Posts in the ‘Merrily’s Items of Interest’ Category
A Breakthrough in Mind Making Movements
Brown University celebrated a smile, and the world should celebrate the new capacity for a robotic assistant for those who cannot assist themselves. The demographics are astounding when one looks at the number of people who are aging and the number of people who are available to provide care for this age wave. Robotics, assistive devices, and help not yet discovered or marketed will be the key to my generation’s safety and security at home.
Mind over Robotics Allows User to Sip Coffee First Time in 10 Years
Live from the American Telemedicine Association Conference – A Participant’s Take
The American Telemedicine Association will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. With the advances in broadband and usage of communication and internet technology since the ATA’s founding in 1993, I was curious as to why adoption of telehealth/telecare/telemedicine has not been universal. This morning, at the ATA conference in San Jose, some industry experts gave their take on that conundrum.
Basically the thought leaders agreed that telehealth is a market in transition, and that we are moving from connecting places to connecting people. Adoption, the experts say, is the biggest hurdle, since telehealth and telecare need to be embedded into the system, and not laid on top of it, or used next to it.
The goal is “anytime, anywhere healthcare” and the “patients” become consumers in an integrated, embedded model where wellness is the focus, and not sickness. Does that not sound wonderful?
The trends? This will not surprise folks who work in private duty/private pay, but the trend is for chronic disease management, and bringing it all home.
The biggest challenge? Institutional healthcare and the current fragmented system.
In the U.S., we are developing islands of expensive information, where in most of the rest of the world the focus is on cradle-to-grave care. We are stuck, in the U.S., on cost and measuring outcomes when we should be focused on results and innovation. Reimbursement is, of course, at the heart of why telehealth is not more widely used in the U.S. At the current time, it is estimated that there is a gap between current capacity and utilization that is 50 times wide. Meaning we have 50 times the capacity and are not utilizing it.
So, what do we need to do? Education and collaboration were suggested. Also, a realization that the drivers for health outcomes are many times related to genes, the environment and lifestyle. Focusing on the individual at the heart of making a change is one thing that may drive more usage of telehealth and telemedicine and telecare.
american telemedicine association conference, private duty, technology, telecare, telehealth, telemedicine
Social Madness
Get social! I LOVE this image. Social media is now a must have for businesses, and is no longer an option. Check out our corecubed blogs on using social media in a variety of exciting and results oriented ways.
Social Media Marketing Frenzie
The Geezers and the Geeks
As an official “geezer” myself now, I can call a spade a spade. What a great move for Best Buy to target the senior user for technology help. Statistics continue to show that more and more people are going online for information, entertainment, and searching for products and services.
Today the Geek Squad announced that they have contracted through AARP to be available to help seniors, for an annual fee, with their tech needs. The world of travel, Words with Friends, online shopping, and communicating in general gets a whole lot easier when the technology is applied and working.
Geezer Geeks Unite
So, those of you who target seniors, just another sign that the website should be at the core of your marketing strategy!
A Message from Greater Louisville, Inc. Stop the NLRB’s “Ambush Election” rule!
- Contact your Senator: Stop the NLRB’s “Ambush Election” rule!
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote as soon as today on a resolution to rein in the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and overturn the NLRB’s overreaching “ambush election” rule.
A resolution from Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, co-sponsored by 44 of his Senate colleagues, would revoke the NLRB’s rule to ensure that all union elections are held on a level playing field, aren’t tilted in favor of any side, and that workers aren’t harassed or intimidated to vote a certain way.
The rule is set to go into effect on April 30 and if implemented could shorten the time employees have to make a decision on unionization to as little as two weeks – limiting access to information and resources necessary to make an informed decision and making it near impossible for employees who don’t want a union to organize and respond to the union’s well-organized campaign.
Send a message to your Senators today and urge them to support Sen. Enzi’s resolution to stop these union “ambush elections” and rein in the NLRB.
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/gli/5iENFgfb.aspx
