For the latest medical news, join the Hub! We deliver monthly highlights straight to you, so you can keep your finger on the industry’s pulse. Click here to sign up now! From the negative effects of daylight saving and spring forward to how vitamin C can reduce operational costs at your facility, here’s what is happening for March.
The Times, They are a Changin’—But not for Long
Spring has sprung, and we all set our clocks forward to mark the new season. This practice may become a thing of the past however, as the European Parliament recently voted to end daylight saving and spring forward by 2021.
The changing of the clocks was first implemented in the U.S. at the end of World War I as a way of conserving energy costs with more daylight during working hours. Nowadays though some countries believe these measures are doing more harm than good, especially when it comes to people’s health.
For example, a 2016 study found that the rates of stroke are significantly higher in the two days after daylight saving time. Among the general population, that increase was eight percent. For cancer victims and seniors, that rate jumps to 25 and 20 percent respectively.
Another study conducted in 2012 also showed a 10 percent increase in heart attacks. The disruption in circadian rhythms has also been linked to higher rates of workplace injuries, car accidents and even compromised moral decision making.
Only time will tell whether we put these practices to rest. If the European Parliament succeeds in scraping daylight saving and spring forward, other countries will follow suit. With all the negative consequences, many believe this is one tradition that isn’t worth saving.
Locum Tenens vs. Permanent Placement: Which Career Path is Better for You?
Making a change in your career is scary no matter how many years you’ve been in practice. To get to where want to be, however, taking that next step may be necessary.
We all come to a point in our lives when our jobs no longer give us the fulfillment we need, or they make us feel like we have to compromise our personal lives. This path inevitably leads to unhappiness, disengagement and burnout—all of which set you up for failure.
Too many people stick with jobs they hate, and the numbers show: Over half of Americans report being unhappy at work, and a staggering 87 percent of them are disengaged. They would rather be comfortably miserable than pursue the unknown to find better opportunities.
Of course the uncertainty is scary, and there’s a whole list of things to consider before taking on a new job. For starters, one major decision physicians need to make is whether they want to work a locum tenens or permanent assignment for their next career move.
The type of assignment you want totally depends on your personal and professional goals, as well as the type of lifestyle you want. To help you navigate your options, this guide will outline the pros and cons you need to consider when choosing between a locum or perm job. Read the full guide here.
Save Your Facility Money with Vitamin C
A recent study published by Dr. Harri Hemilä of the University of Helsinki in Finland and Dr. Elizabeth Chalker of the University of Sydney in Australia found an interesting link between vitamin C and operational costs for facilities.
They found that giving patients vitamin C significantly reduced the amount of time spent in the intensive care unit (ICU) by 8.6 percent and reduced the need for mechanical ventilation by 18.2 percent.
No matter the reason for admission—surgery, infection, car accident, etc.—all of them benefited from a regular dose of vitamin C since it’s crucial to human health, yet the human body itself cannot product it.
Research has shown the various benefits of vitamin C, such as its ability to: make proteins necessary for energy production, maintain and even lower blood pressure and facilitate other cardiovascular processes, as well as its ability to interact with DNA and influence gene expression.
Vitamin C can also curtail the duration of the common cold, reduce blood glucose in diabetic patients, open constricted airways and decrease rates of atrial fibrillation.
Patients in the ICU have typically experienced some sort of illness or accident that would result in a dramatic reduction of their body’s vitamin C supply, which is why giving them a dose of 1 to 3 grams a day yielded significant results for their health.
The authors of the study note that more research is needed to explore the effects of vitamin C on the patient experience, but the findings from this preliminary study certainly look promising.
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