (PCEHR) launched on 1 July. What will it mean for pharmacy? And for health consumers?

Fran Molloy talks to pharmacists who have been involved in the pre-launch trials about the impact on their processes and how their consumers responded ……..

Mediband an E-option for many

Not everyone is sure that the PCEHR will be a success or the best option for storing and accessing their personal health information, nor is everyone sure of its level of security protection. For instance, the information will not be available to Australians who are travelling overseas.

There are a number of other concerns that have been raised about the new government PCEHR system.  For consumers who share these concerns, there are other options available, and some of them are indeed available through pharmacies.

One of these is Mediband.

These wristband or wallet-based IT identification devices allows the user to store data allowing access to their vital medical records, when necessary.

Within 12 months of its launch into the channel, 22 per cent of Australian pharmacies were already stocking Mediband, and worldwide, there are around 22,000 users, according to Michael Randall, Mediband’s Australian managing director.

MedibandPlus stores information such as;

• Personal and emergency contacts

• Allergies

• Current medications

• Medical notes & unique identifying marks e.g blood type.

• Physician information

• Surgical and implant history

• Donor wishes

Records are easily updated and managed. Whilst personal details are encrypted and password protected, the privacy level of each information field can be set to public, hospitals only, or to private.

An emergency contact email alert informs loved ones quickly in cases of emergency.

Mr Randall says that the simple device offers a number of advantages that will most likely not be available under the PCEHR, in addition to its high, and adjustable, levels of privacy and security.

People with serious health conditions, those with chronic diseases, anyone at risk of being unconscious and not being able to speak themselves in an emergency would benefit from using the device, he believes. “Users of Warfarin, diabetes patients, people with anaphylaxis need to have some sort of device that can alert people, including members of the general public, during an emergency and will benefit from owning this device.”

For more information, visit: http://www.medibandplus.com

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