BEFORE WE JUMP IN…AN ADMINISTRATIVE NOTE A glitch in my Apple Podcast listing may have deleted some followers. Would you do me a favor and use this link to re-follow? |
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On to the topics I covered last month: - AI in healthcare isn’t just a future capability—it’s already here. Some specific examples will give you a glimpse of the positive impact AI can have on your care.
- But wait—before you start trusting your smartwatch to diagnose that irregular heartbeat, make sure you know what wearables can and can’t do for your health.
- On the topic of infectious disease:
- An Infectious disease expert who treats sepsis, shares how he missed his own early sepsis symptoms, and what you should watch out for.
- Pope Francis is still hospitalized with “bilateral, polymicrobial pneumonia." What's that exactly? You'll find out.
- Bird flu is causing more havoc than just increasing the price of eggs. And, measles may feel far away but can get close to home with a single unvaccinated traveler. How worried should you be?
- When it comes to spotting developmental concerns in kids, teachers often become the first line of defense. What are the red flags that their trained eyes see?
- And, just when I thought my updates on prior authorization had come to an end, Minnesota made it easier to fight back.
Links are red, underlined, and bolded. Thanks for reading! |
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AI IN HEALTHCARE: The Future is Here |
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There's lots of futuristic headlines about how artificial intelligence will be used in healthcare. But, during my last Minnesota Live segment, I focused on how AI is being used to improve healthcare today. Here's one example: See that green box in the image above? That's GI Genius – Medtronic's AI technology that is used during colonoscopy to help gastroenterologists spot more polyps. Watch the segment for more reasons to get excited, not frightened, about how AI will make healthcare better. Watch here. |
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WEARABLES: How Smart Are They? |
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1 in 5 Americans use a wearable device to track their health – and especially their heart health. But are they reliable? While wearables like the Apple Watch and Fitbit are highly accurate for detecting atrial fibrillation, they cannot reliably detect or diagnose any other irregular heart rhythms, heart attacks, or heart failure. And while some wearables claim to measure blood pressure, results vary significantly. The biggest risk? Over-reliance on your device—ignoring serious symptoms (or panicking over minor data blips.) Watch here. |
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SEPSIS: 4 Symptoms To Watch For |
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A Tesla can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 1.99 seconds. Sepsis can accelerate almost as fast. Even a seasoned infectious disease expert like Dr. Peter Bornstein missed the warning signs of sepsis—until he was really sick and ended up in Trendelenburg. (Listen to the podcast at 14:00 to hear what that is. Don’t ignore the early signs. And, for any infection, if the antibiotics you're on aren’t getting rid of the fever within a few (4) days, speak up. If you are hospitalized, demand (don't just ask) that an infectious disease specialist consult on your care. Listen to his full story here. |
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It's Greek To You: Bilateral Polymicrobial PNEUMONIA |
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After 3+ weeks, Pope Francis is STILL hospitalized and in serious condition with “bilateral, polymicrobial pneumonia”. I was surprised when the Vatican used these medical terms to describe his diagnosis since, to most people, it's jargon. So, I explained it on KSTP. Here's the translation and the key takeaways: - Bilateral: the infection is in both lungs. Why does this matter? The more lung spaces with infection, the less surface area for getting oxygen into your blood.
- Polymicrobial: more than one microbe. I can safely assume that the Pope's illness started with influenza. His age and chronic lung issues were a high-risk set up and sure enough, it progressed to pneumonia. This weakened his immune system and made it easy for a bacteria to ALSO infect his lungs, causing a second pneumonia – also called a superinfection. Watch the full segment here.
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MEASLES & BIRD FLU: TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT |
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Two infectious outbreaks—Measles and Bird Flu —are making headlines, and while they may seem far away, they pose real risks. The outbreak in Texas is now up to 198 cases and spreading primarily among unvaccinated individuals. New Mexico is up to 30 cases. Nationally, the MMR vaccination rate is 93% which is below the threshold for herd immunity. And, two people have died of measles – including a child. Most at risk? Children younger than 15 months old who are waiting for their first shot or too young to be immunized. If you're traveling take extra precautions if you have young kids. Bird flu has devastated poultry farms, and while it hasn’t spread widely in humans, a mutation could make it more contagious. What if you have a bird feeder or chickens? Watch the segment to learn how to stay safe. |
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TEachers are Advocates for Kids With SPECIAL NEEDS |
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How can parents tell if their child’s development is on track? Ruby Manoles, an early childhood special education teacher, shares how teachers often suspect issues and raise concerns before parents or doctors do. Some of the red flags that she looks for include: –difficulty adjusting after 6–8 weeks in a new environment. –inability to clearly communicate needs. –lack of responsiveness to safety cues. |
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CONtinuing On My Prior Authorization Soapbox… |
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If your health insurance claim is denied, don’t give up. (Almost) all insurers are required to offer an external appeal (after an internal appeal) for denied claims. What's the difference between an internal and external appeal? Objectivity. A third-party (not the healthplan) uses expert medical peer reviewers and insurance law experts to make the determination. Minnesota made it a bit easier to request an external review so reporter, Alex Jokich aired a story and asked me for a quick soundbite. |
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You can find previous editions of ArcHealth on my website. |
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Until next month, Archelle |
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P.O. Box 91
Hopkins, MN 55343, USA |
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This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. |
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