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While they are becoming more prominent in treating patients, natural healing and holistic health are not new-age methods at all. Using emotional and spiritual healing to address physical ailments dates back to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practiced almost 5,000 years ago.

Practitioners of Western medicine are now more readily accepting the balance created through natural healing, and incorporating it into their daily diagnosis and treatment.

What Is Natural Healing?

Natural healing and holistic health are all about the correct balance of the physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of a person’s whole being. Our selves and everything around us is made up of energy. By using this mind/body connection, you can identify, access, channel, balance, and manipulate energies for wellness and abundance.

Forms of Natural Healing and Holistic Health

There are many many different types of natural healing. You just have to find the practice or combination of practices that work best for you. You can perform natural healing yourself, or go to a practitioner with whom you are comfortable. Some common holistic health treatments are:

• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Chiropractic care
• Cupping
• Aromatherapy/essential oils
• Balneotherapy

The Impact of Holistic Health on the Medical Industry

The importance of natural healing is becoming better understood and is now even a part of many nursing programs. A complementary partnership is being built between natural healing and what is considered “Western medicine.”

Many physicians are trying to find alternative sources of healing and addressing the holistic aspect of the body’s health, rather than immediately turning to pharmaceuticals and/or invasive surgeries.

The changing of the concept of visiting hours is a good example of how natural healing has impacted the medical industry. It was once believed a patient needed to have complete silence and rest, so friends and family were allowed a very small window each day in order to check in on their loved one.

Today, most hospitals understand that being surrounded by the unconditional love and support of the people who care deeply is just as important, if not more so, than the medicines and machines that are helping the patient heal.

Are There Negative Impacts?

Perhaps the most negative impact is people practicing their own natural healing without full knowledge. Just because you are using a plant-based therapy, that doesn’t mean it can’t have negative side effects or that you can’t overdose on it. Education is a must.

There are also times when Western techniques like medications and surgery must be used. If you have osteoarthritis in your hips, you can try homeopathic medications to help relieve pain and even rebuild cartilage to a degree, but if you are down to bone-on-bone, surgery is necessary or you will end up doing more damage to the rest of your body.

Electronic Health Records, or EHR, software (previously coined Electronic Medical Records software), has a way of bringing a medical practice into the modern days. That’s because the best EHR software is designed by healthcare providers who already know exactly what is needed and what isn’t, creating a system that works very well for each medical specialty. 

It’s time to learn more about how EHRs can improve your practice’s chance of reaching both its needed, and its noble, goals. But first…

A Primer on Electronic Health Records

An electronic health record is a term for web-based software that medical providers use to streamline their patient records, administrative tasks, and prescription services. This software has been designed specifically to handle any need your practice may have, whether it’s updating and storing patient profile information, coding medical procedures, or making appointments. 

In addition, EHRs feature:

• Pre-structured templates that reduce the time required to create and fill out forms

• Automatic notices of potential allergic reactions, drug interactions, and incorrect documentation

• Dictation capability

• Full integration into any other practice management software you may already be using

As a busy medical provider or front-office administrator, you’ll appreciate the simplicity and usability of these special software features. Utilizing EHRs can prove to be a lifesaver (perhaps even literally) in your practice. The improved efficiency and accuracy of keeping and maintaining your patients’ medical records will be a solid upgrade to your old system.

Enhancing Your Practice with Electronic Health Records

If you’re ready for an enhanced experience, get ready to have it thanks to a thoughtfully designed EHR system. 

Physicians, nurses, and techs will appreciate:

• A daily agenda overview for easy, readable access to tasks and notes
• Simple charting that requires less double-checking and fewer chart pulls  
• Automatic and integrated lab processes that follow clinical guidelines
• E-Prescribing for quick medication refills and a reduction in pharmacy call backs

Office and billing staff will enjoy:

• A more streamlined workflow
• A dashboard that is easy to understand, customizable for their needs, and remote ready
• A secure way to send interoffice messages 
• Flexible, easy-to-schedule calendaring options
• Proactive and automatic texts to patients regarding upcoming appointments
• Simple coding that reduces transcription costs and issues with insurance companies 
• Superbill capacity

Your patients will love:

• Having a personalized patient portal for billing, messages, and educational materials
• Receiving prescription discounts automatically
• Knowing their personal data and information is safe and secure

Because of all the things you, your staff, and your patients will love about electronic health records, you’ll immediately begin to enjoy all the benefits it has to offer. 

Upgrading Your Practice With EHR

Are you in need of an upgrade? Most likely! With overworked physicians and underappreciated staff, working day in and day out in an inefficient, laborious, or confusing environment can take its toll. 

Luckily, there’s an easy fix. If you want the quality of care (and patient satisfaction) to go up and costs, errors, and turnover to go down, EHRs can certainly do the trick. No matter your goal, electronic health records will help you achieve them. 

Looking for a way to improve patient care within your practice? Converting to electronic health records (EHR or EMR) are a sure-fire way to enhance the patient experience and benefit your practice overall. Keep reading to learn 4 ways to improve patient care with EHR software today.

1. Save Patients Money

EHR systems allow you to e-prescribe for your patients, saving you time and cutting out tedious phone calls for your staff. But e-prescribing can also save your patients money. Use your EHR software to compare rates and give your patients the best prescription pricing available in the area. The software can also offer coupons for medication and send it to the patient via text or printable file. Your practice will save money in a variety of other ways as well, and you can pass those savings onto the patients over time.

2. Communicate Securely

As you know, the patient experience doesn’t stop and start in the exam room. Improve the patient experience by using your EHR software to easily follow up with patients to see how they’re doing. Patients can also reach out to you by sending a message from the user-friendly patient portal. You’ll have a centralized and secure message center to easily enhance communication with patients and staff alike. The cloud-based storage allows for a more secure system that minimizes the risk of HIPAA violations or cyber hacking.

3. Increase Accuracy

Patients aren’t likely to stick around your clinic if they’ve experienced the potentially disastrous repercussions of a medical error. Reduce error margins and increase accuracy at your practice with the help of an organized, comprehensive EMR system. You’ll be able to easily chart and make notes from the EMR dashboard. Identify trends within your practice and find ways to improve the patient experience with the data. EMR allows for increased accuracy with billing since medical coders won’t have to read often illegible handwriting or keep track of paper medical records.

4. Decrease Wait Times

Wait times are a major deciding factor when a patient is looking for a new provider. Keep patients coming back by decreasing wait times with the help of your EHR. Your entire staff can quickly adapt to any intuitive EHR, and they’ll be able to increase efficiencies in the workflow in everything from uploading documents to managing patients. All the time saved will mean you’ll be able to see patients more quickly and dedicate time to what matters most: keeping patients in good health.

Improve Patient Care Today

These are just 4 of the ways electronic health records can improve patient care within your practice, but EHR software has the potential to benefit your practice in a host of other ways. Doctors, practice managers, and office managers alike will love this streamlined, efficient approach to patient records.

Today’s gig economy means more people are working as independent contractors, taking on a variety of short-term paid projects to make ends meet. Why is this approach more appealing than a full-time position, and what motivates gig economy workers to take on a job? Several recent studies of ride-share drivers and other contract employees offer some insight into why they take jobs—and the results might surprise you.

1. Consistency

While you might think gig economy workers take on a collection of side jobs out of an entrepreneurial drive, most are motivated by a desire for consistency. A study from Wharton and New York University found that the longer contract employees worked with one company, the more likely they were to continue working for them. That is, rather than hopping around looking for the next best job, contract workers were generally happy to stick with one business in hopes of “more consistent revenue streams.”

2. High Pay

Money is always a given motivation for any kind of work, but the same Wharton study noted that the more money gig workers were offered for performing a job, the more likely they were to work hard: the more people are paid, the harder and longer they are willing to work. Assign them a shift with a guaranteed wage, however, and they will be less motivated to get work done. But once there is a big monetary reward connected directly to their effort, they’ll be highly motivated to work hard.

3. Savings Goals and Flexibility

Wharton researchers also discovered that many gig workers took on an extra side job not just to make ends meet, but to supplement their income to reach a specific savings goal, such as a big vacation. So extra gig economy jobs aren’t always a function of necessity but of a desire to earn more and buy more. Over time, gig workers found they enjoyed the flexibility that comes with their side jobs, the researchers said, and predict we may see more even more people moving into the gig economy in the future.

4. Social Opportunity

A Harvard Business Review article suggests that for part-time contract workers, taking on an extra job has a social reward. Many of these workers take on the work as a luxury, earning extra income while filling in extra time between other more demanding employment, retirement, and family time. These workers are hobbyist employees who do the work simply because they like it.

While some people take on extra jobs in the gig economy to support their family with a consistent income, many are motivated by other reasons, namely the chance for personal fulfillment while earning an extra income. While these hobbyist workers many not stick around in their jobs long-term, the research is clear: the gig economy is here to stay.

If you grew up, well, basically anywhere in the world, chances are good that you have picked up the small wooden and rubber paddle and have played a game of table tennis or Ping-Pong. The game is as fun as it is competitive and not only demands serious physical stamina, but mental stamina, and top-class reflexes and hand-eye coordination. 

But just because you know how to hit the small plastic ball over the net doesn’t mean you know the legacy that you are playing a part in.

The game of table tennis is loved the world over, and is now one of the most popular Olympic sports during the Summer Olympics. It’s complete with different styles of play, bitter rivalries, and massive international stars. 

But just like many other games, table tennis has fairly modest beginnings. 

The game of table tennis first began in the 1880s when lawn tennis players adapted their game to play indoors during the bitter winters. 

The name Ping-Pong, as it is commonly known as, was first created by the U.K. firm J. Jaques and Son at the end of the 19th century. It was then trademarked in the United States by Parker Brothers. 

In 1902, a Japanese student visiting the West saw a game of table tennis and brought it back to Japan where he introduced it to his fellow students. It also spread east from Britain and gained large popularity in places like Vienna, Budapest, and more. 

It wasn’t long until full tournaments were being organized and in 1922, the Table Tennis Association was officially formed. In that same year, an All England Club was formed and soon after a nationwide tournament hosted 40,000 competitors who had fallen in love with the sport.

Five years later, the first table tennis world championships were won by Hungarian Dr. Jacobi. That began an era of dominance by the Hungarians that was spear-headed by legend Victor Barna. In 1927, the English Table Tennis Association was also born and under the direction of Ivor Montague, the moder-day rules of table tennis were created. While the ETTA had a membership of just 19 leagues at its inception, it now has over 300 leagues and approximately 75,000 total members.

Then, the whole game changed in the 1950s after sponge or sandwich rubber allowed spin and control to play a huge part in the game. In many ways, it can be argued that this was the period that marked the beginning of modern-day table tennis. It wasn’t long until the game’s governing body, the ITTF, came up with ways to control this new technological development to make sure that talent and success was based primarily on the player and not on his or her tools. The rubber padding allowed users to exert almost surgical precision on the ball. Now, in official table tennis games, paddles must adhere to specific thickness and weight in order to adhere by tournament specifications. 

The rubber and inclusion of spin in the game dramatically increased the speed and spin style of the game, as well as made it a much more strategic and spectator sport.

Since then, the game has become a truly global sport, dominated by countries such as China, South Korea, Germany, Sweden, and more. 

The recognition of its massive fan appeal and genuine athletic demand culminated in its inclusion in the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. The televised broadcast  of the men’s singles final that year attracted a jaw-dropping worldwide audience of 2 billion viewers. Thanks much in part to its billions of fans across the Asian continent. 

While it was at first seen as something of a source of humor in the Olympic community, it has since proven to be a fan-favorite with some of the most intense rallies and emotional moments that the Olympic games have to offer. If you are interested in improving your own table tennis game, check out the stiga xtr outdoor table tennis table review. 

Table tennis is much more than it started out as a way for lawn tennis players to maintain their sharpness during the winter months. It is now a community all in its own. 

Table tennis can be found at gyms, at bars, at the offices at Fortune 500 companies, and in countless basements and sun rooms. If you are a fan of table tennis, take pride in knowing that you are taking part in a legacy and history that has spanned over one hundred years, and the whole world over. Perhaps next time you pick up a paddle, you’ll appreciate it a little bit more now that you know how far the game has already come, and how far it’s yet to go.

Most people know that acupuncture offers quite a few benefits. This tends to remain a somewhat nebulous understanding though. People know that there’s quite a few important benefits to acupuncture. But they’re not sure just what those benefits actually are. 

And the end result is that they end up missing out on treatment which could help some of their most serious problems. This is why it’s often helpful to narrow down the benefits of acupuncture into the best of the best. These are the most significant or helpful benefits of Johnston Family Acupuncture. 

1. Back and joint pain:
This is probably the element that people are most familiar with. Acupuncture can help deal with a number of issues related to your joints or spine. One of the reasons why this is among the more well-known aspects of acupuncture is because the average person is so in need of help in those areas. 

Our culture is constantly pushing people to sit for extended periods of time in ill-fitting chairs. And along with that they need to lean over and make use of keyboards that cause more and more strain by the day. The end result is a public that needs help. And acupuncture is often the best treatment. It’s not just able to deal with pain either. It can help reduce the swelling and inflammation which often create a cycle of increasing harm with these injuries.

2. Stress and mental health:
People often forget that mental health is just as important as physical health. And in fact, more and more evidence shows that the two are linked. Western medicine tends to focus on the negative side of this relationship. Basically, offering evidence that problems with the body can lead to problems with the mind. or that problems with the mind can lead to problems with the body. 

Acupuncture works on the positive side of that equation. It shows that helping relax the body can relax the mind. And that relaxing the mind can relax the body. This is accomplished by the fact that acupuncture practice combines both physical and mental elements to provide a larger scope of influence. It helps relax people in any number of ways. And this applies both to the muscles and joints as well as the mind. This can even result in greater mental clarity in the long run. 

3. Helping take care of eye strain:
Desk jobs and computers aren’t just rough on the back or joints. They’re also a big cause of eye strain. But what many people don’t know is that acupuncture can offer up a lot of benefits for eye strain. And it’s not limited to that one particular form of eye problem either. 

This is one of the more complex areas of acupuncture. As such it’s best to talk it over with a practitioner. But acupuncture can help quite a few different types of eye problem. 

4. Taking control of your health:
This is one of the largest and least spoken of elements of acupuncture. What’s interesting is that it’s not necessarily tied into acupuncture as a whole. Instead it’s about feeling empowered by really taking control of your health care. 

Our culture tends to relegate health care to others. A doctor or nurse tells you what you can and can’t do. You can reply in turn with how it all impacts you. But in general, this is just offering up a little extra information to the people making the decision.

Acupuncture and other alternative forms of medicine give the patient control over his or her own body. It might seem like a minor thing at first. But as people begin to exercise that control, they often notice that they feel much better. This is in large part because they can more easily fine tune treatment. The patient can increase or decrease the rate and nature of treatment as needed. 

The lack of a middle man can make a huge different in the long term. Not to mention that it builds up self-confidence and positive energy. This, in turn, often helps people’s natural defenses grow to fight off various issues.

Saving money doesn’t need to be a massive chore or imposition. There’s a plethora of information that may help an individual to learn to handle finances well. There are many ideas and strategies available for learning about finances. However, there are three simple steps that can be followed to help men and women to become more educated on money, including ultimately learning to put away more cash in the bank. Here are a few simple ideas to start out with!

1) Deal With Debt First

With the many expenses that individuals may incur, it can become easy to fall into debt. Dealing with debt and paying down any debts owed may be a great first step to be able to get finances under control and to be able to eventually save more money. A financial advisor may be helpful when seeking advice on money management. Additionally, individuals who are experiencing serious debt problems and who are unable to pay the amount of money they owe may consider consulting with a professional. An attorney, such as a Rockville bankruptcy lawyer, is an excellent resource for discussing options that are available regarding filing for bankruptcy.

2) Live Within Financial Means

Consider living a lifestyle that is within (or ideally, beneath!) an individual’s financial means. A good way to determine this may be for an individual to determine his or her annual income, and then learn to live on a small portion of that income. Creating a list of “needs” and “wants” may help with deciding where to direct more (or less) spending. Making a budget may be very advantageous. Living below financial means can quickly help to save more money and may help prevent going into debt.

3) Study as Much as Possible about Money

There are hundreds of options to study in order to learn more about saving money and attaining financial freedom. Consider taking a few minutes every day to listen to podcasts about saving money and investing. Read reputable finance books and watch educational videos about how to save more money. And celebrate personal victories when handling finances well!

When you go to adopt a pet you should always be thinking about insurance, especially when they are a rescue. Think of insurance like a safety net to protect against unexpected cost the pet might incur. These include shots, vet visits, and any necessary operations like neutering. It is important to know what a good policy will include and how to get the best insurance for the right rate. While it’s key to do your research, here are some things you should think about when you are adopting a pet and need insurance.

What is the Price?

Since pet health expenses are not cheap, neither is pet insurance. The average policy last year was £279, and the average pet insurance claim was £793. However, claims can run into the thousands if your pet develops an ongoing condition. The worth of your insurance is highly dependent upon the likelihood that you will need to make a claim and how much the claim will cost.

If your pet is a rescue, you should take them in to get them checked out and see what the costs will be to care for the animal in the long-term. Then you will have a better idea of what insurance will cost. Older animals also cost more to insure, and need more frequent medical attention. Choosing to self-insure, meaning that you will take care of all expenses that your pet incurs, can be risky but beneficial.

What Kind of Pet is it?

The kind of pet you are adopting is crucial to how much your policy will cost. Since the vast majority of pet insurance policies taken out are for cats and dogs, it is easier to find insurers for them. But for smaller animals it is datable whether costly pet insurance coverage will be worth the short lifespan of animals like rabbits, hamsters, or gerbils. Birds and reptiles are difficult to insure because not many companies offer this service. For instance, venomous animals are not insurable, and you should look into liability insurance to cover any accidents that may happen with a poisonous pet.

What are the Risks?

According to the experts at the site MoneyPug, which is used to compare pet insurance, different pets come with different risks and therefore different insurance costs. For example, pedigree dogs can be more susceptible to congenital diseases, hereditary conditions, and other illnesses. They are also more likely to be stolen. Furthermore certain breeds come with their own genetic problems, larger dogs may suffer from joint problems, and older dogs may require increased attention. Bulldogs in particular can develop respiratory problems.

Is it a Rescue?

Rescuing a pet is a great thing to do, but all altruistic things come with their disadvantages. Insurance for rescue dogs help cover sometimes steep veterinary costs, but they are more expensive due to the uncertain nature of their well-being. If they have an accident or need medical treatment it will be covered, but you should do your research to find the best policy for your situation. For example, specifically designed rescue dog insurance is probably what you need.

Some insurance policies even cover dental treatment, but it all depends on the specific policy. While most rescue organisations will provide vet assessments to rehabilitate the pet before you adopt it and make note of any pre-existing health issues, doing your research to find the right rescue insurance will help in the long-run.  

What does the Policy Cover?

Insurance companies cover different things, and each policy is more specific than that. You need to think about what you need your pet insurance to cover and pursue it for the most reasonable price. It is also important to determine if you need lifetime coverage, time-limited coverage, or money-limited coverage. These policies may cover accidental death, full treatment expenses, illnesses or injuries suffered while the policy is in effect. An accident in transit, loss or theft, accidental poisoning, and third party liabilities are also things to consider.

The way insurance companies come up with the price of your policy is to determine the age of the animal, the breed, its health condition, whether or not it is an exotic animal, and the location and climate conditions of the building where it lives. Whatever you need from an insurance company, you can find the most affordable option. With some research and deliberation, you can find the best insurance policy in no time.

Lots of weight loss supplements contain glucomannan these days, but is it any good for weight loss? The simple answer to that question is yes. Glucomannan’s ability to suppress the appetite has been put to the test time and time again and it’s proved its worth in research establishments all over the world. Research shows glucomannan also has the ability to keep cholesterol levels under control. So apart from being good for weight loss, glucomannan is also kind to the heart.

What is Glucomannan?

Glucomannan is a water-soluble fiber. It comes from the roots of an Asian plant called konjac. For this reason, it sometimes appears on supplement labels under that name. However, glucomannan is the name most commonly used. Very rarely it also appears under the name of amorphophallus konjac, but it’s still the same thing.

According to ResearchedSupplements.com – Glucomannan powder is one of the most popular ingredients in appetite suppressing weight loss products

Chinese people have been using the ingredient for many hundreds of years. In China, it’s valued as much as a food ingredient as it is for its medicinal value and it’s very low in calories. To this day, flour made by grinding the roots of the konjac plant is used for making tofu, noodles and jelly-type confectionery. Meanwhile, Chinese doctors use the powder to make a gel they use for treating asthma, hernia, burns and a variety of other ailments and injuries. In the West, glucomannan is mostly used in products intended to provide hunger control. This is probably a fact that speaks volumes about the cultural differences between the East and the West.

Why Glucomannan Is So Good for Weight Loss

As you may already be aware, foods that are high in fiber tend to be good for filling the stomach and satiating the appetite. Oats and wholemeal cereals are two examples. High-fiber foods are more filling because the digestive organs find them hard to process. This is no bad thing because the extra effort to break down the fiber gives the digestive organs a workout and helps maintain intestinal health.

However, there are two types of dietary fiber. The first kind is soluble, the second is not. Insoluble fiber is the kind you get from vegetables and whole-grain foods. It’s good for bulking the stool and helping prevent constipation.  Soluble fiber absorbs water and bonds with it to form a gelatinous compound. Like glucomannan, oats, bran, and barley are soluble fibers. However, glucomannan’s ability to absorb water far exceeds them. It can absorb up to 50 times its own weight in water.

When glucomannan comes into contact with water, it absorbs it quickly and expands. The resulting gel sits fills up the digestive organs and creates a feeling of satiety that reduces the desire for food. Because the fiber takes some time to travel through the digestive organs the appetite suppressing ability of glucomannan can last quite some time.

A Researched Weight Loss Ingredient That Works

Glucomannan is no one-hit wonder. The results of many clinical trials show that it works. However, it still needs to be used alongside an energy-restricted diet.

For the purposes of a study conducted at the University of Tromso in Norway, 176 overweight volunteers were split into four groups. As is normally the case with clinical trials, one group was given a placebo. The other three groups got high-fiber supplements.  One group got glucomannan, another got a mix of glucomannan and guar gum. The last group got glucomannan, guar gum, and alignat. All four groups had to adhere to an energy-restricted diet that provided 1200 calories per day. Not surprisingly given their low calorie intake, all four groups lost weight. Again, it’s no surprise that the placebo group lost the least amount of weight. All three glucomannan groups lost similar amounts of weight and the researchers concluded the addition of additional fibers did not result in additional weight loss.

Researchers in the USA evaluated the data provided by 14 different studies and confirmed glucomannan is good for weight loss and can beneficially affect cholesterol. Health experts at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted a similar evaluation but evaluated all the many claims made for the ingredient. After examining the data, the FDA experts agreed glucomannan has value as an appetite suppressant. They also sanctioned its use for controlling cholesterol, but the rest of the claims for the ingredient could not be supported.

How to Get the Best from Glucomannan

All of the studies involving the ingredient involved the use of an energy-restricted diet. After its evaluation, the EFSA produced guidelines for the best way to use glucomannan. The guidelines stress the need for controlling the daily calorie intake while using the ingredient.  This is not surprising because eating less food is not enough if the food that is eaten is overly high in fat or simple sugars.

Due to the way it works, it’s also important to drink one to two glasses of water with glucomannan. This is necessary to deliver the necessary expansion of the fibers. The EFSA also recommends taking three doses of glucomannan per day.  Each dose should provide one gram of fiber and it’s best to take the doses before meals. Doing so ensures maximum appetite suppression and will make it easier to feel satisfied by smaller portions of food. It also provides a long-term feeling of fullness that should prevent snacking.

Although the EFSA’s guidelines don’t stress the need for exercise, increasing levels of physical activity is always a good way to support additional weight loss. The bottom line is glucomannan is good for weight loss, but it needs to be used in the correct way.