News
22/09/2023
In the evolving landscape of modern healthcare, a fundamental paradigm shift is underway - from a traditional, provider-centric model to one that revolves around the patient. This transformation, often referred to as "patient-centered care," places the individual at the heart of their healthcare journey, giving them a more active and empowered role in decisions about their health and treatment. In this blog, we will explore the concept of patient-centered care, its key principles, benefits, and the impact it has on healthcare consumers. Understanding Patient-Centered Care Patient-centered care is an approach that prioritizes the patient's needs, preferences, and values in all aspects of healthcare. It recognizes that healthcare is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor and that each patient is unique. This approach seeks to create a partnership between healthcare providers and patients, where individuals actively participate in their case decisions. Key Principles of Patient-Centered Care Respect for Patients' Values and Preferences: Healthcare providers acknowledge and respect the individual values, preferences, and cultural backgrounds of their patients when making treatment decisions. Information Sharing: Patients are provided with clear, understandable information about their health conditions, treatment options, and potential outcomes. This enables them to make informed decisions. Shared Decision-Making: Patients are encouraged to actively participate in decisions about their healthcare. Providers facilitate discussions, present options, and engage in shared decision-making processes. Holistic Care: Patient-centered care recognizes that healthcare should address not only the physical aspects of illness but also emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Empathy and Compassion: Healthcare providers show empathy and compassion towards their patients, understanding their emotions, fears, and concerns. The Benefits of Patient-Centered Care Improved Health Outcomes: Patient engagement and active involvement in care decisions often lead to better adherence to treatment plans, resulting in improved health outcomes. Enhanced Patient Satisfaction: Patients who feel heard, respected, and involved in their care tend to be more satisfied with their healthcare experiences. Reduced Healthcare Costs: Empowered patients are more likely to seek preventive care, leading to early detection and intervention, ultimately reducing healthcare costs. Efficient Resource Utilization: When patients are actively engaged in their care, healthcare resources are used more efficiently as treatments align with patients' values and preferences. Greater Trust in Healthcare Providers: Patient-centered care fosters trust between patients and healthcare providers, strengthening the therapeutic relationship. The Role of Technology in Empowering Healthcare Consumers Electronic Health Records (EHRs): EHRs provide patients with easy access to their medical records, allowing them to review their health information, track changes, and become more informed about their conditions. Telehealth and mHealth Apps: Telehealth and mobile health apps empower patients to monitor their health, schedule virtual visits, and communicate with healthcare providers conveniently. Health Information Portals: Online portals provide patients with access to educational materials, appointment scheduling, and secure messaging with healthcare teams. Wearable Health Devices: Wearables like fitness trackers and smartwatches allow individuals to monitor vital signs, physical activity, and sleep patterns, promoting proactive health management. Challenges in Implementing Patient-Centered Care Time Constraints: Healthcare providers may face time constraints that limit their ability to engage in lengthy shared decision-making discussions. Health Literacy: Not all patients have the same level of health literacy, which can affect their ability to participate fully in their care. Cultural Competence: Ensuring that care is culturally sensitive and appropriate for diverse patient populations can be challenging. Final Thoughts Patient-centered care is not merely a buzzword but a transformative approach to healthcare that places patients in the driver's seat of their health journey. By actively involving individuals in their care decisions, respecting their values, and leveraging technology, healthcare is becoming more personalized, efficient, and effective. This shift towards empowering healthcare consumers marks a significant step forward in the quest for better health outcomes and more satisfying healthcare experiences. Ultimately, it fosters a healthcare system that truly revolves around the needs and aspirations of the people it serves. *Photo by Karolina Grabowska via Pexels
20/06/2023
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, telehealth has emerged as a transformative force, changing the way patients receive care. Coupled with wearable devices, telehealth offers a powerful combination that empowers patients to actively engage in their own self-care. This article explores the intersection of telehealth and wearable devices, highlighting their impact on patient engagement, monitoring, and overall healthcare outcomes. The Rise of Wearable Devices Wearable devices, such as fitness trackers, smartwatches, and medical wearables, have gained significant popularity among consumers. These devices provide continuous monitoring, real-time data collection, and insights into individual health metrics. They have increasingly found integration into telehealth settings, allowing for remote patient monitoring and personalized healthcare delivery. While wearable devices offer numerous benefits for patients in self-care, challenges related to data accuracy, device interoperability, and user adoption must be addressed to fully harness their potential. Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring Telehealth platforms seamlessly incorporate wearable device data for remote patient monitoring. This integration enables healthcare providers to remotely monitor patients' health metrics and vital signs in real-time. Continuous data collection and analysis through wearable devices facilitate proactive interventions, allowing for improved chronic disease management and preventive care. Real-life case studies have demonstrated the successful integration of wearable devices into telehealth programs, showcasing positive patient outcomes and enhanced healthcare experiences. Empowering Patients through Self-Monitoring Wearable devices play a pivotal role in encouraging self-monitoring and promoting healthy behaviors among patients. By providing real-time feedback on physical activity, sleep quality, and other health metrics, wearable devices motivate individuals to engage in regular exercise, maintain good sleep hygiene, and adopt healthier lifestyles. Patients can track a wide range of health parameters, including physical activity levels, sleep patterns, heart rate, and blood pressure. Furthermore, wearable devices leverage gamification elements and personalized feedback to enhance patient motivation and engagement, resulting in improved self-care adherence and long-term engagement. Enhancing Chronic Disease Management Wearable devices, when integrated with telehealth solutions, offer significant benefits for managing chronic conditions. For instance, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices enable remote monitoring of patients with diabetes, facilitating timely adjustments in medication or lifestyle interventions. Wearable blood pressure monitors assist in managing hypertension, while smart inhalers help monitor asthma symptoms and medication usage. These devices also improve medication adherence through reminders and alerts, reducing the risk of complications. Continuous monitoring of health metrics allows healthcare providers to detect early signs of health deteriorations, enabling timely interventions and preventing adverse events. Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and Preventive Care Wearable devices act as powerful tools for promoting healthy lifestyles and preventive care. They track physical fitness, weight management, stress levels, and other factors contributing to overall well-being. Integration with telehealth platforms enables personalized health recommendations and interventions based on collected data. Wearable devices can facilitate early detection and prevention of diseases by continuously monitoring health metrics and analyzing trends. By empowering individuals to make positive lifestyle choices and adopt healthier habits, wearable devices contribute to proactive health management and reduce healthcare costs in the long run. Final Thoughts Telehealth and wearable devices have revolutionized patient self-care, offering a personalized and proactive approach to healthcare. By incorporating wearable devices into telehealth practices, patients have the means to actively engage in their health management. However, privacy, security, and ethical considerations must be prioritized to ensure responsible use of wearable devices in self-care. As technology continues to advance, the integration of telehealth and wearable devices holds immense potential to improve patient outcomes and transform the future of healthcare. At France Surgery, we can help you get in touch with a clinician from our network of medical experts in France. Contact us today to find out more. *Image by FitNishMedia from Pixabay
05/03/2020
It’s a well-known fact that sleep is of utmost importance to health. Specifically, it’s been shown that a lack of high-quality sleep negatively impacts our resilience, productivity and performance. Furthermore, long-term chronic sleep deprivation is linked to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure and stroke. Now, new research suggests that irregular sleeping patterns may contribute to the risk of cardiovascular problems. The study was carried out by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, who analysed data from 1,992 patients in their 60s and 70s with no cardiovascular problems at baseline. They found that those who had the most irregular sleep patterns (defined as 2 hours or more difference in sleep duration each night) had a twofold plus increased risk of cardiovascular disease than patients with one hour or less difference in sleep duration. Importantly, even after adjusting for other risk factors, patients with irregular sleep patterns remained at significant risk of cardiovascular events. Publishing their findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the researchers said: “Our study indicates that healthy sleep isn’t just about quantity but also about variability and that this can have an important effect on heart health.” Do you get enough sleep each night? Is your sleeping pattern pretty irregular? If not, you could be increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease. Remember, getting enough high-quality sleep is extremely important and beneficial to your health.
10/07/2018
Babies who are fed solid food in addition to breast milk from the age of three months sleep better than those who are solely breastfed, a new study has revealed. Publishing their findings in JAMA Pediatrics, the authors of the study noted the following: “The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. However, 75% of British mothers introduce solids before 5 months and 26% report infant waking at night as influencing this decision.” Experts say women should still heed WHO’s advice, but that the guidelines are currently under review. For the study, the researchers from King's College London, and St George's, University of London, split 1,303 three-month-old infant into two groups: one that was solely breastfed and one that also had solid foods incorporated from the age of three months. The babies’ parents were then surveyed to see if the addition of solid foods had made a difference to the sleep patterns of the infants and the mothers’ quality of life. The parents of the babies who were given solid foods from three months reported that their children slept longer, woke less frequently and had far fewer serious sleep problems. Prof Gideon Lack from King's College, London, said: "The results of this research support the widely held parental view that early introduction of solids improves sleep. "While the official guidance is that starting solid foods won't make babies more likely to sleep through the night, this study suggests that this advice needs to be re-examined in light of the evidence we have gathered." [Related reading: Bottle feeding is a woman’s right, midwives advised]
17/04/2017
Toddlers who regularly use touchscreen devices, such as smartphones and tablets, don't sleep as well as their counterparts who don't, according to new research. The study in Scientific Reports shows that every hour a toddler spends playing with a touchscreen device each day shortens their sleep by almost 16 minutes. Conducted by Birkbeck, University of London and King’s College London, the study questioned 715 parents, with kids under three years old, about their children's touchscreen device usage and sleep patterns. It found that 75% of toddlers used a touchscreen device on a daily basis and slept for nearly 16 minutes less for every hour of use as a result. While the study isn't definitive, it does suggest that playing with touchscreen devices could be linked with possible sleep problems. However, the study also found that toddlers who play with smartphones and tablets have accelerated development of their fine motor skills. Speaking about the findings of the study, Dr Tim Smith, one of the researchers involved told the BBC: "It isn't a massive amount when you're sleeping 10-12 hours a day in total, but every minute matters in young development because of the benefits of sleep." His advice is not to ban toddlers from playing with touchscreen devices altogether, but to limit the amount of time they spend on them instead - the same as a lot of parents do with time spent in front of the TV.