DiversityNursing Blog

Strong management is necessary for all work environments, especially those that involve quick decision-making and high-pressure situations. Nursing is a career that, undoubtedly, fits into this category. Quality Nurse Management is vital when creating successful Nursing teams. Nurse Managers have an effect on how their employees relate to each other and their patients. Regardless of the hospital unit the manager works in, he or she must lead with a firm yet compassionate hand, revealing what they expect from the team. What is the importance of strong Nurse Management?

·Creating a healthy work environment

A Nurse Manager sets the tone of working in his/her department, acting as a negative or positive role model for the staff members. If he makes the employees feel like part of team and encourages teamwork, he inspires them to work together instead of competing. If he encourages constant communication, employees will be able to approach him when in need of guidance or to mentor. This creates a healthy work environment where people communicate freely with each other.

·Nurturing teamwork

Strong Nurse Management helps to encourage Nurses to work as units. For Nurses to be successful, they need to have great interpersonal skills. They must be good at communicating with patients, their families, and other members of the staff. Strong communication and teamwork are essential to providing quality patient care. To achieve teamwork, Nurses in management positions should encourage staff members to collaborate and help each other willingly.

·Supporting employee development

Nurses should keep refining their skills and learn new ones if they want to stay up-to-date with medicine. Effective Nurse Managers create environments that support growth and provide Nurses with the resources necessary to strengthen their competency. Additionally, they act as mentors, guiding new members of the staff as they adjust to their roles. When a manager values and encourages professional development, Nurses are more likely to push themselves to try new things.

·Proper organization

Proper organization is essential to the success of a Nursing team. Chaos is likely to ensue in the absence of proper organization – which would be unfortunate in the fast-paced, demanding healthcare world. A strong Nurse Manager needs to be detail oriented, methodical, and skilled at recognizing and solving problems. She should have the ability to tackle many different tasks simultaneously: overseeing patient care, writing shift schedules, and assigning duties to the Nurses.

·Setting department goals

Members of staff usually look to the manager for direction, trusting him/her to help them in understanding their role. The Nurse Manager often interprets the goals set by the hospital, decoding them into specific steps that the Nurses can follow. She must also define clear goals for the team, explaining them in a manner that emphasizes their significance. Managers typically oversee everything from standards of care to departmental budgets. Moreover, they must consider all aspects of the department’s operations before giving the team instructions.

·Encouraging success

Good Nurse Managers promote environments that encourage their staff to be more productive and enthusiastic when working. As the manager, the onus falls on him/her to lead through actions and words – to show that anything below 100% performance is unacceptable. Nurse Managers need to be honest with the team about its performance and issue clear instructions. They should also praise the staff members who do outstanding work and encourage those having a tough time.

·Positive growth

Good Nurse Managers should have the confidence to analyze their work honestly and come up with ways to improve them. When the team’s performance is below par, managers should make changes that improve performance, taking it to the next level. Nurse Managers should influence the staff members to evaluate the things around them and themselves, to find out what works. This will help them to improve their team performance and work environment.

·Smoothing patient relations

When patients and their families have concerns about the quality of care given, they go to the Nurse Manager. They might have questions about the treatment plan or complain about mistreatment from staff. No matter how irate the patient is, Nurse Managers must listen and answer the questions. It is the job of the Nurse Manager to let the patient know that his/her concerns will be taken seriously. During the meeting with the patient or their family, the manager should outline the steps that will be taken to remedy the situation or investigate the complaint.

Nurse Managers usually oversee specific units in the hospital. Therefore, they are responsible for the administrative and clinical aspects, including addressing the concerns of patients and supervising the Nurses. Not only do they require special expertise, but they also need strong communication skills.

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Related links: Being a nurse leader, even without the title

The profession of Nursing is engaged in a consistent conversation about the state of Diversity in Nursing. The way these figures are tallied are by comparing the percentage of individuals of various ethnic or cultural backgrounds in the general population to the relative group percentages in the field of Nursing. Many professional Nursing publications have been observant that Diversity in the Nursing field has improved, but there is still much additional room for continued improvement.

Where we've been

While a century ago the profession was nearly entirely comprised of white females, the increased Diversity enjoyed in the present day still falls short of being an accurate representation of the population breakdowns of society at large. According to 2016 census data, the only minority group meeting their group's needs in terms of proportionate population is Asians, who have actually managed to overrepresent their group by almost 5% when compared to the percentage of Asians in American patient populations.

A changing national demographic

Whites are still over-represented in nearly all Nursing roles while Hispanic and African American Nurses still have ground to make up if they wish to accurately represent the proportion of their respective group populations who enter as patients in health care facilities. By 2044, national Census data aggregators and analysts believe that Americans of European descent will cease to be the majority of the US population, when at that time they are expected to make up 50% or less of the entire population.

Why Diversity should help

The hypothesis that Nurse Diversity is best for the outcome of patients is centered around the idea that minority patients will feel more comfortable. With the added comfort on the part of the patients, the hope is they will be more compliant with recommended medicines, procedures and recommendations of any kind. If the Nurses and doctors serving minority patients are of the same cultural or ethnic background as themselves, many believe that noticeably positive outcomes could result. This is all still theory, of course, and hasn't been able to be borne out in any specific studies or repeatable situations.

While the specifc data hasn't been borne out in scientific studies to explain a known patient benefit for increased minorities in the Nursing field, there is a lot of policy support and governmental approval of the notion. Fortunately for those who have taken on this cause as a personal conquest, the numbers of enrolled Nursing students is starting to include more minorities as well as more males in the field, another group historically greatly underrepresented. A lot of the Diversity increase being noticed in Nursing school enrollment has been unbalanced from state to state. A closer look shows more enrolled Nursing students in Southern states versus Northern ones and more in the West than in the East.

Related: Bringing diversity to the nursing workforce

The digitalization of patient health information, whether medical records or insurance claims, began in earnest about a decade ago. It’s taken effort from health care personnel at all levels — as well as government mandates — to move the entire industry toward seizing the opportunity that the new influx of data offers.

How Big Data is Changing Health Care

“Big data” is a buzzword that companies across a variety of industries refer to when talking about their future plans. Health care companies are no different and are embracing the collection of big data to provide quality patient care and reduce costs.

What is Big Data?

IBM defines big data as “data coming from everywhere.” This encompasses everything from pictures and videos posted on social media to credit card transactions. Big data can help professionals improve practices and find opportunities for change. The ability to collect large amounts of useful data on patients offers a unique set of benefits for health care organizations.

Big Data and the Health Care Industry’s Future

From improving profits to avoiding preventable diseases, big data is becoming a powerful tool in every corner of the health care industry. A large portion of big data collection is happening in the pockets of patients, as smartphones and wearable devices like the Fitbit and Apple Watch have enabled people to monitor their own health. According to Forbes, the eventual goal is to make this data available to physicians and other health care providers. By compiling a patient’s data and comparing it to similar information from the general public, doctors may be able to identify preventable health problems.

Technology is allowing the health care industry to make data archived about patients over decades accessible. By digitizing medical and insurance records and pairing them with the new wave of data from sources like smartphones, doctors may be able to draw a comprehensive picture of a patient to improve the quality of care. The Pittsburgh Health Data Alliance is seeking to do exactly this and has become an example for how partnerships between medical and data professionals may work in the future.

Health care companies are also implementing big data in research and clinical trials, returning fascinating results. Big data can help researchers pick the best possible subjects for a clinical trial. Big data can also help measure how the trials are going, which could lead to breakthroughs in treatments for dangerous diseases like cancer.

How Legislation is Influencing Big Data in Health Care

Those who are searching for major medical advances may be embracing big data, but the health care industry as a whole has struggled to keep up with technology. Because of federal legislation, the American health care system is finally moving forward into the 21st century. Several laws have set standards and created timelines for the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and other technology.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH)

The HITECH Act of 2009 was the most important piece of legislation related to the widespread adoption of health information technology (HIT), namely a nationwide network of EHRs. The law set aside $36.5 billion in spending to create this network and other measures to digitize health care information.

The law gave the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the power and authority to establish programs that promoted HIT use. With this power, HHS developed a national standard for the collection, storage and exchange of electronic health information. This process continues to change as security standards grow more and more strict.

The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA)

Section 618 of the FDASIA legislation passed in 2012 allowed HHS and the FDA to develop strategies and recommendations for advanced HIT framework. The standards included information on the use of mobile medical applications, including the ones that are involved in the collection of big data. This framework was meant to promote innovation while still valuing the privacy of patients.

The Affordable Care Act

The landmark health care reform law included language designed to improve the overall operations of health care organizations. Providers are now incentivized to share data, which ideally will allow for easier collection of big data and faster adoption of EHRs.

How the Health Care Industry is Protecting Patient Data

As with the storage of any sensitive data, security is paramount in the field of health care data. And just as the collection and use of big data has grown exponentially, so has the need for professionals to secure it. Health care companies are facing several of the same issues that other major sectors of the economy are facing regarding IT security. They also must follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a federal law enacted in 1996 that protects patient privacy.

Data Breaches

Protecting health care information is far more difficult than financial information, according to
Jim  Nelms, who is head of security at the Mayo Clinic and spent 14 years at the World Bank. The problem is that the health care industry hasn’t adopted secure IT practices at the same pace as other industries.

The Ponemon Institute found that 91 percent of health care organizations have experienced at least one data breach in the past two years. These breaches have cost companies more than $6 billion. The attacks are making patients open to identity theft and causing serious issues for the health care companies themselves.

Improving Health Care Data Security

For health care companies, simply continuing the growth and progress of digitalization will help have a strong effect on data security. As the health care industry gains a better grasp on how to properly secure protected health information (PHI), companies will be better suited to combat criminal threats. Many organizations have only recently begun hiring chief security officers to oversee these operations. As digitalization becomes the standard, the health care industry will need to focus on security just like other industries.

The Future of Health Care Careers

As health care companies implement the collection, sharing and protection of big data, both health care providers and administrators will need to understand how big data is affecting the industry. Health care leaders and IT professionals can gain the knowledge necessary to prepare for careers in the rapidly changing health care industry. Point Park University offers a fully online Master of Science in Health Care Administration and Management that allows students to maintain their current responsibilities while obtaining a credential they need to start a new chapter in their careers. Learn more today.

For more than 100 years, Nursing professionals interested in taking their careers to the next level have been developing their expertise in case management. They worked hard to assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor and evaluate the treatment options available to their patients. 

The goal was deliver the best possible care to patients with complicated health needs. 

Up until about 20 years ago, there were no defined criteria for what it meant to be an expert in case management. But as more information about how case management helps lower healthcare costs and improve outcomes, skills and knowledge required to manage patients' social, medical, financial and behavioral needs has become clear. 

Today, there are more than 37,000 board-certified Case Managers working across the United States. These professionals earned their certification from the Commission for Case Management Certification (CCMC). Others earned their certification from the Case Management Society of America and the American Case Management Association. They work in hospitals, clinics and specialty care centers--and an increasing number of employers are requiring board certification as a condition of employment. 

Here is a look at how Nurses can earn their case management certification:

1) Be eligible

Before a Nurse can become a board-certified case manager, he or she must meet the minimum requirements. For the CCMC, this includes holding current, active and unrestricted licensure or certification in a healthcare or human-services profession. 

In addition, the position held by the candidate must create opportunities for the employee to conduct independent patient assessments, or the employee must hold a bachelor's degree or graduate-level degree in social work, Nursing or another field directly related to promoting physical, psychosocial or vocational well-being. 

The candidate for certification must have worked as a case manager for at least 1 year to be considered for certification. 

Nurses who meet these criteria may apply for approval to sit for the certification exam. 

2) Prepare for the exam

Everyone who wishes to become board-certified must pass the certification exam. The exam is "practice-based," which means that every question is based around real-world experience. 

Topics could include financial issues facing patients and practices, patient rights, healthcare systems, care plans, and much more. 

One of the bet ways to prepare for the exam is to take practice tests, which are available on the Commission for Case Manager Certification website. In addition, the commission partners with third parties to provide certification workshops. The Case Management Society of America also offers an array of preparation materials, which are available on the organization's website. 

While it is possible to pass the exam without preparing, It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in achieving certification take steps to prepare for the exam. 

3) Pass the test

The certification exam involves a 3 hour test that includes 180 questions. It is presented on a computer and the total amount of time in the exam center is 4 hours, which includes time to get situated as well as a brief tutorial before the test begins. 

Test takers will need to make sure they are registered for the test, on time and have the proper credentials, which include a government-issued identification card and a confirmation from the testing center. 

Once the test is complete, everyone who has taken the exam receives a preliminary score at the testing center. While not official, the preliminary score is most often accurate. Those who passed the test will receive formal notification from the organization awarding the certification at a later date. Those who did not pass the test are eligible to re-take the exam during the next available testing date. 

A list of exam schedules is available on the Commission for Case Manager Certification website, the American Case Management Association website and the American Case Management Association website. 

Becoming board certified is a great way for Nurses to distinguish themselves as professionals who consistently deliver high-quality care, safe environments for patients, efficiency for their employers and the best possible service to both patients and the practices for which they work. It indicates a commitment to consumer protection, ethical standards and behavior, and scientific and practice-based care for patients across the continuum of care.

Over the past 60 years, both private and government third-party payment policies have shaped our health care system.  Medicare hospital inpatient payment policies during the mid-1980s set a precedent for most payers to change cost-based to prospective payment systems and resulted in hundreds of hospitals closing or merging.

Until 1990, private and public third party payers had no explicit policy to pay for telehealth or telemedicine services.  Medicare reimbursed services that did not require face-to-face contact between a patient and practitioner, such as radiology or EKG/ EEG.  Reimbursement was idiosyncratic depending on policies of Medicare.
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) signaled a change in Medicare payment policies that opened the door for telemedicine reimbursement. This article will describe current Medicare telemedicine policies and discuss how the growth of telemedicine affects our current and future career Nurses.

Who Can Receive Services
Under the BBA, only services provided to patients in federally-designated rural Health Professional Shortage Areas were eligible. These generally lack primary providers. For example, a community may have a Nurse or GP, but no specialists such as cardiologists, psychologists or even dermatologists. These communities greatly benefit from telemedicine, but the telemedicine providers who served them could not be reimbursed under the BBA.

From this conundrum came the telecommunication consult, fee splitting and general chaos regarding defining the services a patient received, and from whom, and how it was to be compensated. The command to follow the money was not only difficult, but so was finding the money in the first place.

Telecommunication Finally Recognized
The awesome superiority was clear in many instances where personal contact by physicians was not necessary but exchanged technology was vital. There was a flurry in the field of home health care Nursing, which suffered horrendous setbacks in funding during the 90s and the services that survived were cut back in quantity.

Technology changes all businesses and how we conduct them. No better can this be seen than in the growth of the Internet. Developments in bio-informatics, miniaturization, and computer chip design promise major advances in prevention and treatment of disease, including providing health education and counseling in patients’ homes.

Should Nurses Be Concerned?
This new world of health care is not universally available in the USA. The telecommunications for telemedicine are still inadequate or unaffordable in many rural areas. So why should Nurses be concerned? Nurses have much to gain.

1. Telehome care is a Nursing industry.
2. Nurses play a key role in all telemedicine, usually managing.
3. Nurses have been at the forefront of video teleconferencing for preventive services and advocating for policies at national, state, and institutional levels;
4. Nurses often are the key providers of preventive services, many of which would be enhanced by access to telemedicine services.

Given the concerns of third party payers as to whether to pay, the voice of Nurses must be heard. The question for Nurses is: Will we be at the table when decisions setting telehealth payment policies are adopted? The future Nurses’ role must be acknowledged and categorized efficiently as new telemedicine legislation is entered in states like AK and CA.  Emphasis must be equal for preventative as well as curative medicine.

Growth of Nursing Responsibilities
Nurses usually have the management and technological administration of both preventative care duties and the tech equipment and shared information with other professionals.  This acknowledgement should result in a categorizing of new Nursing skills relative to the technological needs of medicine. As technology in medicine grows, so should the field of RN’s as it embraces additional functions and departments.

Follow the Money to Nursing?
Incredibly, it could be that the future decade will promote the values of the requirements of RN’s to the point that the skills receive increased compensation on a level with their increased duties.  Payment of their skills by Medicare and other third party insurers will open a floodgate of better and more efficient medical care for patients and in time will increase the health care of our nation. The USA is considerably behind other countries in this regard despite having the resources and expertise in medical specialization.

The senior population is more likely to need Nursing care, yet the population of qualified Nurses in diminishing.  There is increased opportunity for young men and women to enter the Nursing profession as an upwardly mobile career.

Related Articles:

Do People Trust Telemedicine? [INFOGRAPHIC]

With Telemedicine as Bridge, No Hospital Is an Island

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Last year the Green Valley Fire District began what is best described as a "mobile urgent care" and next month they will be sharing it in Washington D.C.

The fire district has four nurse practitioners on staff to help respond to medical calls that do not require a trip to the emergency room. They can treat patients in home whether that be giving someone stitches or prescribing antibiotics.

"In essence we are a mobile urgent care," said Battalion Chief Dan Modrzejewski.

He is one of two chiefs with GVFD that will travel to Washington D.C. at the end of March to present their program to the American Society of Aging. They will show how their program works, why they started it, and its success with a group that includes the Centers for Disease Control, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid, among others.

Modrzejewski says he hopes other agencies around the country will adopt their program. Similar programs are already in a handful of jurisdictions.

The Green Valley program, less than a year old, has been a success according to Modrzejewski. He says before they began, a quarter of their 911 calls could have been handled by a nurse.

"They don't necessarily need to go to the emergency room," he said.

Last year, their nurses responded to 170 calls and were able to treat all of them in home instead of transporting them to the emergency room. Modrzejewski says an emergency room transport could cost between $3,000 and $4,000 while their program is much cheaper on the patient.

"The most we charge insurance is going to be $300 or $400," he said.

He says when they began they had one nurse, but now they have four on staff. Additionally, the program has decreased the number of 911 calls they receive because people are calling their appointment line for the nurse. That number is 520-428-0550.

There are undoubtedly a number of myths about the Nursing profession. Being a Nurse is as rewarding spiritually as it is financially, but unfortunately, many qualified individuals overlook the Nurse career path due to any number of possible misconceptions. After debunking some of these Nursing myths, it becomes easier to decide whether a career in Nursing makes sense for anyone considering it.

1. Only females choose the Nursing profession: Perhaps the most commonly believed Nursing myth is that only females become Nurses. From 1970 to 2011 alone, the percentage of male Nurses nearly tripled from 2.7 percent to 9.6 percent. Those figures have only risen since then.

2. Nurses are only found in hospitals: Nurses can work in a variety of settings, hospitals being only one of the more common environments typically thought of by the uninformed public. Among RNs, only 63.2 percent are performing in-patient and out-patient services in hospitals. Among LPN's, the numbers are even less tilted toward hospital work settings, with only 29.3 percent working in hospitals.

3. Nurses want to be doctors: The notion that a Nurse is simply a doctor in training or a doctor that didn't make the cut is both incorrect and disparaging to how unique and important a Nurse's work really is.

4. Due to a Nursing shortage, it's simple to get a job: Nobody would think that because there is a shortage of astronauts, pursuing that career path would be easy. Why use that same logic for the career path of becoming a Nurse? According to professional studies and available data, most Nurses must undergo a period of 2-4 years of training to earn entry into an RN or LPN Nursing role.

5. Nurses are all the same: The work performed by a Nurse is going to vary greatly depending on the specific medical setting the Nurse inhabits. Certainly one of the more common Nursing myths, it is hardly the case that Nurses are just simple clones of one another. Not only are there a wide range of potential services regularly performed by qualified Nurses, but there are a vast set of options in terms of Nursing specializations for those seeking specific types of healthcare work.

6. Continuing Education (CE) is only important if you plan to pursue a management position: More than any other field, the Nursing occupation has stringent requirements for continuing education, even when management positions aren't the goal. The extent to which a Nurse is performing their functions properly is shown in how well the services performed are executed. Continuing Education for Nurses is beyond a requirement -- It's a smart career move.

7. Nurses only work crazy hours and shifts: Too often, a Nurse is thought of as a person who has to work very late into the night, or that Nurses must arrive at their work before the crack of dawn. Frankly and fortunately, this is not always the case.

8. Nurses are doctors' assistants: The tasks required of a Nurse are varied and important. Very rarely are Nurses and doctors actually working on the same efforts and tasks. More commonly, Nurses and doctors are performing their own separate and critical functions within a medical or healthcare environment, but these functions rarely overlap or present themselves in a boss/assistant paradigm.

9. Nurses only take care of patients: One of the most long-standing Nursing myths around is the concept that Nurses are just rushing around taking care of patients' needs. Taking temperatures, writing on charts, fluffing pillows and the like are the type of tasks that are conjured up in the minds of those who frankly don't understand the depth of a Nurse's daily efforts.

10. There is no Diversity in a Nursing job: Continuing on the myth that started this list, the misunderstanding about Nursing diversity extends beyond gender. While the cliché that a Nurse is always a Caucasian female, the numbers are starting to tilt drastically towards an ever-increasing diverse workforce of Nurses. This is definitely in the best interest of the diverse patient populations seeking medical care from Nurses.

Choosing a career in Nursing is a very individual choice, but it does pay to consider these Nursing myths. Simple misunderstandings about what it is to be a Nurse can prevent some potentially excellent Nurses from joining the fold. Not everyone is going to be a perfect match for the job of a Nurse. Once these myths are dispelled, the field opens up to many more individuals with an interest in finding a rewarding occupation and the opportunity to focus their efforts on helping the sick and suffering.

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America is getting old. Not the nation itself, but the average age of the citizens that call America home. According to the US government's census and population board, by 2030 the Baby Boomer generation will be over the age of 65 and as such, the shift in demographics will cause many changes to the USA's way of life and tending to the aged. One such area where these changes will see direct effects is in the palliative care and nursing home care for aging and senior citizens.

Available Beds in Nursing Homes
As the American population sees the shift toward having more senior citizens there is going to be pressure on the available nursing homes in the country to expand and provide more beds and spaces to accommodate the change. This is no small task. The two sides of the coin to this have positive and negative effects on the aging population (and indeed, to those under age 65). The positive side of the coin shows projections illustrating increases in the amount of jobs available in the country, especially in the construction, design and nursing fields.

As the American population ages construction of new facilities and assisted living homes becomes critical. As the construction and expansion takes place there will be a need for qualified laborers and construction specialists such as architects and designers. Economists say this will help push the country's economy forward and will help to keep the unemployment rate down.

The flip side of this coin is while the age demographics shift, there is going to be a demand for laborers and constructions workers, but there will be a dip in available hands to actually do the work. This is going to create a demand for higher wages and benefits which will push the already spiked costs for nursing care and elderly services even higher leaving many in tough situations.

Nurses, Doctors and Trained Medical Professionals
With the growing aged population, there is going to be a huge need for more qualified Nurses, doctors and medical professionals who understand and work with the elderly. When this shift occurs, there will be a strain on available medical services and professionals already in the country. The hope is younger generations will go into the needed fields of medicine and technician professionals.

Everything from radiology techs to physician assistants are going to be in high demand. But with the younger generations not growing as fast as the aging, there are valid concerns about available new medical health practitioners and where to find them.

With the continued strain on Nurses and other medical professionals, there is going to be long waits for basic appointments and services as well as increases in the already high costs of American medical services. For many in the aging population, the fear that even with a pension and health insurance, meeting the basic monthly expenses for needed prescription drugs and doctor's appointments may be out of reach for many. This means the aging population will be at risk as they will not be able to afford their needed medical services and drugs.

Some economists argue that as the demand for such services and professionals increase, there will be a huge opportunity for the younger generations to study, train and enter the medical field. Hopefully this will meet the services needed by the aging population as well as increase the economy and push positive growth forward. This is projected to mean better conditions and services available to the growing and aging population of the USA.

The solutions for the aging population are not easy, but hopefully the country will rise to the challenge to take care of it's elderly. They have already given so much to the country and it is important the country rise to meet their needs as they grow old.

Related Article: Aging Population a Boon for Health Care Workers

In the 1960's colleges in the United States began to develop software that could be used for electronic medical records.  It took until the 1990's before a usable program was initially implemented.  This article will address the major pros and cons.

PROS

• Information available to medical facilities is very complete including demographics, personal information, billing information, diagnoses, surgeries, allergies, lab results, x-rays, smoking status, vitals, medications prescribed and those discontinued.  
• Medications can be renewed or prescribed directly to the pharmacy for pick up by the patient.  Unusual reactions to medications can be noted and avoided in the future.
• Access to any area of the record can be obtained by using a search word and/or using tabs.
• In case of an emergency records are immediately available to the treating medical team for use in treatment.  This alone can save lives. 
• Limited access by insurance companies for preauthorization of procedures.   
• Legibility is a given and it's no longer necessary to try and read medical personnel handwriting. 
• The reduction of paper files has been a real boost to the ecology.  Disuse of paper files has had a major favorable impact. Paper records for over 340 million patients is a lot of paper.
• Patients have access to appointments, lab results, medications and other information through patient portals.

CONS

• Security is somewhat of an issue as there have been thousands of breeches over the years and with HIPPA in effect good security is mandatory. 
• Power outages affecting computer systems could be a major problem if you don't have a backup generator. Loss of the internet due to sun spots or some other issue could be disastrous.
• Records can be accessible to anyone in the facility with a password.
• Start up, maintenance and training costs are very high. Upwards of $30,000 - $50,000 startup and $8,500 per year maintenance per provider. 
• Patients are seen less often which can depersonalize patient-provider interaction. Also, providers spend so much time looking into records on the computer, that it detracts from patient care and attention.
• There are many electronic medical record systems available and they don't necessarily interact. This means the primary provider may have a different system than the local hospital and the necessary information is not available. This results in having to print out the records and fax or email them.  Leading to a major delay in patient treatment which could make the difference in life or death. It can also lead to incorrect treatment because of unknown diseases, allergies or other issues.
•  If lawyers looking for reasons to bring suit can find a medication entered wrong or some other mistake can give them a distinct advantage.

This is just a basic overview of the Pros and Cons of Electronic Medical Records.  Do you have more to add?

Related Article: Complaints About Electronic Medical Records Increase

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Infections borne by mosquitoes are nothing new, however a new virus has recently gained intense global attention because of its potential link to birth defects.  In the vast majority of cases, the Zika Virus is spread by the bite of infected female mosquitoes of the Aedes genus.  The virus was first isolated in 1947, in the Zika forest located in Uganda.  Before 2015, Zika virus outbreaks had been confirmed only in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands.  In May of 2015, Brazil reported an outbreak of the virus, and since then, the virus has rapidly spread across Central and South America.  The virus has currently been identified in at least 33 countries, and the World Health Organization predicts that 3 to 4 million people will be infected by the virus over the next year. 

Symptoms

Four, out of five people, who contract the illness experience no overt symptoms, and never realize that they are carrying the virus.  Those individuals who do become ill, generally have mild symptoms which may include headaches, conjunctivitis, joint and muscle pain, fever, and a skin rash.  Symptoms appear, approximately 3 to 12 days, after being bitten by an infected mosquito, and normally subside within a week’s time.  Few infected individuals need to go to the hospital, and death is extremely rare.

What makes the Zika virus so frightening, however, is that after the huge Zika virus outbreak in Brazil in 2015, Brazilian mothers are giving birth to babies with microcephaly.  Babies born with microcephaly may have smaller heads than normal because the brain is improperly developed or has stopped growing.  The neurological disorder can cause significant developmental delays, impaired cognitive development, and in some cases, death.  Brazil has confirmed 460 cases of microcephaly in newborns since November, and doctors have reported 4,000 suspected cases.  The clusters of increased microcephaly cases appear to significantly overlap with parts of the country where the Zika virus is flourishing.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also investigating a possible link between the Zika virus and increased occurrences of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare paralysis disorder. 

How to Avoid Getting It

As no vaccine currently exists to eliminate the disease, the best way to avoid getting the Zika virus is to avoid getting bitten.  Generally, mosquitoes responsible for spreading the virus, bite their victims during the daytime.  The CDC recommends taking the following steps when traveling to countries where the Zika virus has been identified:

• Protect your exposure by wearing long pants and shirts with long sleeves.
• Stay inside as much as possible, in areas that have air conditioning or screens that keep mosquitoes outside.
• Use mosquito bed nets when sleeping outside.
• Use insect repellents.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered repellents are effective, and can safely be used by pregnant or breast-feeding women.
• Spray clothing and trappings with permethrin, a synthetic insecticide, or buy permethrin-treated gear.
• The CDC’s Travelers Health website posts Zika virus health notices for all countries impacted.

The Zika virus is spread almost exclusively by mosquitoes, but recent research confirms that it can also be transmitted through sexual contact and blood transfusions.  Men who have traveled to active Zika virus areas should wear protection consistently, or abstain from sexual activity, if they have a pregnant partner.  It is not yet clear on how long the risk of transmission should be avoided. 

The available evidence indicates that, for the majority of people, the Zika Virus is a rather benign illness.  The greatest risk involves women who are pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant.  These women should take every available caution to avoid contracting this virus.

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