September is Pain Awareness Month

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Sep 24,2008

Painful Joints: An ‘Unspoken’ Barrier To Combating Chronic Health Conditions For African-Americans

According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), almost one in three African-Americans suffers from joint pain. Joint pain makes it difficult to exercise, which is desperately needed to help combat chronic health conditions like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure that severely impact the African-American community.

The statistics are alarming:

• One in four African-American women over 55 years of age has diabetes(1).

• African-Americans have higher death rates for coronary heart disease (CHD), coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke(2).

• The prevalence of high blood pressure among African-Americans is among the highest in the world(3).

• There is an estimate that 80% of black women and 60% of black men are overweight or obese (which contributes to heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes among other chronic health conditions)(4).

“Every warning from governmental and non-profit health organizations implores our community to ‘get moving’ because of the positive impact it has on combating these conditions,” explains Verona Brewton, Director of Minority Initiatives. “But we have failed to make the direct link between painful movement and poor health.”

The CDC reports that the knee is the joint that causes the most pain(5). Additionally, the CDC reported that African-Americans cite arthritis as the leading condition that limits their daily activities. Arthritis is the third most common problem among African-Americans(6), and arthritis-attributable work limitation disproportionately affects minority groups(7). In a May 2007 report, the CDC projected a nationwide surge in arthritis prevalence, which caused the Arthritis Foundation to warn Americans to take action now to limit future disability(8).

“There is a vicious cycle at play: African-Americans suffer from chronic conditions that require us to exercise. But we also disproportionately suffer from osteoarthritis and chronic pain in our knees and hips that prevent us from exercising,” explains Ms. Brewton.

Early intervention is key as there are a wide range of options to alleviating joint pain. The onset of knee or hip discomfort should not be dismissed as one of the natural signs of aging without discussing it with a primary care physician. There have been significant advancements in joint pain treatments. Today’s options offer non-surgical solutions which provide temporary pain relief and more permanent solutions such as joint replacement. Today’s advancements have progressed to address differences in gender. Women account for nearly two thirds of knee replacement procedures in the US(9).

Regaining mobility and being active is critical in helping to manage and defeat chronic health conditions. The health and social care costs related to chronic disease and pain management is on the rise:

• Heart disease and stroke as well as diabetes account for 30.8% and 9.4% of national health expenditures, respectively(10).

• The economic cost of obesity in the United States is $117 billion annually(11).

• The U.S. government projects that medication costs, the second largest health expense after hospital bills will grow to 14.6 percent of national health care spending by 2010. Many co-morbid medical conditions and pain management are largely “controlled” by costly prescription drugs(12).

Restoring optimal mobility, eradicating daily pain and taking charge of our health are some of the most important ways that the African-American community can overcome these issues. Pain and poor mobility should not be accepted as a normal part of life. A primary care physician or joint specialist can provide advice and options to overcome painful movement.

Established in 2006, Zimmer, a worldwide leader in orthopaedics, created the Back in the Groove* Program to educate African-American communities about their options for treating joint pain, including joint replacement and the dramatic improvement in quality of life it can deliver. For more information on Zimmer’s Back in the Groove* Program, log onto http://www.backinthegroove.zimmer.com/ or call 1-866-923-2345.

(1) African Americans and Diabetes Facts — American Diabetes Association website, http://www.diabetes.org/
(2) African Americans and Cardiovascular Disease — American Heart Association Statistical Fact Sheet 2007 update.
(3) See reference above
(4) Losing the War on Weight — Obesity Rates Growing For African-Americans. Black Enterprise May 2007
(5) New Report Finds Pain Affects Millions — Centers For Disease Control (CDC) press release Nov. 15 2006
(6) Self-help care in older African Americans with arthritis – Geriatric Nursing — Volume 22 Issue 3 pg 135-138
(7) US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Prevalence and Impact of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis – US, 2002.
(8) Arthritis Prevalence Limitations To Skyrocket — Arthritis Foundation press release, May 3, 2007
(9) US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
(10) Addressing the Nation’s Leading Killers – At a Glance 2007, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
(11) F as in Fat — Trust for America’s Health, http://www.healthyamericans.org/; August 1, 2006
(12) On file with Zimmer

Source: Zimmer Back in the Groove

Unprecedented Spike in Patient Satisfaction Follows Launch of Public Reporting

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Sep 24,2008

Press Ganey findings support positive impact of transparency initiative

Press Ganey Associates, Inc., the health care industry’s leading provider of quality improvement solutions, today released data showing an unprecedented improvement in patient satisfaction — a result that underscores the impact of public reporting of hospital-by-hospital satisfaction scores.

Press Ganey experts analyzed the company’s proprietary patient satisfaction data — including Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) measures — for hospitals that began reporting HCAHPS data in March 2008, and found a dramatic upturn in patient satisfaction, which strengthens the link between public disclosure and health care quality.

The data analyzed by Press Ganey represents more than 1.5 million patients and 1,158 hospitals across the nation from January 2007 through June 2008*.

Following the first public release of HCAHPS data in March, a positive year-over-year increase in performance was seen in April. This further widened to statistically significant year-over-year increases for the months of May and June. These trends were noted both for the percentage of patients rating their hospital as a 9 or 10 as well as the percentage of patients who said they would definitely recommend the facility, which directly impacts a hospital’s patient volumes and its revenue.

Press Ganey has been looking at patient satisfaction data very closely for 23 years, and these trends represent the most positive service quality delivery in inpatient care that our nation has ever experienced.

“We have always seen a slow and steady improvement in patient-centered care over the years. The HCAHPS measures show a dramatic increase timed following the public reporting which indicates that everyone really stepped up their efforts — and the results are astounding,” said Dr. Deirdre Mylod, vice president of acute services at Press Ganey. “We were anticipating that there could be such improvements on the HCAHPS measures because we’ve noted significant year-over-year improvements each month of 2008 for important Press Ganey concept areas such as coordination of care — a key driver of HCAHPS results that is not included within the HCAHPS measure set.”

American Hospital Association President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock commented: “Sharing information from the HCAHPS survey about patients’ experience of care is one of the many ways hospitals are being transparent about the quality of care they provide. HCAHPS is useful information consumers can use to make important health care decisions, and that hospitals are using to improve the care for patients. Press Ganey’s analysis shows that hospitals, doctors, and nurses care deeply about meeting patients’ needs and will work to improve care in response to the thoughts and concerns of those they serve. America’s hospitals will continue their efforts to share even more information on the quality of care provided to their patients.”

The graphs of these Press Ganey data points are now available at http://www.pressganey.com/galleries/default-file/HCAHPS_Graphs.pdf.

Commentary from Dr. Mylod is available upon request.

HCAHPS data is available on the Hospital Compare website, http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/. Hospital Compare is a consumer-oriented website that provides side-by-side information on hospital quality. This tool provides consumers with information on how well hospitals care for their adult patients with certain medical conditions or surgical procedures. This information will help patients compare the quality of care hospitals provide and will help consumers make informed decisions about their care.

* The hospitals included in this analysis voluntarily began participating in the early implementation of HCAHPS beginning in October 2006. Participation has been linked to a hospital’s reimbursement since July 2007. Press Ganey supports 1,840 hospitals in their continuous HCAHPS measurement.

Source: Press Ganey Associates, Inc.

Americans Constantly Change Eating Habits to Improve Nutrition

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Sep 23,2008

Soy Remains Popular for Potential Health Benefits and Versatility

Evidence suggests changing eating habits regularly — and not sticking to any one diet for long — is a long term trend among Americans. But, beware: constantly changing the diet may actually sabotage good health, if smart eating patterns are never established. Jumping on the latest dietary fad isn’t always as beneficial as basic good nutrition like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and high quality protein sources like soy and lean meats.

As a promising long-term phenomenon, an increasing number of Americans turn to soy as a healthy choice. Results released today from the 2008 Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition survey — the 15th annual research study sponsored by the United Soybean Board (USB) — uncovered these findings.

The study revealed that 74 percent of consumers changed eating habits in the past three to five years due to health concerns, a number that has remained relatively consistent over the last 15 years. The International Food and Information Council (IFIC) confirms this trend, noting that 67 percent of Americans have changed their diets over the past six months alone. The main reasons? According to IFIC’s 2008 Food & Health Survey, a majority of Americans change their diets to improve overall well-being (69 percent), lose weight (69 percent) or improve physical health (64 percent).

Overall, nine in 10 Americans in the USB study express concern about nutrition. “The trick is to find sensible solutions you can stick with, day in and day out. I recommend soy to my patients because the wide variety of soy products helps fight food boredom — and many soyfoods satisfy the demand for healthy eating on a budget too,” says Keith Ayoob, Ed.D., R.D., Director of Nutrition Services at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

According to the USB study, 85 percent of consumers view soy as healthy, on par with 2007, and up 26 percentage points from 1997. In fact, a growing number of consumers specifically seek out soyfoods to aid in weight management, promote heart health and reduce the risk of some cancers, up 10 points over the last three years.

Soyfoods, soy beverages and soybean oils offer three simple options for consumers looking to increase their intake of healthier foods, when replacing foods higher in saturated fat. In the study, consumers continue to recognize soybean oil as one of the healthiest cooking oils. Soybean oil, commonly labeled as vegetable oil, contains zero grams of trans fat, no cholesterol and is relatively low in saturated fat.

Turning to soy protein, the ongoing trend toward healthy, versatile foods and an increase in offerings at mainstream grocery stores has promoted the increase of trial and awareness of soy foods and beverages. In 1997, 18 percent of consumers surveyed had tried soymilk. Today, this number has more than doubled to 40 percent, and consumption of other soyfoods such as edamame and tofu are also on the rise.

Food companies are taking note: from 2000 to 2007, food manufacturers in the U.S. introduced over 2,700 new foods with soy as an ingredient, according to the Mintel Global New Products Database. This includes 161 new products introduced last year alone.

USB’s fifteenth annual Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition was conducted by an independent research firm. The study includes 1,000 random online surveys conducted in February 2008, providing a sample consistent with the total American population. The margin of error is +/- 1.9 to 3.1 percent with a confidence interval of 95 percent. The United Soybean Board is a farmer-led organization comprised of 68 farmer-directors. USB oversees the investments of the soybean checkoff of all U.S. soybean farmers. For more soy health information, visit http://www.soyconnection.com/.

Source: United Soybean Board

Toni Braxton is diagnosed with coronary microvascular angina

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Sep 23,2008

Toni Braxton is diagnosed with coronary microvascular angina. The diseases starves parts of her boy of oxygenated blood and causes breathing problems. Despite this condition she is joining and competing in the coming season of Dancing with the Stars.