Some Ethical Issues in Health Care - Requirements and Treatments

When it comes to health care ethical issues, there are almost as many ethical issues as there are health issues to be treated. There are laws in place to direct the behavior of almost every person in the health care personnel chain, from the nurse to the nurses aide who assists them and the doctor who ultimately gets to try and make the decisions to treat within the confines of the insurance system ruling over the life of the patient in question.

There are ethical issues that are clearly defined, such as the requirements for treatment decisions when a patient has a Medical Power of Attorney or a Living Will. Then there are thealth care ethical issues that don't have such clearly defined areas, such as whether it is allowable to withhold a possible lifesaving treatment from a patient only because their insurance will not pay for it.

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Health care providers must make their treatment decisions based on a great many determining factors, perhaps the most constraining of which is the insurance reimbursement regime. If doctors and other health care providers could just treat their patients and have only that to worry about, what a wonderful world it would be. But doctors have to constantly worry about whether or not they and possibly the facility where they practice will be paid by the insurance companies. The next most important factor which affects health care providers ability to provide the care patients truly need is whether or not the patient has been truthful with the information they have given to the health care provider, and whether or not they have had access to health care to establish and maintain their health care needs.

Some Ethical Issues in Health Care - Requirements and Treatments

Ethical concerns also come into play with patients whose family constellations are unclear. A patient who has a spouse has a straightforward next of kin when decisions have to be made. When a patient is separated from their spouse, and even perhaps has a new significant other, the next of kin can be much more difficult to determine, and protecting all health care providers-doctors, hospitals, etc from the liability risk of allowing the person who does not have a legal right to make decisions for a patient is a necessity. The health care ethical issues presented by these kinds of situations are very delicate.

One important ethical concern in health care is the need to protect oneself from the very real danger of the transmission of communicable diseases in bodily fluids. Especially in cases where a patients history is not available, health care providers have the right and the responsibility to protect themselves from viruses and bacteria that may be present in the body fluids of patients to which they are exposed taking care of these patients. However, this must be balanced with the possibility of making patients feel accused or uncomfortable by these same protective measures.

One last important health care ethical issues, especially in this day in age, is the protection of private, personally identifying information. Patients records used to be kept in public places where almost anyone could read them-filing pockets outside their doors, for instance. This kind of situation is not longer allowed, and records are more closely guarded nowadays, and many hospitals now rely on records kept entirely on computers.

Ethical issues are a part of almost every field, but health care has a special place in the system, where people are trusted with making those who are sick feel better, those who are injured able to return to their prior lives, and those who have chronic conditions and those who love them more able to cope with the demands of living with those conditions.

Some Ethical Issues in Health Care - Requirements and Treatments

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Health Promotion Program - Benefits of Health Promotion in the Work Environment

Benefits of health promotion are not only for the workplace of a company it also touches the interest of the employees. There are various types of benefits that are transferred from the employee to their members of the family.

Teaching and supporting are the best feasible ways of communicating health tips to the employees. Already thousands of people get their health information from TV, Internet and magazines.

Health Promotion

Benefits of Health Promotion
Health Awareness -- Most of the employees like to follow these tips for the benefit of working together. Some of the areas of health awareness are such as awareness concerning alcohol and tobacco, recreation, fitness, nutrition, heart health, urology problem, diabetics etc. Also workplace safety areas and workplace health promotion are very effective. Workplace Health Promotion -- It will lead to a general shrink of health care expenses, health maintenance, health education and other preventive measures for various diseases. These are all crucial for generating a solid institution within an association. Workplace health promotion is having the strong evidence to supports the success of wellness programs or health programs. This type of inventions is making the important difference in the managerial structure. Health Programs -- Most of the popular companies would like to implement the wellness programs. They are encouraging not only their employees to improve their health lifestyle but the members of family as well. Mental health programs are part of health support on the workplace. It can function as a barometer to show the state of wellbeing of the employees. This is the significant factor for mental health programs. Positive Working Environment -- Company employees enjoy many of these types of strategies for they reduce behavioral problems and suicide rates. Stress management classes and/or mental health programs have resulted in a decrease of domestic aggressions due to a positive working environment for the employees. On social level there is an important reduction of child abuse and also spousal abuse.Generally the safety and health promotion or occasional health both help to reduce the number of disabilities and deaths at the workplace. Safety and health issue of employees are part of their workplace environment therefore wellness programs and common health promotion occurs in the work environment. Training workers while implementing wellness and safety procedures results in a significant decrease of injuries. As job injuries reduce, workers asking for a compensation claim reduce. To conclude workplace health promotion is an excellent tool for the company to show the employees that their health is the most important to the organization.

Health Promotion Program - Benefits of Health Promotion in the Work Environment

Health Promotion Program - Benefits of Health Promotion in the Work Environment

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Warning: Lack of Exercise Is Detrimental To Your Health

You just put in a good 10 hour day in front of your computer screen, and the last thing you want to do is exercise. Let's see, exercise, and improve your fitness level, or sit down with a glass of wine and watch your favorite evening television show. What would you do?

Seventy percent of individuals know they should exercise, but
choose the wine and the television program instead.

Health Promotion

Do you know this simple daily decision can end up being detrimental to your health? According to the USCDC, 54.1% of adults don't do the minimum level of exercise or physical activity recommended for wellness. The slogan "use it or lose it" has never been more true.

Warning: Lack of Exercise Is Detrimental To Your Health

The simple innocent choice of not exercising has shown, in studies, to promote 10 serious health conditions you don't ever want to develop. The bottom line is physical inactivity has a lot of unhealthy implications even at our bodies cellular level. At the cellular level, inactivity decreases
the ability to transfer oxygen from your blood stream to your cells, and also decreases the number of power activating mitochondria. However, the worst cost of not exercising or being physically active can result in the following 10 devastating conditions:

1. CANCER - Studies have shown that fitness enthusiastic men and women who are physically active have a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of colon cancer compared to individuals who are inactive.

2. DIABETES - Studies show lack of regular physical exercise increases insulin sensitivity. Diabetes is considered the "sedentary disease" which is striking people at an alarming rate. If it is not controlled, it can destroy the body's organs.

3. HEART - Lack of consistent physical activity, over time, decreases the function of the heart muscle, affects the blood vessels, including the large aortic artery to the veins and small capillaries. According to many studies, scientists have good reason to believe that regular exercise protects the
heart.

4. STROKE - Regular exercisers are 25% less likely to have a stroke than their sedentary counterparts. Being fit lowers blood pressure, raises HDL cholesterol, and reduces the risk of blood clots.

5. BRAIN - People who are physically active, according to solid evidence, are at lower risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

6. MUSCLES - If you don't exercise on a regular basis, you are at risk of losing some 6 percent of your muscles mass every decade of life from the age of 30 on. This also translates into a 10 - 15 percent loss of strength per decade. Once again, if you don't use the muscle, you will lose the muscle quickly.

7. OSTEOPOROSIS - Fragile bones cause more than 1.5 million fractures each year in the U.S. Bone is like muscle, if you stress it, it responds. If you don't, you gradually lose its strength, and increase your chances of breaking them. Regular weekly strength training can help prevent osteoporosis, and decrease your chances of breaking a bone.

8. MENTAL HEALTH - People who don't exercise on a regular basis are more prone to develop depression. According to a recent study, people who were more active were nearly 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression over the next five years than less active people. Fitness conscious individuals also generally display an improved self esteem, or self image.

9. WEIGHT - If you are inactive, year in and year out, you will eventually gain weight and lose fitness which increases the chance of a heart attacks, and diabetes.

10. IMMUNE SYSTEM - Moderate amounts of exercise reduces the
risk of upper respiratory infection. Regular exercise may boost
immune function.

Now I would like to ask that same question I asked above. What
would you do? Wine and television, or physical activity?

Now for the good news! In as little as 30 minutes of exercise or
fitness work each day, you can significantly decrease your chances of developing any of these horrible conditions mentioned above. This is the best "medicine" any doctor can possibly prescribe!

I hope I have encouraged you to become more physically
active today, and beyond. Your quality of life depends upon
it. Consider these the most important words you will hear
today!

Remember, you have a choice. Make the fitness choice.
_______________________________________________

For information on how to develop a fitness program
which delivers twice the results in half the time, visit
Wellness Word Multimedia Newsletter at http://www.WellnessWord.com
________________________________________________

*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners ***
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog, Autoresponder,or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.

Warning: Lack of Exercise Is Detrimental To Your Health

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Leadership Model For A 21st Century Health Care Organization

There is a growing trend for leaders to break the old autocratic model of leadership to newer models using the concepts of shared and participatory leadership. With the every increasing complexity of health care delivery and the new skilled work force, leaders will have to communicate in an atmosphere where a reaching organization objective is a shared responsibility. According to Bennis, Spreitzer and Cummings (2001) in the future the landscape of health care organization will become more decentralized, which will promote agility, proactivity, and autonomy. Future leaders may move away from singular roles to shared leadership networks that may themselves alter the foundations of the organization. The demands for shared leadership or leaders shifting roles on teams will continue to increase. Health care organization will foster the development and empowerment of people, building teamwork and shared leadership on all levels. The leaders of the future will be guides, asking for input and sharing information. Telling people what to do and how to do it will become a thing of the past (Bennis, Spreitzer and Cummings, 2001). In the 21st century the dynamics of health care will offer leaders who have the ability to motivate and empower others a platform to maximize an organization human resources. Leadership will have to be committed to encourage a two way communication in which the vision meets both the organizations objectives and the employee's needs. This assignment will develop a leadership model for the 21st century that addresses the role of commitment model of shared and participatory leadership in health care organizations.

Commitment model of leadership

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Fullam, Lando, Johansen, Reyes, and Szaloczy (1998) suggest effective leadership style is an integral part of creating an environment that nurtures the development of an empowered group. Leader effectiveness is simply the extent to which the leader's group is successful in achieving organizational goals (Fullam et al., 1998). In the 21st century health care organizations will need leaders that are committed to developing employees in a team environment. In an environment where leadership is transferable according to objective commitment leadership has a shared purpose. Kerfoot and Wantz (2003) suggested in inspired organizations where people are committed and excited about their work, compliance to standards and the continual search for excellence happens automatically. In these organizations, compliance continues when the leader is not present. This type of leadership requires the team leader to use all available means to create three conditions among individuals: (a) shared purpose, (b) self-direction, and (c) quality work. Leaders who create commitment among their employees believe in creating a shared vision that generates a sense of shared destiny for everyone (Kerfoot & Wantz, 2003).

Leadership Model For A 21st Century Health Care Organization

Involving others in leadership is a unique process which is deeply rooted in individuals believing they are a part of the process of meeting organizational objective and purpose. Atchison and Bujak (2001) suggest involving others in the process is important because people tend to support that which they help to create. People resent being changed, but they will change if they understand and desire the change and control the process. Sharing information promotes a sense of participation and allows people to feel acknowledged and respected (Atchison & Bujak, 2001 p. 141).

Toseland, Palmer-Ganeles, and Chapman (1986) suggest when individual leaders cooperate and share their expertise and skills, a more comprehensive decision making process can be achieved rather than when leaders work independently. For example, in a geriatric team, a psychiatric nurse may lead a group focused on heath concerns, a social worker may lead a therapy group, or a mental-health therapy aide may lead a structured reality-orientation group (Toseland et al., 1986). Shared commitment form the leadership in the future will help to develop, coordinate, and integrate the complex and ever changing health care setting for the 21st century.

Respect for authority and work ethic

Haase-Herrick (2005) suggested shared leadership gives the opportunity to enhance or build trust among individuals. Leadership is mobilized around refining the roles of individuals creating positive health practice environments that support the work of the group (Haase-Herrick, 2005). Leadership ability to lead a team in ways that build morale and reinforce work ethics empowers others to perform to their potential in a group. Leadership is the ability to lead individuals towards achieving a common goal. Leadership builds teams and gains the members shared commitment to the team process by creating shared emotion within the group (Pescosolido, 2002).

Collaboration among leaders in health care

There are new models that are emerging which add a new perspective on how to produce effective collaboration within leadership. Wieland et al., (1996) discussed transdisciplinary teams in health care settings, where members have developed sufficient trust and mutual confidence to engage in teaching and learning across all levels of leadership. The collaborating is shared but the ultimate responsibility for effectiveness is provided in their place by other team members. The shared responsibility for example might be a situation where clinicians on a team each serve in a leadership role regardless of their particular disciplinary expertise (Wieland et al., 1996). The shared commitment model of leadership allows for the independence and equality of the contributing professions while pressuring team members to achieve consensus about group goals and priorities. It is important to emphasize the importance of collaboration in a complex and changing health care environment. The focus on the primary purpose for partnership of leaders will ultimately rest on the shared belief in meeting organizational goals though a collaborative effort. Atchison and Bujak (2001) suggest it is important to reemphasize the importance of keeping everyone informed on the primary purpose of achieving success though a collaborative effort. Clarifying expectations and specifically illustrating how proposed changes are likely to affect the participants is important in achieving commitment leadership (Atchison & Bujak, 2001)

Leadership competency on all levels

The ability to lead in the 21st century requires leaders to be competent in motivating and empowering others to perform to their maximum potential. According to Elsevier (2004) leadership is the ability to lead a team or number of individuals in ways which build morale, generate ownership and harness energies and talents towards achieving a common goal. The leadership competency is all about motivating and empowering others while accomplishing organizational objectives. Leadership is the vehicle in which the vision is clarified though the encouragement of two-way communication on all levels of the organization (Elsevier, 2004).

Leaders in the 21st century will have to be competent in identifying change as they occur and encourage others to adjust to those changes for the mutual benefit of achieving objectives. Elsevier (2004) suggest leaders will have to be comfortable with change because which change comes new opportunities for collaboration among followers and peers (Elsevier, 2004). Improving the results of change initiatives while making sure those changes are fully understood will be a priority for leaders who choice to lead by commitment leadership.

Leadership as a changing agent

Longest, Rakich and Darr (2000) suggest organizational change in health care organization does not occur absent certain conditions. Key are the people who are catalysts for change and who can manage the organizational change process. Such people are called change agents. Anyone can be a change agent, although this role usually is played by leadership. Change agents must recognize that any organizational change involves changing individuals. Individuals will not change with out motivation introduces by the changing agent. The changing agent must create a body of shared values and attitudes, a new consensus in which key individuals with in an organization reinforce one another in selling the new way and in defending it against opposition (Longest, Rakich and Darr, 2000). As health care organizations change in the 21st century successful leaders must have the skills that are necessary to make change possible with in teams of individuals. Longest, Rakich and Darr (2000) suggest one of the important category of change is team building or team development, which "remove barriers to group effectiveness, develop self sufficiency in managing group process, and facilitate the change process (Longest, Rakich and Darr, 2000). A leader who leads by commitment must seek to minimize the resistances to change by building a consensus of objectives with in the organizations culture.

Conclusion

Leadership in the complex health care environment in the 21st century will need individuals to be committed to the promotion of team effectiveness. Sarner (2006) suggest leadership is a "power- and value-laden relationship between leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes and goals." In plainer language, leadership is the dynamic that galvanizes individuals into groups to make things different or to make things better -- for themselves, for their enterprise, for the world around them. The essential components of leadership have remained more or less constant: intelligence, insight, instinct, vision, communication, discipline, courage, constancy (Sarner, 2006). In the 21st century leaders must know how to gather, sort, and structure information, and then connect it in new ways to create clear objectives that satisfy both the organization and individuals needs. The important skill that can be learning during this process of leadership is the ability to listen to colleagues and collaborators for the sole purpose of foster a shared consensus. In order to communicate a vision in the future a commitment leader must work with others and sometimes defer some part of the leadership process to ensure organizational objectives are achieved.

References

Atchison, T. A. & Bujak, J. S. (2001). Leading transformational change: The physician-executive partnership. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.

Elsevier, R. (2004). Leadership and change orientation. Competency & Intelligence 12(2), 16-17. Retrieved October 8, 2006 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?vid=14&hid=16&sod

Haase-Herrick, K. (2005). The opportunities of stewardship: Leadership for the future. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 29(2), 115-118. Retrieved March 23, 2006, from Ovid Technologies, Inc. Email Service.

Kerfoot, K., & Wantz, S. (2003). Compliance leadership: The 17th century model that doesn't work. Dermatology Nursing, 15(4), 377. Retrieved June 3, 2005, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index

Longest, B., Rakich, J. S. & Darr, K. (2000). Managing health services organizations and systems (4th ed.) Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press, Inc.

Pescosolido, A. T. (2002). Emergent leaders as managers of group emotion. The Leadership Quarterly 185(2002), xxx-xxx. Retrieved October 5, 2006 from http://www.unh.edu/management/faculty/ob/tp/Emergent%20Leaders%20as%20Managers%20of%20Group%20Emotion.pdf

Sarner, M. (2006). Can leadership be learned? FastCompany.com Retrieved October 8, 2006
from http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/archive/msarner.html

Toseland, R. W., Palmer-Ganeles, J., & Chapman. D. (1986). Teamwork in psychiatric settings. National Association of Social Workers, Inc. Retrieved May 29, 2005, from [http://www.apollolibrary.com/srp/login.asp]

Wieland, D., Kramer, J, Waite, M. S., Rubenstein, L. Z., & Laurence, Z. (1996). The interdisciplinary team in geriatric care. The American Behavioral Scientist. Retrieved May 1, 2005, from [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdwebindex=1]

Leadership Model For A 21st Century Health Care Organization

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How Traditional Chinese Health Beliefs and Chinese Culture Influence Health and Illness?

Traditional Chinese health beliefs adopt a holistic view emphasizing the importance of environmental factors in increasing risk of disease. According to Quah (1985), these factors influence the balance of body's harmony, yin and yang. These are two opposite but complementary forces and, together with qi (vital energy), they control the universe and explain the relationship between people and their surroundings. Imbalance in these two forces, or in the qi, results in illness.

In order to restore the balance, traditional remedial practices may be needed. For example, excess `hot' energy can be counterbalanced by cooling herbal teas, and vice versa. These beliefs are deeply ingrained among the Chinese, and have been found to be unchanged following migration to Singapore.

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Lee, et. al. (2004), found that patients with specific chronic diseases, namely arthritis, musculoskeletal diseases and stroke, were more likely to use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). This was strongly determined by the 'chronic disease triad', perceived satisfaction with care and cultural health beliefs.

How Traditional Chinese Health Beliefs and Chinese Culture Influence Health and Illness?

Hence the use of TCM is not associated with the quality of doctor-patient interaction. Astin (1998) also agreed that it was seen as being more compatible with the patients' values, spiritual and religious philosophy, or beliefs regarding the nature and meaning of health and illness.

In traditional Chinese culture, taking medication is thought to be aversive, hence medications tend to be taken only until symptoms are relieved and then discontinued; if symptoms are not obvious, medications will probably never be taken.

Apart from parental cultural beliefs, minor side effects of certain antibiotics such as stomach upset may contribute to the poor adherence of medication. The use of "leftover", "shared" antibiotics and over-the-counter purchase of antibiotics by parents are common situations in the community.

They think that their children suffer from the same illnesses judging by the similar symptoms, so they would give the "leftover" or "shared" antibiotics to their children and only bring them to their doctors if there is no improvement (Chang & Tang, 2006). This may cause their conditions to deteriorate and may necessitate aggressive treatments later which may have unnecessary side effects.

However, there are small groups of Chinese who also blamed ill-health or misfortunes on supernatural forces, or on divine retribution, or on the malevolence of a 'witch' or 'sorcerer' (Helman, 1994). Such groups will usually seek cures from their religions.

In Singapore, the Ministry of Health has drawn up the TCM Practitioners' Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines to prevent any unscrupulous practitioners from preying on their patients and taking advantage of their beliefs, for example, molesting ignorant patients.

The degree of acculturation has been evidenced in the following case. An old man was brought into our hospital with a week-long history of malaise, nausea and vomiting, and sudden jaundice. He was diagnosed to have an obstructive mass in the liver.

A biopsy revealed hepatocellular carcinoma. The serological test suggested chronic active hepatitis B. When the news broke to his son that his father had cancer, he requested not to disclose that to his father.

When we discussed end of life issues such as hospice care and "do-not-resuscitate" (DNR) orders, the son tried to divert the discussion to other issues such as when his father could go home.

Cultural Issues that may be involved in this case are:

The Chinese tend to protect the elderly from bad news.

Believing in karma - the older folk believe that discussing illnesses or death/dying is bad luck. They think that talking about something bad will cause it to come true.

There is an increased incidence of liver cancer resulting from Hepatitis B due to delayed treatment in the elderly, as it may take a long time for them to accept the initial diagnosis.

Reference:

Astin JA. (1998). Why patients use alternative medicine. J Am Med Assoc 1998; 279: 1548-1553.

Chan, G. C. & Tang, S. F. (2006) Parental knowledge, attitudes and antibiotic use for acute upper respiratory tract infection in children attending a primary healthcare clinic in Malaysia. Singapore Medical Journal, 47(4):266

Helman, C. G. (1990) Culture, Health and Illness. Wright, London.

Quah, S. R. (1985) The Health Belief Model and preventive health behaviour in Singapore. Social Science and Medicine, 21, 351-363.

Lee GBW, Charn TC, Chew ZH and Ng TP. (2004). Complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with chronic diseases in primary care is associated with perceived quality of care and cultural beliefs. Family Practice, 21(6): 654-660.

How Traditional Chinese Health Beliefs and Chinese Culture Influence Health and Illness?

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Universal Health Care - Ethical Issues in Health Care Reform

Universal health care seems to be a hotly debated topic whenever health care reform in the United States is discussed. 

Those who maintain that health is an individual responsibility do not want a system that requires them to contribute tax dollars to support fellow citizens who do not act responsibly in protecting or promoting their own health. They argue that they want the freedom to choose their own physicians and treatments, and suggest that government cannot know what is best for them.  These people argue that preserving the current system with improvements to provide better insurance coverage for citizens who remain uninsured or under insured for their medical care needs is the only reform that is needed.

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Those who believe health care is an individual right support a universal health care system with the argument that every citizen deserves to have access to the right care at the right time and that a government's responsibility is to protect its citizens, sometimes even from themselves.

Universal Health Care - Ethical Issues in Health Care Reform

Two opposing arguments arising from two opposing ideologies.  Both are good arguments but neither can be the supporting argument for implementing or denying universal health care.  The matter must be resolved through an ethical framework.

Examination of the ethical issues in health care reform would require consideration of much different arguments  than those already presented.   Ethical issues would center on the moral right.  Discussion would begin with not "What is best for me?" but rather  "How should we as a society be acting so that our actions are morally correct?"

Ethics refers to determining right and wrong in how humans relate to one another.  Ethical decision making for health care reform then would require human beings to act in consideration of our relationships to each other not our own individual interests.

Examination of some of the common ethical decision making theories can provide a foundation for a different perspective than one that is solely concerned  with individual rights and freedoms. 

Ethical decision making requires that specific questions be answered in order to decide on whether intended actions are good or morally correct.  Here are some questions that could be used in ethical decision making for health care reform.

What action will bring the most good to the most people? What action in and of itself is a good act and helps us to fulfill our duties, obligations, and responsibilities to each other? What action in and of itself shows caring and concern for all citizens?

As the answer to all  these questions, universal health care can always be considered the right thing to do.

The United States is in the most advantageous position there is when it comes to health care reform.  They are the only developed country without a national health care system in place for all citizens.  They have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes that have been made by all the other countries that have already gone down the universal health care road. They have an opportunity to design a system that can shine as a jewel in the crown of universal health care systems everywhere. 

However, all ethical decision making is structured around values.  In order for universal health care to be embraced by all citizens in the United States, they will first have to agree to the collective value of equity and fairness and embrace the goal of meeting their collective responsibility to each other while maintaining individual rights and freedoms. That may prove to be the most difficult obstacle of all.

Universal Health Care - Ethical Issues in Health Care Reform

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Okra And Its Health Benefits

The worldwide used versatile vegetable called okra is characterized by green color, elongated and tapering ridged pods infused with double row of seeds and slimy texture when cut open. This integral member of the cotton family is indigenous to regions around the Nile in North Africa and the Middle East for it was discovered dating as far as 3500 years ago in Ethiopia. Early Egyptians are known to love its taste. Okra later transcended to North America enroute slave trade and then to Europe, Asia and South and Central America.

Besides being low in calories it is aplenty with vitamins of the category A, Thiamin, B6, C, folic acid, riboflavin, calcium, zinc and dietary fiber. Eating okra is much recommended for pregnant woman besides other for it is rich in folic acid which is essential in the neural tube formation of the fetus during 4-12 weeks of gestation period in the mother's womb.

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Research revelations by the eminent nutritionists' state

Okra And Its Health Benefits

o The mucilage and fiber found in okra helps adjust blood sugar by regulating its absorption in the small intestine.

o The fiber of okra has many superior qualities in maintaining the health of the gastro-intestinal tract.

o It helps reabsorb water and traps excess cholesterol, metabolic toxins and surplus bile in its mucilage and slips it out through the stool. Due to greater percentage of water in the bulk it thereby prevents constipation, gas and bloating in the abdomen.

o It is an ideal vegetable for weight loss and is storehouse of health benefits provided it is cooked over low flame to retain its properties. This also to ensure that the invaluable mucilage contained in it is not lost to high heat.

o Okra facilitates the propagation of good bacteria referred to as probiotics. These are similar to the ones proliferate by the yoghurt in the small intestine and helps biosynthesis of Vitamin B complex.

o For adding bounce your hair. Boil horizontally sliced okra till the brew become maximally slimy. Cool it and add a few droops of lemon and use this as the last rinse and see your hair spring back to youthfulness and jump.

o Okra is an excellent laxative treats irritable bowels, heals ulcers and sooths the gastrointestinal track.

o Protein and oil contained in the seeds of okra serves as the source of first-rate vegetable protein. It is enriched with amino acids on the likes of tryptophan, cystine and other sulfur amino acids.

Okra And Its Health Benefits

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The Health Benefits of Bilberry

Bilberry is made from a little blue berry that is related to blueberries and cranberries. Bilberry is a powerful anti-inflammatory. The herb is also a powerful antioxidant and has glucoquinine (lowers blood sugar levels). Bilberry contains flavonoids called anthocyanosides that protect the collagen structures in the blood vessels of the eye. Bilberry is used to treat eye problems such as Macular Degeneration, diabetic neuropathy, and/or cataracts.

Benefits of Bilberry

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Bilberry is found mostly in dark skinned fruits. It is used to treat diarrhea, vericose veins, and mucous membrane inflammation. The herb is beneficial in the treatment of hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and in eye health.

The Health Benefits of Bilberry

This herb may also help night vision. During World War II, British Pilots ate bilberry jam before going out on night flights. They claimed it improved their vision. It is believed that the bilberry herb helps the eyes to adjust to changes in light quickly. This is one of the greatest benefits of bilberry and can be very beneficial for ones eyes according to many studies.

In Europe it is used to treat venous insufficiency- a condition that causes swelling and varicose veins. It further relieves pain and itching, and it also. Helps combat skin ulcers on the legs. Reynaud's disease may benefit from bilberry. Reynauds causes pain and numbness in the outer extremities (fingers, toes and nose) when cold.

Bilberry improves circulation and makes artery walls. The herb may reduce inflammation, ease gastro-intestinal problems, and gum problems that have been linked to heart disease. Diarrhea and mouth sores can benefit from Bilberry as well. Bilberry has strong antiseptic properties, relieves peptic ulcers, diabetes, fibrocystic diseases, and painful menstruation.

Our conclusion For The Benefits Of Bilberry

Because of Bilberry's strong antioxidant composition, the herb makes an excellent free radical scavenger, which helps combat the cell damage that leads to premature aging and disease. The most noted benefit that we briefly discussed above, is its ability to treat a range of problems relating to ones eye health. For example, the herb protects collagen structures in the blood vessels of the eyes, thus promoting healthy capillaries that carry many vital nutrients, such as oxygen-rich blood to your eye muscles.

Various Studies have confirmed that the benefits of bilberry go even further than one might be aware of. The herb can be useful for protecting against macular degeneration, cataracts, night blindness, and poor or fading vision. We believe bilberry to be one of the best herbs available for the protection of ones eyes health. Clinical studies have even shown that if given orally to healthy people, it improves visual accuracy. Our conclusion is that everyone should consider consuming bilberry as it helps as part of an overall maintenance of ones health.

Other benefits of bilberry include treating menstrual cramps and helping aid stomach ulcers. Varicose veins, thrombosis, angina, and poor circulation may also be improved with the use of bilberry, as the herb helps with healthy blood flow.

Our last point to note is that bilberry contains a substance called glucoquinine, which has the ability to lower ones blood sugar levels significantly and its antioxidant, anthocyanin, within the herb itself, can reduce high blood pressure.

Possible Precautions for those considering using Bilberry

Some side effects related to the use of Bilberry, include the possibility of: stomach upset, dizziness, or headache. It could cause diarrhea, and thin out blood. Caution should be used as bilberry could interfere with medications. However, there are no known adverse interactions with prescription drugs, or have there been any harmful effects noted in the literature for this herb to the best of our knowledge. As always, though, use your common sense when taking nutritional supplements: if you notice any unwanted side effects, discontinue usage, or reduce your dosage level straight away. Remember to always consult with a qualified physician before beginning supplementation of any kind.

Pregnant or nursing women should always refrain from supplementation with nutritional products until they speak with their personal doctor.

Our opinion on the Bilberry Herb

The evidence for bilberry's benefits as a herb are long, varied, and shown in many clinical trails when it comes to treating eye disorders and maintaining clear vision in healthy individuals. However, many of the recent beneficial discoveries need further study in our opinions to validate the benefits further. Among these new findings are bilberry's benefits for menstrual cramps and helping treat stomach ulcers.

Because of the many benefits of bilberry, along with more or less unknown adverse side effects, we would say it is a supplement well worth checking out especially since there is a lack of side effects of bilberry -- unlike many other herbs on the market.

Tips On Getting The Best Benefits Of Bilberry

1. Make sure you purchase a bilberry supplement produced with a standardized extract. Standardized extracts contain the highest level of therapeutic benefits within the herbs. Most other herbal supplements on the market, however, do not even contain the amount of ingredients stated on the label. This is worrying within the nutritional industry and consumers need to take this issue seriously.

2. Dosages range from 20 to 160 mg. However, people who are in good overall health should take lower dosage levels, but maintain long term use. However, those people with specific conditions, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, etc mentioned above in our article, may wish to supplement with dosage levels in the higher ranges, but do not go over what we have stated above.

The Health Benefits of Bilberry

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Health Benefits of Liquid Aloe Vera When Taken Internally

Aloe is a succulent plant that can help heal certain skin conditions, it can also serve as a moisturizer for dry and cracked skin. Not a lot of us know the health benefits of liquid aloe vera when taken internally. When taken twice daily (in 2-4 oz), it can help you maintain a good health. It is known to help detoxify the body and get rid of free radicals. Since it's an effective all-natural colon cleanser, a lot of experts recommend the regular consumption of aloe juice to prevent colon cancer. The detoxification properties of the juice also work to detoxify the blood stream thus improving circulation. It can dilate the capillaries and aid in cell growth

Another benefit from taking liquid aloe vera is the healing of intestinal or stomach problems. Aside from constipation, it can also help heal ulcers and it can aid the digestive tract to work smoothly. And because of its anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, it can prevent the onset of certain disease in the body. In other words, your immune system will be stronger in fighting diseases. Your overall health will improve and you will notice that you have more energy.

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Other health benefits of taking liquid aloe vera internally include regulation of blood pressure, stabilization of blood sugar levels, promotion of bones and joint healing and healing of internal tissue damage. Aloe helps prevent scar tissue from occurring inside the body at the site of the cut. Aside from drinking the juice, you can also apply the gel to the wound just after surgery, it can help heal the incision heal more rapidly and make the scar less visible when it heals completely.

Health Benefits of Liquid Aloe Vera When Taken Internally

Make sure you only take the recommended daily dosage, anything in excess will not do you any good. Aloe contains anthroquinone glycosides, when taken in large quantities, they exert purgative effect.

Health Benefits of Liquid Aloe Vera When Taken Internally

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The Importance of Mental Health

What is mental health?

Though no concise definition exists, mental health is basically your attitude and approach to life. Psychological, environmental, genetic, or physiological factors have a profound effect on overall mental development.

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What is mental illness?

The Importance of Mental Health

Mental illness impairs your ability to perform routine tasks, foster healthy relationships, or cope with anger or stress. It may be classified on the basis of extreme mood swings, irrational or destructive thought patterns, and behavioral problems.

How important is mental health?

Your mental health has a huge impact on every aspect of your life.

o Self-image

Good mental health means appreciating your achievements and accepting your shortcomings. A mental illness can cause an inferiority complex, a negative body image, and intense feelings of self-hate, anger, disgust, and uselessness, which could mutate into extreme depression, psycho-social disorders, or eating disorders.

o Education

Students with mental problems socially isolate themselves, and develop anxiety disorders and concentration problems. Good mental health ensures an all-round educational experience that enhances social and intellectual skills that lead to self-confidence and better grades.

o Relationships

Mental health largely contributes to the functioning of human relationships. Mental illness can hamper even basic interactions with family, friends, and colleagues. Most people suffering from mental illness find it difficult to nurture relationships, have problems with commitment or intimacy, and frequently encounter sexual health issues.

o Sleep

An inability to handle stress or anxiety can cause insomnia. Even if you mange to fall asleep, you may wake up a dozen times during the night with thoughts of what went wrong the day before or how bad tomorrow is going to be. You may develop severe sleeping disorders which leave you exhausted and less productive.

o Eating

People with mental disorders are more prone to indulging in comfort eating or emotional binges. Finding comfort in food is something we all do from time to time. But with a mental illness, it becomes difficult to control yourself. Overeating can lead to obesity, which puts you at a risk for heart disease and diabetes, in addition to creating an unhealthy body-image.

o Physical health

Your mental state directly affects your body. For example, stress can lead to hypertension or stomach ulcers. People who are mentally healthy are at a lower risk for many health complications.

So make a conscious effort to improve and maintain your mental health.

The Importance of Mental Health

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Top 10 Supplements For Men For Optimal Health

These top 10 supplements are a "MUST HAVE" for men of all ages.

With this arsenal added to your daily nutrition intake, you will combat the early signs of aging, help your body run more efficiently, fight disease and add years to your life.

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The top 10 supplements for men 2008 are as follows:

Top 10 Supplements For Men For Optimal Health

1-Vitamin E- Touted as the BEST supplement for fighting the signs of aging, this is one of THE most potent antioxidants. Vitamin E will help reduce heart disease greatly, fight off cancer and cancerous cells, reduce the risk of certain eye diseases and even help beat alzheimers disease.

This supplement is essential in reducing/aiding muscle tissue damage caused after exercising.

2-Saw Palmetto- The little known fact about this supplement is that it is actually as effective, if not even more effective for hair loss than prescription drugs. It is all natural and is clinically proven to reduce the overproduction of the hormone DHT-dihydrotestosterone. Male pattern baldness is caused by overproduction of DHT. Saw palmetto reduces production of DHT. Many studies time and time again has shown Saw Palmetto to improve hairlines and hair thickness in more then 75% of the men involved in the studies.

Recommended daily dose:200mg

3-Coenzyme Q10-Co Q10- This is a compound which is produced naturally by your body, it improves your muscle cells to translate the oxygen in your blood to usable energy. This in turn greatly helps with fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome, which affects more then 50 million Americans.

In a recent study, subject taking 100mg daily for 2 months eradicated up to 95% of their fatigue and almost doubled their current energy levels! This supplement is truly being touted as a miracle supplement.

Our recommendation is between 100-150 mg daily.

4-Chromium Picolinate- This supplement helps keep your blood sugar normal, therefore reducing the urge to eat high-sugar foods, improving your body's sensitivity to insulin.

Men who regularly use this mineral in their diets in the long term gained less weight than their peers taking other, non-effective weight-loss supplements. The group in the studies were taking a daily intake of 400mcg as an effective weight control aid.

5-Green Tea- Green tea is the gold standard fat burner and has been used for centuries because it contains EGCG(epigallocatechin gattate) an antioxidant known to increase resting metabolic rate and stimulates thermogenesis, which is the process by which your body burns fat. In essence it coats internal fat, making it easier to eliminate. Long term use of green tea aids in continued weight loss. It is a great supplement for increasing energy prior to workouts.

We recommend between 240-300 mg capsules daily for continued, healthy weight control.

6-Ginkgo Biloba- This supplement herb helps your brain run smoothly by steadying the flow of fuel, in the form of oxygenated blood. Ginkgo opens the vessels that deliver blood flow to your brain and breaks up sticky mucus platelets to help increase flow more easily. Recent studies show that men who take 200 milligrams daily for one month were 40 percent more productive in the afternoon then those who weren't taking the supplement. It increases memory retention and makes it easier to remember things you would easily forget, thus increasing productivity.

We recommend between 180-220 milligrams daily.

7-A potent, quality men's multivitamin.GNC's Mega Men Multivitamin.Simply put, one of THE best multi vitamin formulas for men! The medical and scientific communities are rapidly accumulating powerful evidence about the role of multivitamin supplements in both health promotion and disease prevention. GNC's mega men has been approved by scientists at the University of Westminster as a strong, potent,health-benefiting multivitamin for men. The formulation,quality and potency of vitamins & minerals in this complex aims at benefiting the most important health aspects for men. It's no wonder it's the company's number one selling product!

It has been proven that taking a quality multivitamin can cut your risk of becoming sick by at least 50%!

8-Fish Oil-Hmmm, okay, lets see, just a brief rundown of benefits include reduction in pain and inflammation, reduction of symptoms of depression, protection from heart attacks and stroke, improved memory, focus and attention. Fish oil has also been highly linked to preventing cancer and killing cancerous cells, improving heart healthy cardiovascular health, promoting healthy skin, etc.

With such an impressive resume of benefits, it's a no brainer to see why this supplement simply MUST be included in your diet for an overall higher quality of life!

9-Selenium. This extremely powerful antioxidant could very well be your best defense against future cancer. Selenium is a trace element found naturally in foods like nuts, liver and animal proteins. Studies suggest that healthy trace elements of selenium in your diet can reduce the risk of cancer in several organs by as much as 45%! Selenium supplementation has been reported widely to improve confused and depressed mental states, mental fatigue and anxiety symptoms.
So, a more efficient, happier, less confused mind, cancer fighter and immune system defense system? Count me in! Recommended dose 200mcg daily.

10- Vitamin C-This powerful antioxidant , if taken daily ,can help ward off infections such as the common cold or flu by as much as 30%. Vitamin C also helps prevent cell damage from free-radicals, reduces cancer risks and maintains elasticity of the arteries. Vitamin C and E are an even more powerful combination when taken together daily as they work together even further.Vitamin C protects the watery parts and vitamin E the fatty parts. Recommended dose is at least 500mg daily twice a day.

Top 10 Supplements For Men For Optimal Health

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3 Important Tips For Your Stomach Health

Most people take their stomach health for granted until it is too late to do something about it. Your stomach health is very important to your overall well being as your stomach health is responsible for the majority of your digestive system. With a problematic stomach, you won't be able to eat and drink your favorite foods and then you will feel the brunt of such a problem.

There are many things that you can do to keep your stomach healthy as much as possible so that you can avert many problems from occurring. Thus as a result, your stomach will continue to serve you, in order for you to keep eating the nice delicacies that you enjoy so much. This way your overall health and morale won't be compromised either.

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The first rule that you have to follow is never to eat anything in overabundance. Perhaps you have had a night or two in which you experienced heartburn after severely overeating too much food. This can tax your stomach so that the foods that you eat will force your stomach to secrete too much acid; which will then cause other problems such as indigestion, reflux disease or even ulcer if it is repeated continuously.

Drinking too much alcohol is also bad for your stomach health (not to mention it being very bad for your liver and your overall health too). Hence, you need to moderate your drinking to 1 or 2 glasses of alcohol a day. In addition, drinking too much acidic drinks every day will also wear down your stomach lining over the years, so that should be done in moderation also.

Eating foods that are too hot or too spicy is also bad for you as they can cause reflux disease in which the food will go back up your esophagus during the digestion process. Thus when you are eating a freshly cooked food, you should wait a few minutes to make sure that it is not too hot and that it has warmed down to a more comfortable temperature for your stomach. Eating spicy foods also creates a similar effect as spicy food has been shown to increase the acidic secretions in your stomach; which over time can damage the linings of your stomach interior. Of course, you can eat spicy food to some extent; but it should be done in moderation like all the other types of eating and drinking.

3 Important Tips For Your Stomach Health

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Child Health, Safety and Nutrition

Health, safety and nutrition are three of the most important factors to consider when raising a child. In other words, every child should be raised with proper nutrition, good health and safety as possible, allowing him or her to grow with a great well-being.

Now, if you are one of the adults who have been wondering where on earth to get good advices for child health, safety and nutrition, I bet you would be happy to know that you've found the right place. Yes, this page will help you find the right places to go for child health, safety and nutrition advices. It is important to note, however, that these portals are just a few of the many online. But they are worth considering to get started.

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So to find the best advices for child health, safety and nutrition, read on.

Health and Safety

Several researches have noted that in today's fast-paced world where the child's safety and health issues are rapidly growing, more than fifty sites online present health and safety guidelines for the public to consider. These guidelines are disseminated throughout the net, allowing the people to access this wealth of information as easy as possible.

A few of the worth visiting portals online that talk about child health and safety issues and advices are the following:

BrightFutures.org

Bright Futures is sponsored by a well-known health care organization, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration. This is also supported in part by the Pfizer Pediatric Health, and has been operating to provide the public the necessary information about the current and emerging preventive and health promotion needs of infants, children, adolescent, families and communities.

NCCIC.org

NCCIC.org is actually the official website of Health Child Care America, which is but a federal government initiative that works to increase collaboration between the early childhood community as well as the public health community. This collaboration is considered to allow these communities to create the best care for children in the childcare. Today, this federal government initiative is introducing its newsletter which is made available in full text online.

Nutrition

NAL.USDA.gov

This portal is owned by the Child Care Nutrition Resource System, which has long been providing the public with the wide selection of recipes, resources and information on how to prepare meals that are highly nutritious and safe.

BCM.TMC.edu

At this site, you can access the Children's Nutrition Research Center, which is but the first federally funded nutrition research center in the United States. This center is dedicated to investigating the nutritional needs of those women who are expecting and are nursing their children. This is great for child nutrition as it covers information about children from conception through adolescence.

So those are just a few of the many sites online that tackle issues on child health, safety and nutrition. Visit other online sites for more information about child health, safety and nutrition.

Child Health, Safety and Nutrition

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Dog Health Food - Could You Be Accidentally Poisoning Your Best Friend?

Dog health food is fast becoming a vital part of having a healthy dog. Knowing what is really in the food that you're dog is vital to help your dog live a long and full life. By avoiding the preservatives and additives in commercial dog food, you could be adding years to your dog's life.

With dog food labelling laws much less strict than human, it can be hard to find out what really is put into our dog's food. If a particular nasty ingredient doesn't appear on the ingredients list, unfortunately that doesn't mean it isn't there. Some preservatives such as Ethoxyquin are routinely added to fish meal, which is then added as an ingredient but you won't know what went into the fish meal. It's a bit like those restaurants that can proclaim 'no added msg' because it's only the ingredients and sauces that they use which contain it.

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There are so many loopholes, which are exploited, in human food that I shudder to think about what really goes into the food we give our dogs. For example the preservative Ethoxyquin has been banned for human consumption for decades, but it's still legal to put it into our dog's food. Insiders have confirmed that road kill is often added to increase the protein amount, but that's not the worst by far. In addition to toxic preservatives, there have been reported cases of pets being recycled back into dog food after being put down, complete with the lethal drugs still in their flesh!

Even cancerous tumours, removed from pets have been put back into the food that they're eating. So it's little wonder that allergies, cancer and kidney failure are killing more dogs than ever before. So when you see 'animal' meat or 'animal' protein on a list of ingredients, run a mile!

There are many, many forms of protein, which can legitimately be put into dog food but are not really much better than poison. And even offal, which isn't too bad as a rule, can be quite harmful. Offal is mainly produced from inedible organs but these organs can often have a high concentration of pesticides and hormones from the animal they came from. Basically, anything that can't be sold as human grade food seems to find it's way into dog food, and then promoted as being healthy!

It's no surprise that the incidence of severe food allergies is rising either. Lots of corn and wheat gluten is being used to fill out the bulk of dog food. This isn't anything like a natural part of a dog's diet and their digestive system doesn't really cope with it. Not many dogs have a food intolerance when they're born, but they can develop one later in life.

Allergies can lead to poor coat condition, bloating and wind, low energy, aggression and even organ damage. While often the effects are initially minor, if they are ignored, they can develop into more serious health problems. And all this time your best friend can't tell you how they feel after eating their meals.

With all these things potentially making your pooch sick, dog health food is fast becoming a vital part of having a healthy dog. Making your own dog food is easy and fun, but if you don't have the time, then there an increasing variety of all natural foods being produced that you'd be happy to give to your best friend.

Dog Health Food - Could You Be Accidentally Poisoning Your Best Friend?

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Succeeding as a Health and Fitness Writer

More health and fitness professionals are writing articles as an enjoyable way to earn extra revenue while helping promote healthy living to the general public.

Whether you want to (or already do) write health or fitness articles for your local newspaper, a widely popular national magazine, your website, or all of the above, consider these tips for ensuring your writing success.

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The Best Topics to Write About

Finding the best topics to write about is as simple as focusing on the subjects you're most passionate about. Draw from your everyday experiences teaching classes or seminars, working with clients and/or managing staff.

You might also develop story ideas from your observations about what your clients need and want, and also what your colleagues talk about. Sometimes, writing or researching one health or fitness article sparks an idea for another. The possibilities are endless!

One Important Skill, One Important Quality

Scoring a steady stream of article assignments (especially those that pay) starts, and continues, with skilled marketing and perseverance.

Being a well-known health or fitness writer involves smart marketing, just like how you market your business and services. You must sell your story ideas and yourself as a health and fitness writer.

All writers experience some rejection, so perseverance is also key. For example, years ago, when I was trying to break into a major fitness magazine, I emailed regular queries (i.e., story pitches), even though the editor I was emailing never responded to me.

Six months after I started doing that, she called with an assignment! Encouraged, I immediately fired off another batch of queries - and the editor responded right away with more assignments.

Once I contributed to one major publication, it became easier to break into others - sort of like a domino effect.

Path To Success

To ensure you stay on track with your writing goals, make it a point to regularly assess your objectives, including naming (and studying) the magazines you want to break into.

And when you begin writing for a new publication, work hard to build strong relationships with the editors there. Submit assignments on deadline (or early!) and turn in organized, properly researched and clearly written articles.

The Right Image

If your goal is to write health and fitness articles to showcase on your website or distribute on the Internet for marketing purposes, don't underestimate the need for top quality writing.

You can always tell when a health or fitness professional hammered out an article without proofing it or without enlisting the help of an editor or word-savvy colleague. Remember: No one wants to read sloppy writing.

As the health and fitness industries get more competitive, high-caliber writing is becoming more important because it communicates your professional image to your clients and your industry peers.

Plus, you never know who's reading your articles - your next prospective client could be an editor or an English professor! So always ensure you project the right image with your writing.

Succeeding as a Health and Fitness Writer

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How Excessive Credit Card Debt Affects Your Health

It is common sense that excessive unpaid credit card debt can cause debtors to feel stressed and worried. Now scientific studies have also proven that stress and worry about finances can pose direct risks to our health.

A study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion found evidence that excessive debt has direct effects on our psychological and physical health. Examples of these effects are bouts of depression and a higher body mass index (BMI). Creating a vicious circle, these health risks, may lead to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

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The effects of excessive credit card debt on our health may be found in different areas of the human psyche.

Firstly, it is important to know that unpaid debt, no matter whether it is excessive or not, causes uncertainty for the person who incurred it. This uncertainty of not knowing when and if the unpaid credit card debt can be paid off, how much the interest repayments will be, and how the repayments will be made can cause adverse psychological reactions.

Secondly, many consumers find it extremely frustrating, even debilitating, to see part of their wage go straight towards paying off their balance, and never be able to use it for themselves. The feeling of frustration becomes even worse when the unpaid debt is quite large and the consumer feels like they're not making any progress. In the worst case scenario, the reaction is like a child that wants immediate satisfaction - the consumer gets fed up with paying off their owings and never having any money. They get so frustrated that they want to buy something to reward themselves and as a result accumulate even more debt through interest free purchases or charged purchases.

Thirdly, many people associate excessive credit card debt with feelings of shame and guilt. The amount of unpaid debt signifies their own failures to them. This could range from a failure to provide for one's owns family, or failure to control spending habits, to failing in keeping up with the earnings of family and friends. Feelings of shame and guilt are usually magnified when other people become involved.

These are just three psychological aspects of managing credit card debt, but they already show that credit card debt problems are about more than just money - they involve our psychology, emotions and attitudes on every level.

How Excessive Credit Card Debt Affects Your Health

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Hospital Colors: Their Effect on the Patients Health

Colors play an important role in every person's life. They are capable of changing moods and influencing someone's behavior to a very large extent. Selecting a color scheme for a particular place depends on many factors like, the environment of the place, the activity that takes place in that area, etc. This is the reason that people as well as interior designers today concentrate a lot more on the color combinations.

A hospital is one place that needs peace and an extremely soothing environment. Every person, some way or the other gets in contact with a hospital some time in his life either to get himself cured or to visit some body. This is the reason that a hospital contains walls that are painted with calm colors. Hospital rooms cannot be painted in colors that are gloomy or bright as in a house. The patients that come in the hospital are looking for a room that is calmer and can help them to cope up easily. These colors also help a lot in bringing psychological changes in the patient.

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We must have witnessed that the environment in a hospital is really peaceful, and one of the reasons for his calmness is the paints used in the walls of the hospital. Hospital walls are usually painted with light colors like white, light green, light blue, etc. These colors are used because they surround the air with serenity and cleanliness. A hospital is a place where people are stressed and are anxious. This is the reason that the colors that are chosen for the hospital walls are also selected to create a relaxing and refreshing mood.

The color combination today are given so much importance that before designing a hospital people consult about the color combinations form various experts like interior designers, psychologists and feng-shui experts, etc. These experts give ideas about color combinations and how these colors may effect the environment of the hospital and the cure the health of the patients.

Hospital Colors: Their Effect on the Patients Health

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Occupational Health: Core Areas of Knowledge and Competence, Part 3

In some cases the occupational health (OH) nurse may act as the manager of the multidisciplinary OH team, directing and co-coordinating the work of other OH professionals. The OH nurse manager may have management responsibility for the whole of the occupational health team, or the nursing staff or management responsibility for specific programmes. The nurse manager may be the budget holder for the department and would have the skills necessary to sit alongside other line managers within the organization and contribute to organizational development.

Administration

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The OH nurse can have a role in administration. Maintaining medical and nursing records, monitoring expenditure, staffing levels and skill mix within the department, and may have responsibility for managing staff involved in administration.

Budget planning

Where the senior OH nurse is the budget holder for the OH department they will be involved in securing resources and managing the financial assets of the department. The budget holder will also be responsible for monitoring and reporting within the organization on the use of resources.

Marketing

Where the OH service is managed on an internal market system or undertakes commercial work the occupational health nurse will be involved in marketing services to customers. Even where no direct financial market exists, the customers or users of an OH service will need information and advice on the best use of services to meet their needs, often within financial constraints. The OH nurse is well placed to discuss customer's needs and expectations.

Service level agreements

Service level agreements are increasingly used in decentralized organizations in-order to ensure that both the user and provider of services have a clear agreement about the provision of services. The OH nurse may be involved in setting the service level agreements with internal or external customers and in monitoring the delivery of services against pre determined service level agreements.

Quality assurance

As part of the delivery of a modern comprehensive OH service systems for quality assurance and quality improvement are essential. The occupational health nurse may be involved in quality assurance, audit and quality improvement initiatives, both for the delivery of services and for improving the professional standards within the department. Modern nursing practice is based on a philosophy of quality assurance and continuous quality improvement and therefore nurses can contribute to this development.

Professional audit

Audit and continuous quality improvement is an essential component of professional practice. The occupational health nurse will be involved in auditing the nursing practices within the department or in the wider clinical audit where all of the clinical team participates in multidisciplinary audit.

Continuing Professional development

The scope of professional practice in OH nursing is constantly developing. New information, new researches, changes in legislation, improved practices, technology are all areas of constant growth. The occupational health nurse has an obligation to constantly update their knowledge and skills in order to maintain competence, deliver high quality services and meet the needs of the companies they serve.

Within the profession a commitment to lifelong learning is expected in order to protect the client's safety; ensure the delivery of high quality nursing services and to maintain the appropriate level of competence for clinical practice. The nurse manager will be well placed to identify their own and their staffs' continuing professional development needs and to ensure that these are met in order to maintain the competencies of staff employed.

Coordinator

Occupational health team

The occupational health nurse, acting as a coordinator, can draw together all of the professionals involved in the occupational health team. In many instances the nurse will be the only member of the team who is permanently employed by the company or present on a particular site. Therefore they have a unique position and have access to valuable information that can be used to help shape and direct the occupational health program. In this role the nurse would exercise skills in communication, planning, involvement, management and in organizing the professional team.

Worker education and training

The OH nurse has a role in worker education. This may be within existing training programmes or those programmes that are developed specifically by occupational health nurses to, for example, inform, educate and train workers in how to protect themselves from occupational hazards, non-occupational but workplace preventable diseases or to raise awareness of the importance of good environmental health management practices.

Environmental health management

The OH nurse, particularly in those organizations, such as SME's, who may not have a designated environmental health manager, can advise the company on simple measures to reduce the use of natural resources, minimize the production of waste, promote re-cycling and ensure that environmental health management is placed on every organizations agenda. The OH nurse can also identify appropriate specialists in their locations to advice or deal with environmental health management. The occupational health nurse may contribute by taking these issues forward in the absence of other specialists.

Adviser tomanagement and staff on issues related to workplace health management

OH nurses involved in workplace health management can sometimes be asked to act as advisers to management and staff on the development of workplace health policies and practices, and can fulfill an advisory role by participating in, for example, health and safety committee meetings, health promotion meetings, and may be called upon to provide independent advice to managers or workers who have specific concerns over health related risks.

As a liaison to other external health or social agencies

OH nurses act in an advisory role when seeing individuals who may have problems that, whilst not directly related to work may affect future work attendance or performance. The nurse may be involved in advising individuals to seek advice from their own family doctor or general practitioner, or other external agency that may be better placed to assist the individual.

Health educator

Workplace Health promotion

Health education as one of the key prerequisites of workplace health promotion is integral aspect of the OH nurses' role. In some countries the nurse is required to support activities aimed at adoption of the healthy lifestyles within on-going health promotion process, as well as participate in health and safety activities. OH nurses can carry out a needs assessment for health promotion within the company, prioritize activities in consultation with management and workers, develop and plan appropriate interventions, deliverer co-ordinate the delivery of health promotion strategies and can play a valuable role in evaluating the delivery and achievements of the health promotion strategy.

Counselor

In the small or medium-sized company the occupational health nurse may be the only health care professional present most of the time and they can assist people working there in dealing with mental health and work-related stress. For many people the occupational health nurse, working at the company level, may be the first point of contact with health care providers and these nurses can do much to ensure that individuals are referred to the appropriate agency.

Researcher

Health needs assessment

A specialist OH nurse will need to be well skilled in undertaking a nurse-based health needs assessment at both the individual and the organizational level. This type of assessment can be used as the basis for individual case management or occupational health program planning. OH nurses may use research based skills in carrying out the assessment, in handling the data generated in the assessment and in interpreting the results and advising management acting as a member of the multidisciplinary team.

Evidence based practice

Increasingly all health care providers are using evidence based approach to practice that requires the professional to seek the best available information on which to base their practice. Occupational health nurses are skilled in searching the literature, reviewing the evidence available, which may be in the form of practice guidelines or protocols, and applying these guidance documents in a practical situation.

Occupational health nurses should be well skilled in presenting the evidence, identifying gaps in current knowledge, and allowing others to review critically the implementation of care plans based on their assessment of the evidence.

Epidemiology

The most widely used and accepted form of investigation into occupational related ill-health and disease is based on large-scale epidemiological studies. Occupational health nurses are advised to become familiar with the principles and basic methods used in epidemiology.

Occupational Health: Core Areas of Knowledge and Competence, Part 3

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How To Protect Your Health Working In The Office

Many people have to spend almost half of their time in offices. This badly influences their health. The office employees face such challenges as chronic fatigue syndrome, problems with slumber and digestion and visual impairment.

Today there are very few offices where there are no computers. But all the visible advantages apart, there are some disadvantages. Staying in the office, where computers constantly work, for a long period of time leads to heightened irritability, headaches and fast fatigability. Moreover, working at the computer for a long time is damaging for eyes.

Health Promotion

It is necessary to make a 15-minutes break every hour if you want to protect yourself from the diseases which are provoked by the influence of the computer monitor on the retina of your eyes. The operators who have to constantly watch the screen should buy special spectral glasses which can be either with the diopters or without them. They make the picture more contrast and protect the eyes from the overstrain.

Besides the direct influence on the operator's eyes, the working computers change the structure of the air in a room, which badly affects the health of all people inside it. But this problem not always can be solved by simple ventilation, especially if the office is situated in the center of the city. The using of a modern air cleaner is more effective. Such devices not only clean the air from dust and tobacco smoke but also ionize it and destroy viruses and bacteria. The air cleaner helps to fight with lung diseases of the staff, prevents the development of asthma and season allergy to the blossom dust.

If the firm has no dining hall many employees have to manage with sandwiches and coffee. Such situation leads to the problems with digestion. In such cases it is necessary to take the dinner from home, which can be easily warmed up in the microwave own. The compact fridge-bag or the thermo container will help to avoid the spoiling of food if there is no fridge in your office. They preserve foodstuff fresh for 12 hours. Moreover, the fridge-bag can help to cool the drinks when it is hot.

How To Protect Your Health Working In The Office

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Group Health Insurance Premiums

If you are a small business owner or operator and want to get an explanation of the way premiums are priced for the company, then please read on. There are basically two ways these premiums can be calculated.

Group Insurance Pricing

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The pricing (rate making) process in group insurance is essentially the same as pricing in other industries. The insurance company must generate enough revenue to cover the cost of its claims and expenses and contribute to the surplus of the company. It differs in that the price of a group insurance product is initially determined on the basis of expected future events and may also be subject to experience rating so that the final price to the contract holder can be determined only after the coverage period has ended. Group insurance pricing consist of two steps.

(1) The determination of a unit price, referred to as a rate or premium rate for each unit of benefit (e.g., ,000.00 of life insurance, of daily hospital benefit, or of monthly income disability benefit)

(2) The determination of the total price or premium that will be paid by the contract holder for all of the coverage purchased.
The approach to group insurance rate making differs depending on whether manual rating or experience rating is used. In the case of manual rating, the premium rate is determined independently of a particular groups claim experience. When experience rating is used, the past claims experience of a group is considered in determining future premiums for the group and/or adjusting past premiums after a coverage period has ended. As in all rate making, the primary objective for all types of group insurance is to develop premium rates that are adequate, reasonable, and equitable.

Manual Rating

In the manual rating process, premium rates are established for broad classes of group insurance business. Manual rating is used with small groups for which no credible individual loss experience is available. This lack of credibility exist because the size of the group is such that it is impossible to determine whether the experience is due to random chance or is truly reflective of the risk exposure. Manual rating is also used to establish the initial premiums for larger groups that are subject to experience rating, particularly when a group is being written for the first time. In all but the largest groups, experience rating is used to combine manual rates and the actual experience of a given group to determine the final premium. The relative weights depend on the credibility of the groups own experience. Manual premium rates (also called tabular rates) are quoted in a company's rate manual. As pointed out earlier, these manual rates are applied to a specific group insurance case in order to determine the average premium rate for the case that will then be multiplied by the number of benefit units to obtain a premium for the group. The rating process involves the determination of the net premium rate, which is the amount necessary to meet the cost of expected claims. For any given classification, this is calculated by multiplying the probability (frequency) of a claim occurring by the expected amount (severity) of the claim.

The second step in the development of manual premium rates is the adjustment of the net premium rates for expenses, a risk charge, and a contribution to profit or surplus. The term retention, frequently used in connection with group insurance, usually is defined as the excess of premiums over claim payments and dividends. It consists of charges for (1) the stop-loss coverage, (2) expenses, (3) a risk charge, and (4) a contribution to the insurer's surplus. The sum of these changes usually is reduced by the interest credited to certain reserves (e.g., the claim reserve and any contingency reserves) the insurer holds to pay future claims under the group contract. For large groups, a formula is usually applied that is based on the insurers average claim experience. The formula varies by the size of a group and the type of coverage involved. Insurance companies that write a large volume of any given type of group insurance rely on their own experience in determining the frequency and severity of future claims. Where the benefit is a fixed sum, as in life insurance, the expected claim is the amount of insurance. For most group health benefits, the expected claim is a variable that depends on such factors as the expected length of disability, the expected duration of a hospital confinement, or the expected amount of reimbursable expenses. Companies that do not have enough past data for reliable future projections can use industry wide sources. The major source for such U.S. industry wide data is the Society of Actuaries. Insurers must also consider whether to establish a single manual rate level or develop select or substandard rate classifications on objective standards related to risk characteristics of the group such as occupation and type of industry. These standards are largely independent of the groups past experience.

The adjustment of the net premium rate to provide reasonable equity is complex. Some factors such as premium taxes and commissions vary with the premium charge. At the same time, the premium tax rate is not affected by the size of the group, whereas commission rates decrease as the size of a group increases. Claim expenses tend to vary with the number, not the size of claims. Allocating indirect expenses is always a difficult process as is the determination of the risk charge. Community-rating systems, developed originally by Blue Cross Blue Shield, are often defined to limit the demographic and other risk factors being recognized. They typically ignore most or all of the factors necessary for rate equity and may be as simple as one rate applicable to those with families. There is little actuarial rationale for charging all groups the same rate regardless of the expected morbidity. Community rating has been mandated in some jurisdictions. This makes it a matter of public policy rather than an actuarial pricing question.

Experience Rating

Experience rating is the process whereby a contract holder is given the financial benefit or held financially accountable for its past claims experience in insurance-rating calculations. Probably the major reason for using experience rating is competition. Charging identical rates for all groups regardless of their experience would lead to adverse selection with employers with good experience seeking out insurance companies that offered lower rates, or they would turn to self funding as a way to reduce cost. The insurance company that did not consider claims experience would, therefore, be left with only the poor risk. This is why Blue Cross Blue Shield had to abandon community rating for group insurance cases above a certain size. The starting point for prospective experience rating is the past claim experience for a group. The incurred claims for a given period include those claims that have been paid and those in process of being paid. In evaluating the amount of incurred claims, provision is usually made for catastrophic claim pooling. Both individual and aggregate stop loss limits are established in which exceptionally large claims (above these limits) are not charged to the group's experience. The "excess" portions of claims are pooled for all groups and an average charge is accounted for in the pricing process. The approach is to give weight to the individual groups own experience to the extent that it is credible. In determining the claims charge, a credibility factor, usually based on the size of the group (determined by the number of insured lives insured) and the type of coverage involved, is used. This factor can vary from zero to one depending on the actuarial estimates of experience credibility and other considerations such as the adequacy of the contingency reserve developed by the group.

In effect, the claims charge is a weighted average of (1) the incurred claims subject to experience rating and (2) the expected claims, with the incurred claims being assigned a weight equal to the credibility factor and the expected claims being assigned to a weight equal to one minus the credibility factor. The incurred claims subject to experience rating are after consideration of any stop loss provisions. Where the credibility factor is one, the incurred claims subject to experience rating will be the same as the claims charge. In such cases, the expected claims underlying the prospective rates will not be considered. Thus, when companies insure a group of substantial size, experience rating reflects the claim levels resulting from that group's own unique risk characteristics. It has become common practice to give to the group the financial benefit of good experience and hold them financially responsible for bad experience at the end of each policy period. When experience turns out to be better than was expected in prospective rating assumptions, the excess can either be accumulated in an account called a premium stabilization reserve, claim fluctuation reserve, or contingency reserve or the excess can simply be refunded. The refund is either called a dividend (mutual company) or an experience rating refund (stock company).

The net result of the experience rating process is usually called the contract holder account balance, representing the final balance attributed to the individual contract holder. As pointed out earlier this balance or a portion of the balance can be refunded to the contract holder. The adequacy of the group's premium stabilization reserve influences dividend or rate adjustment decisions.

Group Health Insurance Premiums

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