Special Features
Latest Healthcare Feature
In the last 25 years adult obesity in the US has doubled, while childhood obesity has tripled. This has forced the government's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to find new ways of encouraging Americans to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Alex Hawkes speaks with the director of the CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, Doctor William Dietz.
The influenza H1N1 strain was officially announced as a global pandemic in June 2009.
Nanotechnology is being incorporated into a new design to help dry eye sufferers around the world.
South Africa's healthcare expenditure has more than doubled in recent years, offering valuable market opportunities.
The patient monitoring market is fast expanding.
The H1N1 or swine flu virus is spreading further across the globe on a daily basis.
Behind the scenes, UK institutions are working together to stop the spread of H1N1 swine flu as best they can.
The world is in a state of concern that the latest strain of swine flu could soon turn into a global pandemic.
Despite obvious potential, robotics has not yet found a home in surgery.
Abusive, insulting and rude behaviour are traits that you would not normally associate with healthcare professionals.
As one of the conditions now under regulation that restricts reimbursement, pressure ulcers are of great concern.
The leading cause of accidental death in one US state, the use of prescription drugs is a major concern.
With the concept of "TIME" now a few years in practice, how has wound bed management developed?
In this issue we look at how the role of the radiologist is ever-changing. Who would have thought that just a few decades ago radiologists could go from providing diagnostic imaging to specialising in some of the smallest parts of the body, as Dr Arl Van Moore, president of the American College of Radiology, explains in his Q&A.
Meanwhile, in this edition's cover story, Dr Jonathan Goldin explains that while the benefits of CT are obvious, we must all consider the potentially detrimental effects such procedures have on patients, something that may have been overlooked in the face of technological advances.
Perhaps the saddest lessons to learn come from the death or serious injury of a patient in care. As Patrick Colletti explains in his article about projectiles and MRI machine incidents, more needs to be done to educate people involved in scanning and to prevent such incidents from happening again.
The general public is more aware today than ever before of the causes and results of HAIs, but is this a good thing? Lorrie Kelly looks at the effects of high-profile media campaigns that have, in the UK at least, raised awareness but potentially led to more complacency people assume the war against the superbug is won.
Meanwhile, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has implemented new regulations increasing the scrutiny on pressure ulcer prevention. This might seem like a good thing, reducing the suffering of patients, but it is also an attempt to cut costs through focusing on preventable conditions. Lee Ann Krapfl asks whether the financial pressures outweigh the focus on patient safety and staffing levels. Finally, our cover story on focuses on abusive and insulting behaviour among medical staff. It is not only damaging to the individual and the collective morale of a facility, it can also compromise patient outcomes, as author Joseph Grenny explains.
