RedScrubs
The Resource for Medical Professionals

Shopping online is not new. For many of us it is the best way to obtain information and products, especially during busy holiday seasons when the stores are crowded, or when they are closed. If nothing else, online shopping is convenient. GetWellNetwork Inc. partnered with The Paquin Group has developed an entirely new feature of online shopping; shopping from your hospital bed.

Healthcare IT News has the story. Online shopping from a hospital bed enables patients to purchase products and services prior to being discharged so that they can have the requisite supplies to facilitate their recuperation period at home.

The service offers more than 250,000 products to choose from and is currently targeting new mothers, diabetics, orthopedics, and cardiovascular health. Products and services are obtained with the recommendation of the patient’s physician.

Google’s personal health record (PHR) is getting closer to becoming an on-line reality as it enters the pilot aspect of its development. Modern Healthcare recently provided an update to Google’s collaborative efforts with the Cleveland Clinic in the launching of the pilot program for the online PHR. The big story about this pilot is that Google is not providing any privacy protections as out lined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly referred to as HIPAA, during the pilot stage.

At the crux of the privacy issue is the lack of a signed business agreement between Google and the Cleveland Clinic. Both parties do have plans to sign such an agreement in the future though as the PHR program goes forward. Modern Healthcare did state that Google does have protections in place for now to ensure privacy, but those details were not apparent in the article. On a side bar, Microsoft Corp. has also developed its competing application called HealthVualt and is collaborating with the Mayo Clinic in a similar endeavor.

Recently the American Heart Association (AHA) came out with a report on meeting their benchmarks for reductions in heart disease and stroke. They claimed that their 2010 goals for reductions in these areas were met for coronary heart disease and almost met for stroke. A study from the Archives of Internal Medicine published in February 2008 state unequivocally that the reductions in coronary heart disease have ended. The question of whether this termination of the reduction trend is due to rising obesity and diabetes awaits further study.

The good news is that more women than ever before are beating breast cancer. The bad news is those survivors are dealing with another problem that’s even more widespread than some thought. A new study has found that a majority of women who overcome breast cancer face a new battle with lymphedema, a painful condition caused by swelling — one they will have to fight the rest of their lives.

There’s nothing like the smell of warm cinnamon or fresh gingerbread baking in the oven. These & other spices not only taste good, they can also help keep you healthy. Here’s a list of natural ingredients you may want to stock in your kitchen.

It’s a mystery that is baffling doctors and hobbling young women. Girls are up to 5-times more likely than boys to tear the ACL in their knees in non-contact sports. Some suggest that hormones might play a role, so a team of experts looked into it.

To find new cancer treatments, scientists need to study tumor tissue samples, but they don’t always have the amount they need. That could change, with help from dogs. To find new cancer treatments for both people & pets, the two are teaming up.

We all have at least some moles on our skin. Do you know which moles are normal, and which could be signs of trouble? This year, more than one million Americans will get some form of skin cancer, and in many cases, moles could have served as early warning signs.

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans have high blood pressure and many don’t even know it. Left uncontrolled, it can have deadly consequences. Now, a new device is being tested to help people control their blood pressure using their body’s natural abilities.