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By placing on-site nurse case managers in hospitals and post-acute facilities, Presbyterian Health Plan of New Mexico has saved more than $1 million in just 10 months, according to Paula Casey, MSN, RN, ONC, CCM, clinical director for inpatient and recovery services at the Albuquerque-based health plan.
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To prevent hospital admissions, gather as much information as possible about the patient's discharge needs, psycho-social needs, and support systems in the community, Cory Sevin, RN, MSN, NP, director with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement advises. Talk to family members and primary care providers who know the patient and can provide first-hand information, Sevin says.
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A physical therapy program that included task-specific walking training using a body-weight supported treadmill and over-ground practice was not shown to be superior in improving walking ability among stroke survivors compared to a home physical therapy program focused on structured, progressive strength and balance exercises and general encouragement to walk. This late-breaking science was presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2011.
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Healthcare practitioners can increase the number of patients with heart disease referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program by 40%, helping them to reduce their risk of dying and improve their quality of life, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at Toronto General Hospital in Canada.
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For patients suffering from chronic lower back pain, a new review of existing research finds that spinal manipulation is as helpful as other common treatments like painkillers, according to the Health Behavior News Service, part of the Center for Advancing Health.
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For workers' compensation patients with chronic low back pain, spinal fusion surgery leads to worse long-term outcomes including a lower rate of return to work compared to nonsurgical treatment, suggests a study in the Feb. 15 issue of Spine.
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In today's healthcare environment, as patients are being discharged from the hospital sicker and quicker than ever before, some patients are in and out of the hospital as if they are going through a revolving door, says Catherine M. Mullahy, RN, BS, CRRN, CCM, president and founder of Mullahy & Associates, a case management training and consulting company based in Huntington, NY.
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Incentives for wellness program participation is becoming more common, but "it can be challenging to settle on the optimal design," according to Daniel Buckalew, a health coaching program manager for Minneapolis-based Ceridian, a global business services company.
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"Presenteeism is a measure of productivity. It can be gauged in a number of ways," says Margie Weiss, PhD, CEO and community health advocate at the Weiss Health Group, a Neenah, WI-based consulting company that works with companies and communities on health and wellness.
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More reliable tools are needed to measure the costs of presenteeism, which takes an insidious toll on the work place.
