UNC Health Rex’s Post

Fact Friday! Did you know that men are less likely than women to see a doctor for regular check-ups? This #FactFriday, we're sharing the importance of prioritizing preventive care to live your healthiest life. Check out our latest article in honor of Men's Health Awareness Month. #MensHealth #PreventiveCare We share this article as a part of Men's Health Awareness Month. https://lnkd.in/gC_f-x8t

As a physician dedicated to improving the lives of those with chronic health conditions, Lisa Nelson, MD, witnessed firsthand the transformative healing that happens in group health visits. For people who struggle with physical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic pain, or mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, a group health visit can help people forge connections, live better, and feel better. Read more about who is a good candidate for group health visits, what are the advantages of group health visits, how do group visit patients help each other, and what are some other benefits of group health care.

Did you know that nearly 50% of women skip their preventative health appointments each year? Due to high costs, booking challenges, and a lack of awareness, women are missing important screenings that could catch early symptoms of the disease. Appointments include testing blood sugar levels, blood pressure, pap tests, mammograms, mental health screenings, and more. Read the full article on the importance of women's annual health appointments. #healthywomenhealthyworld #womenshealth #healthequality

In recent years, patients such as Rebecca Hiles and Ellen Maud Bennett have brought attention to the fact that weight bias can lead to the misdiagnosis of critical illnesses like cancer. “It was very scary to sort of exist in a body that I thought was failing me and have medical professionals who didn’t seem to take me seriously,” Hiles said. After years of being told she needed to lose weight, Hiles was diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was found in her bronchial tube. Tragically, we cannot hear from Ellen Maud Bennet directly. Benett’s obituary read, “Over the past few years of feeling unwell she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue.” These are two cases among thousands of others. Weight bias causes untold and entirely unnecessary suffering, preventable illness, disability, and death. Poor care and poor outcomes due to bias and discrimination against people with larger body size is an overlooked epidemic - at least 1 in 3 people living in the USA are at risk for stigma, discrimination, and poor treatment solely due to their body size. Diversity Science recently provided an in-depth post if interested. This is an urgent issue for health care organization. And, it doesn't stop with patients: Healthcare personnel are also at high risk. We have conducted Organizational Climate Assessments with dozens of healthcare organizations and found that healthcare personnel employees of larger body size, as compared with others, are: - less likely to feel respected,  - more likely to report that they have to keep proving their competence (no matter how long they worked at their organization),  - and are less likely to feel to report that their organization is a good place to get healthcare for people like them. (If you want more information its available here: https://lnkd.in/gjgAr3hi) Diversity Science has been proud to work with Lead Subject Matter expert Sean Phelan and other stakeholders to develop an evidence-based Video eLearning course for healthcare personnel on this essential and overlooked topic. As with all our courses, they are evidence-based yet responsive to the real world of health care, guided by the learners themseves, and use case examples and engaging scenarios to bring the course to life. The course was free for review for September but after several requests, we just extended the free review access has been extended one more week. (https://lnkd.in/g9aaRF2K). After that time, the course is very low cost, free for organizational review and assessment, and discounts are available. If you complete it, please provide feedback!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, resulting in one in every five deaths. Despite the toll of #HeartDisease on both men and women, notable disparities exist for women—from research to clinical care. The opportunities to improve women’s heart health are vast, and they are deserving of being prioritized at the federal level. #AmericanHeartMonth Learn more about these opportunities in the new SWHR Heart Health Policy Agenda: https://ow.ly/g2eA50QHlLu #SWHRtalksHeart

“It was very scary to sort of exist in a body that I thought was failing me and have medical professionals who didn’t seem to take me seriously,” Rebecca Hiles said. After years of being told she needed to lose weight, Hiles was diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was found in her bronchial tube. Tragically, we cannot hear from Ellen Maud Bennet directly. Benett’s obituary read, “Over the past few years of feeling unwell, she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue.” These are two cases among thousands of others. Weight bias causes untold and entirely unnecessary suffering, preventable illness, disability, and death. Poor care and poor outcomes due to bias and discrimination against people with larger body size is an overlooked epidemic - at least 1 in 3 people living in the USA are at risk for stigma, discrimination, and poor treatment solely due to their body size. Diversity Science recently provided an in-depth post if you are interested (https://lnkd.in/gP9nYmVX) See our course (Lead Subject Matter Expert Sean Phelan) at https://lnkd.in/gv3td7kH to get deeper insight and actionable strategies. Contact us directly for webinars and workshops on the crucial topic ([email protected]).

5 emotional-health-in-kidney-care tips you should hang on your wall: 💐 Practice empathetic listening with kidney patients. 💐 Include emotional health as part of the overall care plan. 💐 Encourage patients to express their feelings and concerns. 💐. Provide resources for emotional support and counseling. 💐 Regularly assess emotional well-being alongside physical health. https://lnkd.in/dsewptSh #kidneycare #emotionalhealth #empatheticlistening #patientcare #counseling

Health care systems face challenges like maternal mortality, medication compliance, hospital-acquired infections, and long ER wait times. M. Rashad Massoud from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that leaders adopt a science of improvement approach, focusing on system appreciation, variation understanding, theoretical application, and psychological insights. He proposes five steps for quality improvement: identifying problems, finding measurable solutions, emphasizing process implementation, using the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle, and being adaptable. This approach aims to improve patient outcomes and cost efficiency. https://lnkd.in/gDzQJAmG #healthcaremanagement #qualityimprovement 

Last week, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion with Dr Sanjay Kalra on tackling diabesity with the right combination. Dr Kalra provided valuable insights into the challenges of managing diabesity, highlighting the increased prevalence and complexities faced in healthcare settings. We also discussed the importance of personalized care, behavioral interventions, and lifestyle modifications in tackling obesity and diabetes effectively. We discussed advancements in pharmacotherapy like GLP-1 analogs and how digital therapy can improve patient outcomes when combined with pharmacotherapy. The speaker emphasized the role of healthcare professionals in promoting preventive healthcare, community engagement, and public health education to address the root causes of health issues for a healthier population. Furthermore, we touched upon the significance of individualized counseling methods, leveraging educational videos, and employing motivational strategies in patient care for improved compliance and long-term benefits. Overall, we discussed the evolving landscape of diabesity management and the essential strategies for promoting a healthier future. Link to the discussion- https://lnkd.in/djvd9G3X #diabetes #obesity #glp1 #medical #lifestyle #digital #behaviourchange #weightloss #motivation #drugs Fitterfly