How happy are you? That’s a tricky question and there’s a lot that can impact your answer. According to a 2016 article in The Economist, these include factors like your financial status, health, relationships and education. One factor that might also have a big influence on your answer is your age. As a society, we… Read More »
Do you use social media? If so, how many social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn) are you a member of? With about 40% of the world’s population already on some form of online social media, even if you don’t use it, you’ve probably heard of it. Devoting several hours each day to… Read More »
Are you happy with your healthcare provider? Most people are happy, even if they’re unhappy with the health care system as a whole. But if you’re unhappy with your doctor or your care, how likely are you to say so or search out a new healthcare provider? Visiting your doctor can be intimidating; so much so,… Read More »
The New York Times recently posted an article about the return on investment around public health interventions and how American life expectancy at birth increased by 30 years in the time from 1900 to 1999. The article went on to stress that these additional years of life can largely be attributed to advances in public… Read More »
As the older population in the US continues to grow, simultaneously increasing the need for healthcare services and providers, patients these days might be more likely to see a physician assistant (PA) or a nurse practitioner (NP), as opposed to an physician (MD); but what’s the difference? Let’s start out with some key facts: how… Read More »
Growing up we were encouraged to learn how to manage our time. Many of us were told that time management was the key to successful careers, personal lives, and finding the balance between the two. A cursory search online of time management brings you to a world of articles, blog posts, and books on time… Read More »
Crowdsourcing is defined as “a sourcing model in which individuals or organizations obtain goods and services, including ideas and finances, from a large, relatively open and often rapidly evolving group of internet users. Crowdsourcing spreads work among participants to achieve a cumulative result.” Some well-known examples of crowdsourcing include the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, the traffic… Read More »
In this post, we describe five principles that guided the development of Positive Health Check, a clinic-based digital health intervention for HIV-positive patients, aimed at making it acceptable and feasible in a clinic setting.
Activity tracker technology has come a long way. The first Fitbit released in 2009 only measured movement, sleep, and calories burned. In contrast, the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch released in 2017 has a much broader range of functions, including heart rate monitoring, personal coaching, and built-in GPS. Consequently, with this change in functionality comes a change in potential uses for… Read More »
Working in the healthcare profession can be both physically and emotionally draining for anyone, no matter their role or job title. Over half of physicians in the US [PDF] experience symptoms of burnout, and studies estimate a large percentage of nurses experience emotional exhaustion and have a higher prevalence of depression when compared to other US workers. Exhaustion… Read More »
There are some occupations where employees are mandated to receive age-based skills and cognitive testing. For example, the National Business Aviation Association has a mandatory retirement age of 65 for airline pilots. Additionally, firefighters, employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, air traffic controllers, and nuclear material couriers are all subject to age-based regulations. These agencies impose age-based… Read More »
What do you use your cell phone for on a daily basis? Many people would say using social media, texting, and placing phone calls– but have you ever considered your smartphone as a tool to improve medication adherence? Our phones are an integral part of our lives, and consequently, researchers, clinicians, and patients have all… Read More »
What’s the first thing you do when you get sick? For many people, a cursory search through various online resources is the initial step in gathering information toward obtaining a diagnosis. The internet places an infinite number of health-related resources at our fingertips, many of which are consumed through social media. Presently, 74% of US… Read More »