Weekend Wrap Up 6.2.17

Happy Friday!! It’s been a while since I wrapped up the week with a healthcare news roundup. Somehow spring has gotten me out of my usual routine. But, it’s time to get back in the game! It’s been a busy few months here at MMU. We kicked off our second inaugural nurse practitioner residency class, brought on a new team member, and have had a little time to take in the seasonal sunshine, of course. What have you been up to? 

To kick off the weekend, check out this week’s more interesting medical news. 

A new map tracks how germs travel around a hospital. The Hospital Microbiome Project will provide an unprecedented map of the microbial communities that inhabit a hospital – on the patients, staff and surfaces. Researchers hope the app will give them insight into preventing hospital acquired infections. 

Fake moos. Dairy farmers want the government to declare their product the one true milk. Purveyors of soy, almonds, coconuts, and rice are fighting back. Who will win the plant v. bovine battle?

Ohio sues 5 major drug companies for ‘fueling opioid epidemic’. The lawsuit alleges that companies engaged in marketing campaigns to downplay the risks of the opioid drugs they sell and to exaggerate the benefits of their use for chronic pain. An estimated 200,000 people in Ohio are addicted to opioids. Do you think the state has a case?

The science behind being directionally challenged. Researchers have discovered a new ‘GPS’ neuron. The new neuron plays a vital role in helping people navigate their environments. 

Now patients can report side effects with emojis. MatchMyRX, a free app allows patients to match their conditions to medications, now also allows patients to report side effects with emojis; nausea drowsiness, rash, diarrhea and headache to name a few. MatchMyRX ultimately hopes the system will allow patients to share drug-related information with one another. 

Not stretching? Companies will do it for you. 

Woman who delivered while in a coma wakes up, meets 3-month-old baby. Amelia Bannan was six months pregnant when she was in a car accident and suffered a skull fracture. Miraculously, the healthy baby was delivered and met her mother months later in a tearful reunion. 

The latest exercise fad? Storming the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. To mark the 73rd anniversary of D-Day, ex-military officers and weekend warriors hit the beach for some extreme competition which involved obstacles such as push-ups and hauling tree trunks. 

Emergency room patients routinely overcharged, study finds. Not only is overcharging common, massive disparities exist when it comes to billing practices. Study results showed that on average, adult patients are charged more than 340 percent of the Medicare allowable amount. 

To make your weekend go slower, try new things. According to Stanford University neuroscientist David Eagleman, when you experience something novel, it seems to last longer. This is the same phenomenon that makes time fly much faster as an adult than it did when you were young. So, what’s on your weekend agenda?

Have a fantastic weekend!