New AHRQ Toolkit Offers Answers to Promote Patients Involvement

There is no such thing as a dumb question. This common expression is equally important when visiting your healthcare provider too. Often patients are intimidated, rushed, or unaware of even the questions they should ask.

U.S. Senate Confirms FDA Nominee Califf as Commissioner

Acting U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in January to complete his tenure at the agency.

CDC: E-Cigarette Ads Are Reaching Middle and High School Students

In a recent release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 18 million students in middle and high school are exposed to electronic cigarette advertising that promotes smoking to underage children.

“Big Data” Will Be at the Forefront of NINR Science

Advances in technology are changing the world, and nowhere is that more impactful than the provision of health care. Nurses are on the forefront of patient care and understand the multitude of components involved in treating people and educating on symptom management.

Cancer Moonshot Task Force Convenes to Tackle Cancer Cure

In his final State of the Union address, President Obama announced a national initiative to be coordinated by Vice President Joe Biden that is being referred to as the “cancer moonshot.” The goal is to cure cancer, or at least to make major advances in attempt to better understand cancer, its elements, and how best to defeat the disease.

Understanding How Portion Control Keeps You Healthy

I was recently at a lovely event with a buffet. The food was spectacular and there were many choices for eaters of all palates. What struck me was the large size of the plates provided. It felt like they were encouraging diners to take larger portions or to load up on many different foods. There’s no doubt that many adults and children have no idea what a reasonable portion looks like or even what constitutes a serving. In all honesty, the size of the plate matters more than you think.

Creating a Culture of Change for Safety

Change is constant. Change is challenging. Some changes, like the five rights of medication administration, surgical timeouts, and clinical pathways, are compulsory. Changes are often identified when something fails. A traffic light becomes a permanent fixture at an intersection where accidents or a loss of life happen. A new protocol is enacted when a fatal error occurs. Awareness drives change and safety initiatives in health care.

Death With Dignity Provides Options for Patients at the End of Life

As advances in medicine and technology allow more people to live longer, fuller lives, our already-burdened healthcare system is experiencing unique problems. An aging body is often accompanied by complex, debilitating illnesses. The incapacitating nature of advanced disease coupled with the fears of pain, suffering, and loss of autonomy at the end of life, bring forth the question of quality versus quantity of life. Ubiquitous opinions surrounding ethical and moral decisions make right-to-die issues a controversial but increasingly significant topic.

How Targeted Therapies Are Changing Treatment for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Statistics 2016 report, the incidence of lung cancer has decreased 38% and 13% among men and women, because of reduced tobacco use. It remains the leading cause of cancer death in older adults of both genders.

Oral BRAF Inhibitor Effective for Refractory Hairy Cell Leukemia

A new study has reported that the oral BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib is effective in treating patients with relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia.