Medicine

Top 20 FREE medical iphone apps

iMedicalApps.com has updated their list of free top medical apps for iphone and raised the number to 20.

Top 20 Free iPhone Medical Apps For Health Care Professionals

The list is a mixture of news, point of care resources, and non medical but useful apps for iPhone and in some cases, iPad.

Notes:
LSUHSC has an extended subscription to Micromedex, while the free app SkyScape also runs our subscription to Dynamed and Natural Standard. Email mknapp@lsuhsc.edu for install information.

Also listed is ePSS – a public health tool from AHRQ that displays screening measures derived from the USPSTF based on patient demographic information, and Doximity, a “Facebook for doctors” – for those that need yet another social networking service.

Bottom Line
Although it’s a little annoying to have to click through 20 pages to see them all, it’s a good list (and you can’t beat the price).

NEJM Image Challenge for iPhone

NEJM Image Challenge The New England Journal of Medicine has just released a new app version of their popular “Image Challenge” weekly email feature. Test your diagnostic and visual skills any time, any where with this $2.99 application.

Available on iTunes.

Web version

2010 America’s Health Rankings

ahrLogo
America’s Health Rankings?« has been tracking the state of our nation’s health for over 20 years. This analysis provides a comprehensive perspective on our national health issues, state by state.

America’s Health Rankings?«-2010 Edition shows Vermont at the top of the list of healthiest states again this year. Massachusetts is ranked second this year, an improvement from ranking third last year. New Hampshire is number three, followed by Connecticut and Hawaii. However, although Mississippi is 50th and the least healthy state, Louisiana is 49th. Arkansas, Nevada and Oklahoma complete the bottom five states.

Louisiana dropped two spots from last year due to several factors including a high rate of obesity and smoking. On the positive side, Louisiana has a high ranking for access to prenatal care and childhood immunizations. Stay Healthy, Louisiana has a great summary of the state’s ranking.

Hand Washing saves lives!

In honor of National Hand Washing Week, December 5-11, remember that washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to prevent the spread of disease and infection. Wash up for 20 seconds every time you sneeze, cough, blow your nose, and after you use the restroom. People notice when you don’t. And we talk. Check out the Center for Disease Control’s site for more information.

Healthy People 2020 Launched

Healthy People 2020 logo

Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. For 3 decades, Healthy People has established benchmarks and monitored progress over time in order to encourage collaborations across sectors, guide individuals toward making informed health decisions, and measure the impact of prevention activities.

Healthy People 2020 continues in this tradition with the launch on December 2, 2010 of its ambitious, yet achievable, 10-year agenda for improving the NationÔÇÖs health. Healthy People 2020 is the result of a multiyear process that reflects input from a diverse group of individuals and organizations.

New topic areas for 2020 include:
Adolescent Health
Blood Disorders and Blood Safety
Dementias, Including AlzheimerÔÇÖs Disease
Early and Middle Childhood
Genomics
Global Health
Healthcare-Associated Infections
Health-Related Quality of Life and Well-Being
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health
Older Adults
Preparedness
Sleep Health
Social Determinants of Health

Stay connected to Healthy People 2020 by signing up for e-mail, following on Twitter, connecting on LinkedIn, or joining the Consortium to stay up-to-date with the latest Healthy People information and events.

World Aids Day 2010

logo-world-aids-day

Today, December 1st, is the date globally recognized as World Aids Day. This annual observance was designated in 1988 as a way to bring attention to the AIDS/HIV epidemic.

According to the Louisiana Third Quarter 2010 HIV/Aids Report published by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals 17,944 persons is currently living with HIV/AIDS in Louisiana. Between the months of January- December 2009 1,220 persons were newly diagnosed with HIV in Louisiana. These are only some of surprising statistics.

For more information about this observance and AIDS Awareness in general visit aids.gov.

Healthy Holiday Eating

Looking for a simple way to keep your weight in-check this Holiday Season? Look no further!

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has come up with great downloads that provide consumers with healthy holiday recipes and a quick way to keep track of daily activities and calories.

Happy (and healthy) Eating!

Preparing Students for Best Jobs

Money Magazine came out with it’s list The 50 Best Jobs in America in the November issue. LSUHSC New Orleans is preparing its students for many of these.
#4 Physical Therapist
#12 Dentist
#13 Nurse Anesthetist
#19 Occupational Therapist
#25 Emergency Room Physician
#27 Director of Nursing
#29 Psychiatrist
#34 Primary Care Physician
#44 Speech-Language Pathologist
#46 Physical Therapy Director

Featured Books X-Ray display

X-Ray displayTo celebrate the 115th anniversay of the invention of the X-ray, a new display is now available in the library. It features many books on radiology. These books are available for check out.

Dept. of Psychiatry gets the Gold

Congratulations to LSUHSC’s Department of Psychiatry, who received a Psychiatric Services Achievement Award for their work with the St. Bernard Family Resiliency Project. This is the top Psychiatric Services honor bestowed by the world’s largest psychiatric organization.

The LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Department of Psychiatry was recognized for “successfully integrating mental health services into the school system, youth leadership, and community outreach for children and families recovering from the traumatic effects of Hurricane Katrina,” via the St. Bernard Family Resiliency Project.

Read more about the project in Psychiatric Services 2010 61: 1039-1041

XRays Discovered 115 Years Ago

xraydiscovery2010-ps Check out the Google logo today. In recognizes that Wilhelm Conrad R?Ântgen (commonly spelled Roentgen) accidentally discovered “a new type of ray.” He won the Nobel Prize in 1901 for his discovery, but in physics not medicine.

$3.12 Million Grant

LSU Health Sciences Center was recently awarded a $3.12 million grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in order to train more primary care physicians.

An article on gambit.com states “The five-year grant will be used to double the number of primary care doctors trained through the Rural Family Medicine Residency program at LSU’s Bogalusa Medical Center.”

Louisiana has a vast shortage of primary care physicians and statistics are expected to get worse. Congratulations to LSUHSC for working to help our state in this time of need!

Cholera

NLM exhibit

NLM exhibit

With the news that Cholera has taken over 100 lives in Haiti, a National Library of Medicine exhibit on the history of the disease came to mind.

Louisiana has had its own battle with the disease. As recently as 1986, cases of cholera were reported in South Louisiana, including Jefferson Parish. Not to mention the over 4,000 people who died of the disease in New Orleans in 1832.

Happy Anniversary to Streptomycin

October 19th was the 67th anniversary of the discovery of streptomycin which proved to be effective against tuberculosis and other penicillin resistant infectious diseases.

Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries

African American surgeons, nurses and hospital staff have often been slighted in recognition of providing care for soldiers and civilians during the Civil War. Despite the challenges they faced due to race and gender, they simply downplayed the prejudices?áand carried out their duties as healers and caregivers.?á?áIn hopes to change that, a 6-banner traveling exhibit is making its way around different cities in the U.S. The fight for freedom seemed to be a family affair as some nurses served alongside their relatives. While the war showed opportunity for some, those who received a stipend, others were sent into the field by their owners who kept the money for themselves. One notable mention in the exhibit is Susie King Taylor, who served as a caregiver on the battlefield, yet didnÔÇÖt receive any compensation for her work.

To find a location near you, check out the traveling exhibition. If none are offered locally explore the exhibition online through the educational resources.