Health Care Review...

Morgellons, Penyakit Kulit yang Aneh

2012-02-02T19:46:00.001-08:00

Oleh : Innes

Foto : Ist

Ghiboo.com - Pernah dengar penyakit Morgellons? Penyakit ini sempat naik pamor di awal tahun 2000 setelah seorang anak didiagnosa mengidap penyakit kulit yang mengakibatkan munculnya ruam dan luka. Bahkan, di bawah kulit muncul serat aneh.

Penyakit ini menyerang jaringan kulit. Seseorang yang menderita penyakit morgellons akan mengeluhkan rasa gatal-gatal, sensasi seperti diraba, bahkan seakan merasakan ada parasit yang menggerogoti atau menggigit di dalam atau di atas jaringan kulit mereka.

Tak jarang juga, banyak penderita yang mengeluhkan kelelahan kronis, nyeri sendi dan otot serta menurunnya kemampuan kognitif. Penderita juga banyak mengatakan di dalam jaringan kulit mereka seakan ada benda padat lain, seperti 'butiran pasir' (mungkin cacing, telur, dan larva) yang meninggalkan bekas di kulit luar. Pada kasus yang serius, akan terbentuk jaringan kulit yang berbeda dari jaringan kulit normal.

Penyakit ini membuat penderitanya 'gila' karena selalu merasa gatal dan ingin terus-menerus menggaruk untuk mengeluarkan parasit dari dalam kulitnya.

Para ahli dari Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Amerika (CDC) sebelumnya telah mencoba untuk meneliti apa penyebab penyakit kulit ini di tahun 2008. Namun sayangnya, penelitian yang menghabiskan biaya hingga US$338.000 ini masih belum mengetahui secara pasti penyebab penyakit morgellons, apalagi obatnya.

Namun peneliti menduga penyakit morgellons ini disebabkan oleh bakteri Borrelia burgdorgeri. Bakteri ini ditularkan melalui parasit, seperti kutu, dan merupakan agen penyebab penyakit Lyme, sejenis penyakit peradangan kulit akut.

10 Alasan untuk Berolahraga

2012-02-02T19:45:00.001-08:00

Oleh : Ibnu

Foto : blog.nj.com

Ghiboo.com - Sebuah studi yang dilakukan peneliti Diane Klein PhD yang ditulis WebMD beberapa waktu lalu menginformasikan, mengenai apa yang menyebabkan seseorang terus berolahraga. ?

Studi ini melibatkan beberapa penyuka olahraga yang tetap melakukannya, dengan rata-rata 13 tahun.

Mereka ditanya, motivasi apa yang membuat Anda tetap ingin berolahraga? Ini dia 10 jawaban terbaik mereka.

Jawabannya adalah:
1. Kebugaran
2. Merasa lebih sejahtera
3. Mendapatkan semangat dan energi tambahan
4. Senang berolahraga
5. Memprioritaskan olahraga
6. Tidur menjadi lebih lelap
7. Menjadi lebih waspada (meningkatnya reflek)
8. Menjadi lebih tenang atau santai
9. Untuk mengontrol berat tubuh
10. Untuk penampilan

Jejaring Sosial Lebih Candu dari Rokok dan Alkohol

2012-02-02T19:44:00.001-08:00

Oleh : Innes

Foto : Ist

Ghiboo.com - Melawan keinginan untuk tidak memeriksa situs jejaring sosial agar lebih update ternyata lebih sulit daripada menolak minum minuman beralkohol dan merokok, demikian hasil penelitian terbaru.

Temuan ini didasari pada survei yang dilakukan oleh peneliti dari University of Chicago Booth School of Business di Amerika terhadap 250 orang. Peneliti memberi peserta sebuah software untuk memasukkan 8.000 laporan tentang keinginan sehari-hari para peserta.

Peneliti menemukan tidur dan seks adalah dua hal yang paling diinginkan setiap orang sepanjang hari. Namun, hasil penelitian yang akan dipublikasikan dalam Psychological Science Journal ini menunjukkan hampir sebagian besar partisipan mengungkapkan mengecek situs jejaring sosial merupakan hal yang paling sulit untuk ditolak.

Sebagai perbandingan, peneliti menemukan keinginan akan minuman alkohol dan rokok jauh lebih rendah dibandingkan mengecek Twitter dan Facebook. Padahal keduanya merupakan jenis kecanduan yang paling populer.

Penelitian yang dipimpin oleh Wilhelm Hofmann ini mengatakan tuntutan kehidupan modern membuat banyak orang sulit untuk mengontrol diri.

Semakin partisipan menahan diri untuk tidak memeriksa timeline atau menulis status update di jejaring sosial, maka akan semakin memperbesar keinginan mereka untuk mengaksesnya.

"Seiring berjalannya waktu, keinginan dan kontrol diri seseorang menjadi rendah, sehingga upaya untuk menahan godaan agar tidak membuka situs jejaring sosial lebih mungkin gagal," ungkap Hoffmann, seperti dilansir melalui Telegraph, Kamis (2/2).

Tak Suka Air Putih? Atasi Dehidrasi dengan Ini

2012-02-02T19:41:00.003-08:00

Ghiboo.com - Dehidrasi atau kekurangan cairan bisa terjadi pada siapa saja. Untuk mengatasinya, yang diperlukan hanyalah minum air putih biasa sekitar 6-8 gelas setiap harinya.

Sayangnya, banyak orang yang tak terlalu suka dengan air putih. Terlebih lagi saat sedang mengalami dehidrasi, mereka justru memilih minuman manis atau berelektrolit, padahal minuman tersebut tidak baik bagi kesehatan.

Bagi Anda yang tak terlalu suka minum air putih, dan supaya Anda tak salah pilih minuman ketika dehidrasi, pilihlah minuman berikut ini, seperti yang dilansir melalui medicmagic, Jumat (6/1).

Jauhi Kafein
Usahakan untuk menjauhi minuman berkafein sebanyak mungkin. Kafein cenderung menghambat manfaat air bagi tubuh. Hal ini dikarenakan kafein benar-benar menghapus kelembaban. Jika Anda membutuhkan minuman hangat, Anda bisa memilih teh herbal, seperti teh hijau atau chamomile (teh hijau mengandung antioksidan yang baik dan mampu membersihkan tubuh. Teh chamomile memiliki efek yang menenangkan). Jika Anda tak suka minum teh panas, masukkan teh ke dalam kulkas dan minumlah ketika dingin.

Jus Tomat
Dengan meminum jus tomat, tubuh tak hanya sekedar mendapat asupan buah, namun tomat juga mengandung kadar air yang tinggi. Segelas jus tomat setiap hari merupakan cara yang asyik untuk meningkatkan cairan tubuh, bila Anda tak kuat minum air putih.

Sup
Sup umumnya berkuah. Di saat musim hujan, mengambil manfaat dari semangkuk sup hangat merupakan cara terbaik untuk mendapatkan cairan dengan cara yang lezat dan mengenyangkan perut.

Ambil Potongan Lemon
Jika Anda merasa bosan harus minum air putih, coba tambahkan potongan lemon atau jeruk nipis (boleh keduanya) ke dalam segelas air. Buah ini akan menambah rasa dalam air yang Anda minum, namun jangan tambahkan gula atau bahan lainnya.

Makan Buah
Pilihlah buah yang banyak mengandung air, seperti semangka dan cranberry. Semangka mengandung 90 persen air dan nutrisi penting lainnya, seperti vitamin C dan A.

Hindari Ini untuk Bebas dari Gangguan Pencernaan

2012-02-02T19:41:00.001-08:00

Ghiboo.com - Sering bersendawa, perut kembung dan rasa mual setelah makan merupakan ciri utama dari gangguan pencernaan yang sering dialami penderita perut sensitif, seperti heartburn.

Hampir semua orang pernah mengalami gejala heartburn. Heartburn merupakan sebuah kondisi rasa nyeri atau panas pada perut Anda yang merupakan gejala dari kebanyakan acid reflux (asam lambung berlebih).

Beberapa penyebab heartburn sudah diketahui dengan jelas, seperti makanan yang pedas. Tetapi ternyata selain makanan, ada juga beberapa penyebab lain dari heartburn tersebut, seperti berikut ini yang dikutip melalui Men's Health, Kamis (12/1).

Kopi
Tahukah Anda jika kopi, baik yang berkafein maupun non kafein, dapat menyebabkan heartburn? Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kopi mengandung bahan-bahan yang dapat menyebabkan peningkatan asam di perut. Asam dari kopi dapat mengiritasi lapisan lambung yang menyebabkan rasa tidak nyaman di perut. Minum kopi lebih dari dua cangkir cangkir ternyata dapat meningkatkan asam dalam perut. Jadi kurangilah kebiasaan minum kopi Anda jika tak mau terkena heartburn.
Ngemil Malam
Mendadak terserang rasa nyeri di dada saat akan tidur? Bisa jadi karena Anda makan sebelum beranjak naik ke kasur. Ketika Anda berdiri atau duduk, gaya gravitasi membantu menurunkan makanan dan air liur Anda sebagai antasid alami yang membersihkan kerongkongan. Ketika Anda tidur, Anda tidak lagi memiliki gravitasi dan memproduksi air liur. Bila Anda ingin makan, makanlah 2-3 jam sebelum tidur.

Sabuk ketat
Penggunakan tali pinggang yang ketat meningkatkan tekanan dalam perut. Hal ini menyebabkan isi perut Anda mendorong lebih keras katup yang menyimpan makanan dalam perut.

Berat Badan
Salah satu resiko terbesar terjadinya heartburn adalah obesitas. Semakin berat badan seseorang, maka kemungkinan mengalami heartburn akan semakin besar. Berlebihnya lemak di perut serta senyawa kimia yang dilepaskan oleh lemak tubuh sebagai salah satu kemungkinan penyebabnya. Sebuah penelitan yang dilakukan pada tahun 2003 yang dimuat di the Journal of the American Medical Association menemukan bahwa resiko untuk mengalami gejala asam lambung akan meningkat seiring dengan meningkatnya BMI kita. Hubungan tersebut juga lebih terlihat pada wanita dibandingkan pria (terlebih pada wanita yang mengalami pre menopause).

Cara Benar Mengenakan Bra

2012-02-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Ghiboo.com - Pemilihan ukuran bra yang tepat tak hanya sekedar menyangga dan menjaga bentuk, ukuran dan tekstur keindahan payudara, namun juga mempengaruhi bagi kesehatan tubuh Anda. Menurut sebuah survei, dua per tiga wanita telah mengalami 5 kali perubahan ukuran bra selama hidupnya, sebagai bentuk perubahan berat badan yang naik turun. Hal inilah yang menyebabkan pentingnya bagi wanita untuk selalu mengukur ukuran lingkar dada dan ukuran cup saat membeli bra. Terlebih lagi kini, banyak wanita yang membeli bra hanya karena model dan warnanya saja. Lucia Niken, Marketing Manager Sorella, yang ditemui dalam jumpa pers Sorella 'Right Support' (7/1) menjelaskan bahwa para wanita jangan pernah malu ataupun risih saat harus mengukur ukuran bra guna mendapatkan bra yang sesuai. Bahkan wanita juga jangan sungkan jika harus menyobanya terlebih dahulu. "Banyak wanita, yang membeli bra dengan satu ukuran. Meskipun memakai merek yang sama, namun beda model, bisa jadi ukurannya berbeda. Selalu lakukan pengecekan ukuran bra dengan mencobanya saat akan membelinya," jelas Lucia. Tak hanya sekedar ukuran bra yang kurang diperhatikan, cara memakai bra dengan benar sering tidak diperhatikan oleh kaum hawa. Cara pemakaian bra yang salah ternyata mempengaruhi bentuk payudara itu sendiri. Itulah pentingnya, wanita harus tahu bagaimana menggunakan bra dengan baik. "Memasang bra yang baik adalah dengan membungkukkan badan dan memasukkan payudara ke dalam cup bra, lalu dipasang pengait dan talinya. Setelah selesai, angkat kedua tangan keatas dan periksalah apakah kedua payudara Anda sudah masuk ke cup dengan sempurna. Bila tak tertopang dengan sempurna, bisa jadi pemilihan bra Anda salah, dan berisiko terjadi iritasi," ungkap Lucia. Cara tersebut tentu saja bisa diterapkan pada payudara dengan ukuran apupan, asalkan selalu menggunakan bra yang sesuai dengan ukuran payudara Anda. Jangan longgar karena payudara bisa melorot, dan jangan pula terlalu kencang, karena bisa iritasi. Setelah mengetahui cara pemakaian bra yang benar, Lucia menegaskan bahwa cara pencucian bra juga sangat mempengaruhi. Dan yang terpenting bagi wanita, untuk mencuci pakaian dalamnya sendiri, termasuk bra, agar tak kehilangan bentuknya. "Rendamlah bra kedalam air sabun (kalau bisa, gunakan deterjen liquid) sebentar saja. Setelah itu, di tepuk-tepuk dan langsung digantung dengan hanger baju. Ingat jangan di peras dan tekuk, karena akan merubah bentuknya," tambahnya.

Supreme Court Ruling Could Revive Health Care for 2012 Campaign

2012-01-24T00:05:00.000-08:00

By MICHAEL D. SHEAR

The White House’s decision to seek a quick ruling on President Obama‘s landmark health care law will inject the controversial issue back into the nation’s political bloodstream at the height of the 2012 presidential campaign.
On Wednesday, the administration acceded to what had become a legal inevitability and welcomed a swift and final review of the law by the Supreme Court. But the political impact of the court’s ruling next year may be just as significant.
“It returns the spotlight to an issue that really has faded,” said Matt Bennett, a senior vice president at Third Way, a research group that pursues centrist policies. “It is no longer a top-of-mind issue for most voters. This just brings it right back to the surface.”
The White House’s decision means that the court is now almost certain to take up one or more of the cases involving a challenge to the health care law. It would then probably announce its decision in June, just weeks before the two political parties gather for their national nominating conventions and at the beginning of a final, intense dash to Election Day.
In practical terms, the court’s decision — whichever way the justices decide — will set the stage for health care to once again become a dominant political issue in the presidential campaign and in the many Congressional contests around the country.
What is less obvious is how the two political parties would benefit or lose from a Supreme Court ruling.
* The court could decide to uphold the law completely, rejecting the claims by conservatives that the mandate requiring individuals to buy health insurance is unconstitutional.
Such a flat-out victory for Mr. Obama and his team would almost certainly become a new and angry rallying cry for Tea Party groups and other conservatives, who would argue that the only way to assure an end to what they call ObamaCare would be at the ballot box.
But Tea Party advocates are not lacking in enthusiasm, and so it is hard to see how much more motivated they could get. And there would be important public relations benefits for the president to be affirmed on his most ambitious agenda item by a decidedly conservative court.
Essentially, the court — led by conservatives like Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. — would be giving a kind of legal “Good Housekeeping” stamp of approval to the administration’s entire health care approach.
A victory for Mr. Obama would make him look strong, rather than weak. And it could help the president make the argument that it is time to move on to other pressing issues, like jobs and the economy.
* The court could strike down the health care law, in part, or — as requested by some business and conservative groups in legal briefs this week — in total.
Such a ruling would no doubt fire up Mr. Obama’s liberal base, which could use the ruling as motivation to push even harder for victory in the election. Given what is generally recognized as the lackluster energy among liberals, that would be a clear positive for the president.
Democratic activists and candidates could use the conservative court as their own rallying cry to keep Mr. Obama in office and to retake the House from Republicans.
But it would also make the president look like he was wrong all along about his approach to solving the nation’s health care crisis. And it would lend credence to the president’s most vocal critics who accuse him of pursuing an unconstitutional agenda.
It would also mean that the president and his Democratic rivals would be pressured to come up with an alternative solution to the dilemmas of spiraling health care costs and how to cover the uninsured.
Those are discussions that some Democrats, including the president, might not welcome as they prepare to face the voters.
* The court could also punt, using legal technicalities to defer a substantive decision on the merits of the case to a later time.
If that happens, the health care law could recede a bit, becoming just one more in a series of important issues that will be debated by the candidates.
In a conference call with reporters, a senior Justice Department official said the decision by the administration to seek a rapid conclusion to the case was not influenced by political timing.
Rather, the official, who spoke to reporters on a background basis with no direct attribution, said Mr. Obama’s advisers had concluded that the country needed the closure that would come by an end to the many legal cases and the uncertainty surrounding the huge health care law.
That may be. But as the president begins to ramp up his re-election campaign, his strategists — and those of his rivals — no doubt have June 2012 circled on their calendars.
Depending how the nine justices rule, it could be a very interesting month.

5 money moves Mark Mobius is making now Emerging markets veteran is bullish on consumers, commodities, energy

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

By Jonathan Burton, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Mark Mobius may be the only mutual fund manager ever to be the subject of a comic book, and certainly the only one to earn the title of “Father of Emerging Markets Funds.”

Mark Mobius.

The Thai edition is sold out, but of the Japanese manga comic is available in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, and English.

Such is the mystique of Mobius, a pioneer investor in emerging markets, builder of the BRICs, and an early believer in the power of globalization and the potential for developing Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, as well as Russia, to compete on the world stage.

As Executive Chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets Group, a unit of mutual-fund giant Franklin Resources Inc. BEN -0.04% , Mobius oversees around $40 billion in assets, including his Templeton Frontier Markets Fund TFMAX +0.30% , Templeton BRIC Fund TABRX +0.33% and Templeton Developing Markets Fund TEDMX +0.31% .

Emerging markets investors were hammered in 2011. The uncertainty and volatility that swept the U.S. and the euro zone hit emerging countries harder, reflecting concern that these regions’ growth would decline sharply. Yet emerging markets have rebounded nicely so far this year as investors have become more optimistic that the worst of the euro-zone debt crisis has been priced in — a position Mobius took in a late 2011 telephone interview, as well as later emailed remarks.

“It’s not the end of the world; this will be worked out,” Mobius said. “Europe will not disappear; the euro will not disappear. There will be a solution. Of course, people will have to pay for that solution.”

Indeed, Mobius is a confirmed euro bull. “There are challenges, such as member countries’ need to control government spending, but once these are sorted out, I believe the euro should be very successful and, in fact, it could possibly play a greater role in the global economy in 2020,” Mobius said.

TODAY'S TOP INVESTING IDEAS | Research tools

Click to Play

Invest in U.S. for Near Term, China for Long Term
• China’s stock bubble was made in the U.S.A.
• What to do if the bond bull stumbles
• The 'Presidential Cycle' is nonsense
• Trading Deck: Investing tips from the pros
• The Tell: Market news and analysis blog

A robust European currency would be a plus for emerging nations that are major exporters to Europe. Even without this tailwind, Mobius points out, many emerging economies sport impressive growth rates of three or four times that of developed markets. In addition, these countries have little to no debt and high levels of foreign reserves.

“These fundamental strengths are likely to continue in the months and years ahead, and eventually be reflected in the earnings and share prices of emerging-market companies, over time,” Mobius said.

Moreover, developed-market growth is expected to remain anemic, which shifts attention to the growing consumer class in emerging markets. It remains to be seen whether domestic demand can offset the economic pinch from the developed-market slowdown, but Mobius is confident that it will have an impact.

“With emerging markets,” he said, “growth in domestic consumption should be driven by, and hopefully sustained, in two ways: rising per capita income and, more importantly, the maturing of the young, working population who will be reaching the most productive years of their lives.”

Yet a smooth transition is by no means guaranteed, Mobius cautioned: “If governments fail to keep up with this new and rising middle-consumer class, through a lack of employment and high unproductive government spending that could in turn lead to inflation, this could lead to political instability, a persistent poverty trap and a widening gap between the rich and the poor.”

Sustained high inflation is in fact the main risk to the emerging-market growth story, Mobius said.

“In an environment of slowing global growth and easing inflationary pressures, emerging markets tend to revert their attention to stimulating economic growth,” he said. “Inflation is a big challenge, and I believe it will probably be a very important consideration going forward.”

So Mobius has positioned his funds’ portfolios for any possibility. He’s invested in cyclical areas such as energy, commodities and materials, as well as having large investments in food and other staples that wealthier consumers can now afford.

And as someone who has seen emerging markets boom, bubble and bust, Mobius is also realistic about the need for investors in these parts of the world to show tremendous patience — which, he said, will be rewarded.

“There of course will be leads and lags in the movement of markets but it is clear that over the longer term emerging markets will outperform developed countries,” Mobius said.

With that in mind, here are five areas where Mobius is investing now:

1. Stick with the energy sector

Economic development and urbanization in emerging countries means that energy demand is increasing rapidly. Mobius noted. At the same time, he added, suppliers of gas and oil have become much more sophisticated about pricing. Accordingly, prices can be maintained at high levels, and as an investor Mobius looks to energy companies with a dominant share of this favorable dynamic.

For instance, he said, “we like to go into diversified oil companies that have the whole gamut: production,exploration, refining, distribution, gas stations.”

Mobius is also sanguine about Russia, which, he said, “is now in a strong fiscal position with very high foreign reserves and a continuing good market for their oil, gas and mineral exports.”

As an example, he points to Gazprom OGZPY +1.96% , which is a major supplier of gas to Europe and also sells to China and other parts of Asia.

Electric power is also a big focus. “It’s all about electric energy,” Mobius said. From cellular towers to office towers, “everybody needs electricity,” he added.

Investors have to be careful about electric utilities, which can be subject to excessive regulation, he cautioned. Brazil has a model system, Mobius said, that balances government regulation against shareholders’ need for return on capital and investment.

2. Software delivers hard profits

Information technology and software is a growth story — particularly for India, Mobius said.

“Some terrific software companies in India do global software and outsourcing work,” he said, citing Infosys Ltd. INFY -0.02% and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. IN:532540 +1.46% as examples.

“They’re a beneficiary of the global outsourcing trend,” Mobius added. “They have tremendous experience. Their ability is quite remarkable. Every day they are hiring and training thousands of workers in the software business, and their ability to do this is quite exceptional and unique. A lot of people complain about software companies taking American jobs — they are hiring in America.”

3. Financial services can pay off

Banking is a risky play, but Mobius said he sees opportunities in emerging-market financial services firms with strong balance sheets and a focus on consumers.

Brazil offers some attractive candidates, he said. Institutions including Itau Unibanco Holding ITUB +0.48% and Banco Bradesco BBD -0.65% haven’t had to expand beyond their own sizeable home market, Mobius noted; plus Brazil’s banking community is no stranger to sovereign debt troubles and challenging economic environments.

Mobius is generally bullish about Brazil, but as an investor he is watching for signs that the government is managing spending and keeping a lid on inflation. Long term, he said, “Brazil should be focused on increasing productivity, especially in light of such a strong currency. There should be structural reforms in areas such as education, tax, pension, the political system, privatizations and efforts to attract infrastructure investments.”

4. Have confidence in consumers

Mobius travels constantly, intent on seeing potential investments up close. For example, in China, he said, shopping malls are full with customers, and that spurs Mobius to think about the implications for consumer companies, electricity providers, material suppliers and other industries that support and benefit from consumer demand.

“Middle class expansion and the deceleration of population growth has triggered rising per capita income and increasing demand for consumer products,” Mobius said. “This in turn has led to a positive earnings growth outlook for consumer-related companies. We look for opportunities not only in areas related to consumer products, such as automobiles and retailing, but also consider services such as finance, banking and telecommunications.

“People want these things and there’s no inhibitions,” he added.

Yet being an astute social observer is one thing; investing in societal trends is another.

“I may like a certain sector, but if the companies are not cheap I’m not interested,” Mobius said. “I’d love to buy consumer companies in China, but many of them are very expensive.”

So Mobius looks elsewhere for similar plays. “I may go to Brazil and buy a food company that’s cheaper and still has the growth characteristics,” he said.

As an example, he pointed to South American beverage leader Companhia de Bebidas das Americas, or Ambev, ABV -0.87% BR:AMBV4 -0.49% . The company is a unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev N.V. BUD +0.06% BE:ABI -1.03% , the global brewery giant.

5. Commodities and materials are building blocks

The consumer has always been a main driver of demand for commodities and materials. But the sea change in the economic fortune of people in emerging economies — China and India together represent more than one-third of the world’s population — has created an unprecedented need for food and raw materials.

Companies that extract, grow, produce, refine and transport these goods — and do so cheaper and better than others — have enjoyed strong earnings growth. Mobius sees nothing fundamentally that would break this flow. He looks for higher commodity prices due to unbroken demand and spotty supply.

“I am very positive on all the commodities,” he said. “Commodity stocks continue to look good because we expect the global demand for commodities to continue its long-term growth.

“We generally look for companies that are strong producers of commodities such as oil, iron ore, aluminum, copper, nickel and platinum,” he added. In areas of agriculture and ranching, he points to sugar, meat, corn, soybeans, cocoa and select grains.

The difficulty, Mobius said, is that while demand appears infinite, supply and production is not. Raising an animal for meat, he said, requires more grain, more land and more water than growing soybeans, for example. At some point the cost will outweigh the benefit, he noted, and people’s wants and expectations will have to change.

“There has to be a new paradigm where people just use less,” Mobius said. “We’re going to have to get to that, sooner or later.”

MarketWatch reporter Phani Kumar in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Jonathan Burton is MarketWatch's money and investing editor, based in San Francisco.

U.S. stocks sink on Greece, cash-outs; S&P 500 up Blue-chips, Nasdaq Composite lower as investors take a breather

2012-01-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

By Laura Mandaro, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks slipped Monday, though the S&P 500 eked out its fifth day of gains, as negotiations between Greece and its creditors gave investors an excuse to take profits after a double-digit advance from October lows.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA -0.09% ended down 11.66 points, or 0.1%, at 12,708.82, breaking four days of gains. It had risen as much as 44 points to 12,764.49, its highest intraday since May 10, and fallen as much as 55 points.

Click to Play

Did U.S. start China bubble?

At the start of China's Year of the Dragon, JL Warren Capital founder Junheng Li says China stock bubble's roots can be traced back to the U.S. Photo: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images.

The Nasdaq Composite COMP -0.09% lost 2.53 points, or 0.1%, to 2,784.17. The S&P 500 SPX +0.05% reclaimed gains in the last hour of trading, closing up 0.62 point, or 0.1%, at 1,316, its highest close since July 26.

Trading was moderate, though choppy. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange was about 723 million, while NYSE composite volume was 3.7 billion — under last year’s average of 4.3 billion.

“Our concern here is that we’ve had a lot of good news over the last few months,” said Ken Tower, senior analyst at Quantitative Analysis Service. Read blog on whether U.S. stocks are overvalued.

“When the S&P was at 1,200, it was a more compelling valuation case than today. Let’s face it — the world economic outlook is still very mixed. We’re still faced with all these fiscal problems, slowing growth in China, as well as Europe,” he said.

The three major U.S. stock indexes gained more than 2% last week, rising for the third straight week and extending an advance that’s added about 20% to the benchmarks from their 52-week lows touched in early October.

SPX 1,316.00, +0.62, +0.05%

Rally from October lows

1,400

1,300

1,200

1,100

1,000

“Simple profit taking may be the answer,” said Michael Gibbs, director of equity strategy for Morgan Keegan.

With little U.S. data on the calendar, the focus was on Europe and U.S. earnings, which have contributed to stocks’ recent run.

The Greek government was reportedly close to a deal with private creditors after the managing director of the Institute of International Finance, which is representing international banks that own Greek debt, said Sunday that bondholders have made the “maximum offer” on losses they are willing to bear.

But on Monday, investors received a dose of more unsettling headlines. Euro-zone finance ministers, who were meeting Monday in Brussels, have said Athens shouldn’t expect an increase in a planned bailout loan, said Dow Jones Newswires, citing people familiar with the matter.

Also, a Greek Finance Ministry official said Greece planned to make a formal offer to private-sector creditors on a bond swap deal by Feb. 13, according to Dow Jones.

Greece “is hurting sentiment today,” said Tower. However, much of the worries about Greece’s debt problems have already been priced in, he noted.

“They’ve already agreed to write down so much of those bonds, even if they agreed to write down more, it’s just not that big of a number,” he said.

Stocks rose in early trading, supported by hope for those negotiations and Europe’s prospects in general.

European stocks closed higher, pushing the Stoxx Europe 600 index XX:SXXP +0.45% up 0.5% to 257, near a five-month high. Read more on Europe Markets.

MARKETS | Expanded markets coverage
• The Tell: Market news and analysis
• U.S. and Canada markets | Canada section
• European and Middle Eastern markets
• Asia — from Japan to China to Australia
• Latin America: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, more

TOOLS AND DATA | Markets data menu
• My Portfolio: Know where your funds are?
• Real-time currency exchange rates
• After-hours stock screener

market SECTORS

• Financials
• Bonds
• Energy
• Airlines

• Tech Stocks
• Metals
• Telecom
• Biotech

• Oil news
• Retail
• Key indexes
• ETF finder

The euro EURUSD +0.10% topped $1.30, while the U.S. dollar index DXY +0.00% , which gauges the greenback’s performance against a basket of six other currencies, fell to 79.725 from 80.148 in late North American trade on Friday. Read more on currencies.

Investors have taken heart from recent European Central Bank actions to provide cheap loans to European banks in exchange for a wider pool of collateral, said John Derrick, director of research at U.S. Global Investors.

The central bank’s longer-term refinancing operations, which began in December, have eased concerns about “really negative outlier events,” said Derrick.

“If there’s a default in Greece or some other bad outcome, it minimizes the chance you have a run on the banks,” he said.

Movers: RIM, Bank of America, PetMed

Travelers Cos. TRV +0.44% and Procter & Gamble PG +1.89% , off 2.1% and 1.9% each, fell the most on the Dow, with 18 of the benchmark’s 30 stocks in the red. Bank of America Corp. BAC -0.55% led gainers, up 2.5%.

Energy stocks gained the most among the S&P 500’s ten sectors, highlighted by advances in natural-gas plays Southwestern Energy Co. SWN +0.03% , Range Resources Corp. RRC -0.17% and Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. COG +6.48% . Read more on Energy Stocks.

Netflix Inc. NFLX +0.63% fell 6.3%, leading index decliners.

U.S.-listed shares of Research In Motion Ltd. RIMM -0.13% CA:RIM -9.11% fell 8.5% after the company its co-chief executives had resigned. Read more on RIM

Among smaller-cap stocks, PetMed Express Inc. PETS +11.00% rallied 11% after third-quarter profit fell but beat expectations. Read more on PetMed.

Stocks in Japan finished flat on Monday, with the absence of Hong Kong and other Asian markets, closed for Lunar New Year holidays. Read Asia Markets.

In commodities, crude-oil futures for March delivery CL2H +0.23% rose 1.3% to $99.58 a barrel. The 27-nation European Union on Monday agreed on an oil embargo against Iran as part of sanctions linked to the country’s nuclear program. Read more on oil futures.

Futures for February gold GC2G -0.14% rose $14.30 to $1,678.30 an ounce. Read more in Metals Stocks.

Laura Mandaro is a MarketWatch editor, based in San Francisco.

New route for Alberta oil: Northward? Commentary: Oil, unlike water, sometime flows upward

2012-01-23T23:57:00.001-08:00

By Bill Mann, MarketWatch

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (MarketWatch) — The latest possible route to get Alberta oil to overseas markets will have many scrambling for an atlas or Google Maps. Where pelts once travelled south, petroleum may soon travel north.

With the Keystone-XL TRP +1.40% pipeline from Alberta to Texas now stalled by U.S. President Barack Obama, and Enbridge’s Northern gateway pipeline to the seaport of Kitimat, B.C., now mired in months of public hearings just begun, Canadian and U.S. oil companies are taking a hard look at shipping the oil north, using a mighty inland river system navigable by large tankers and once used by the Hudson Bay Company to ship beaver pelts south to market.

The Mackenzie, Slave and Athabasca Rivers could bring oil and pipeline equipment from the Arctic or Hudson Bay right into the heart of Alberta, where the oil sands are. There’s only one hitch — a series of four Slave River rapids up by the border of Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

That’s where an existing 24-mile-long portage road at Fort Simpson, Alberta (current population: 8) could come into play. The U.S. Army used it to truck oil north to a short-lived, expensive pipeline for a year near the end of World War II.

Tiny Fort Fitzgerald was once a bustling seaport, handling goods from the Hudson Bay Company, and it could boom again soon with Alberta’s oilsands production slated to increase over the next three years to three million barrels a day from about 1.7 million. Alberta needs to diversify its market for bitumen beyond the U.S. Midwest, and using a trusty old fur-trading river system may be the best way, given the current political climate, to reach Asian markets. Fur-trading routes, which once built western Canada, may soon help sustain it.

Those pesky rapids

Were it not for the 12 miles of rapids near remote Fort Fitzgerald, large ocean vessels could ascend the Mackenzie River, cross Great Slave Lake, continue up the Slave and Athabasca rivers to the geographical centre of Alberta — the town of Athabasca.

Oil, unlike water, can sometimes flow upward, towards markets — in this case, up a mighty river system that drains into the now-navigable Arctic and Hudson Bay.

Using the Slave River system and the portage near the port may also be the way for Imperial Oil to get its heavy drilling equipment now stranded in an Idaho port up to Fort McMurray, Alberta, the epicenter of the booming oilfields. Local opposition in Montana has kept much of that huge, Asian-made equipment off two-lane surface roads leading up to Fort McMurray.

“Imperial continuously assesses a variety of transportation routes to serve its operations and opportunities in the oilsands,” said Pius Rolheiser, Imperial’s public and government affairs spokesman. “We assess the viability of transportation routes on the basis of safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness.”

It may seem strange to someday see large ships sailing past Alberta wheat fields heading north from Fort McMurray (another Hudson Bay fur-trading post in pre-oil times) up the Athabasca River to Fort Fitzgerald and the mighty Slave River, but it’s no stranger than seeing ocean-bound ships sailing past California farm fields into the interior port of Sacramento, many miles inland from the Pacific.

“We need to look at as many options as possible,” says Travis Davies of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, “mostly in terms of moving equipment and components.”

As the producers of oil from the bituminous sands continue to expand their operations, Davies notes, “We’ve got an amazing resource here and we need to continue to explore all kinds of ways to get it to market.”

Even to the point of re-invigorating a defunct seaport in the far-north Canadian hinterlands. Press reports in Canada are hyping tiny Fort Fitzgerald — where, as the old joke goes, both city-limits signs are on the same post — as a possible oil-boom town.

The need to get oil to markets has produced some interesting scenarios, and shipping it north, portaging it by truck, and then shipping it even further north is only the latest one.

Oil tankers — in landlocked Alberta? Don’t laugh...it could happen.

Bill Mann is a MarketWatch columnist, based in Port Townsend, Wash.

How to save Research in Motion Commentary: An open letter to Thorsten Heins, new CEO

2012-01-23T23:56:00.001-08:00

By Brett Arends, MarketWatch

BOSTON (MarketWatch) — An open letter:

Dear Thorsten Heins,

Congratulations! You’ve just become the new chief executive of Research In Motion, the BlackBerry maker.

In your first 24 hours on the job you’ve managed to wipe another $600 million off the company’s dwindling value. In case you hadn’t noticed, the stock RIMM -0.13% fell another 7% on your first day.

Click to Play

Will RIM's new strategy pay off?

Research in Motion has gone to a single CEO, but will the rest of the rest of its corporate strategy evolve with it? Spencer Ante discusses on digits.

Thorsten, this is embarrassing.

On Wall Street, news of a big management shakeup should have sent your stock leaping. The short sellers would have rushed to cover, and analysts would have started penciling in all sorts of bullish possibilities. A company with a new CEO has a lot of “optionality.”

Instead Wall Street is already giving you a big thumbs-down.

Your first conference call, Monday morning, was a disaster. Apparently, you think everything was pretty much OK before you took over.

You expressed confidence in the company’s existing strategic direction, and vowed no “seismic change.”

On the call an analyst pointed out that you’d been part of the senior management team for the past few years, and asked what you weren’t able to do then that you are able to do now. Your response, according to a live blog from Engadget:

“I don’t think that there is a drastic change needed. We are evolving our tactics and processes. I don’t feel that I was held back in any way to do what I needed to do.“

RIMM 15.54, -0.02, -0.13%

RIMM in motion

150

100

This defies belief. RIMM stock was about $110 when you joined the company, in December 2007.

Today: $15.88.

This is like someone being appointed as the new captain of the Titanic, and saying, “Well, I wouldn’t really have done anything differently.”

Full steam ahead?

You also said you were looking for a new marketing honcho, and that you’d be open to “licensing” your operating system to other companies.

Oh, brother.

It would be ominous indeed if you thought your biggest problem was with marketing. As for licensing your software — don’t flatter yourself. Your company is giving off the stench of death. Meanwhile, there are already three operating systems out there that are better than yours — Apple’s AAPL -0.28% iOs, Google’s GOOG +0.03% Android, and Microsoft’s MSFT +0.20% Windows Phone 7.

Thorsten: It’s not all bad.

Yes, you can save this company. But to do that you need to do three things. Three radical things.

1. Go with the hurry-up offense.

Anyone counseling patience and “steady as she goes” is a fool. The crisis is much worse than it seems from your new executive office.

You have one shot at fixing this company. One.

No, RIMM isn’t going to run out of money — not yet, anyway. As of November, you still had about $7.2 billion in cash, receivables and other liquid assets, compared to just $3.8 billion in liabilities.

But so what? Your biggest problem isn’t money, it’s time. And you are running out of that, fast.

Research In Motion

Blackberry Bold

Your brand name is fading. Your market share is slumping. You’re actually below 10% of smartphones in the U.S., according to reports. And this industry moves fast. Just as with Nokia, RIMM is already yesterday’s news. If you hang around much longer you’ll be finished for good.

Don’t believe me? Try this. Stop listening to people inside the company. Stop listening to advisers, colleagues and friends. Instead, go out to Best Buy incognito, on your own, and have a look at what’s on offer and how your competitors stack up. Look at the products people are buying and what they’re talking about.

Market as undervalued today as in 1990 Commentary: Norm Fosback is as bullish today as 20 years ago

2012-01-23T23:55:00.000-08:00

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (MarketWatch) — The stock market represents better value today than at any time in the last 20 years?

That certainly is not something you’ve been reading recently in this column. For example, I’ve argued that, from a very short-term point of view, there is too much complacency out there — which is bearish from a contrarian point of view. ( Read my Jan. 18 column, entitled “Worrisome complacency.” )

SPX 1,316.00, +0.62, +0.05%

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

And I’ve also pointed out that some longer-term valuation measures with good track records — such as the Cyclically-Adjusted Price Earnings Ratio, or CAPE, made famous by Yale University Professor Robert Shiller — show the market to be closer to the overvalued end of the spectrum than undervalued. ( Read my Jan 6 column, entitled “What if the 2009 bull market is still alive?” )

But it’s important for everyone, and especially contrarians, to consider contrary points of view. And this is particularly the case when the point of view is being advanced by someone with as long and eminent a record as Norm Fosback.

Fosback, for those of you who don’t know, has been a close and scientifically minded student of the stock market for nearly five decades. For three decades he was the head of the Institute for Econometric Research, during which he authored a widely followed investment textbook entitled Stock Market Logic and edited several investment advisory services. He currently publishes a service called Fosback’s Fund Forecaster.

Click to Play

Dow posts first loss in a week

Blue-chip stocks finish in the red for the first time in five sessions, while the broader market trades flat, as investors watch Europe for developments in its debt crisis. Photo: Reuters

In the latest issue of that service, published late last week, Fosback boldly states that “the market’s fundamental position has evolved to the most favorable alignment in 20 years.”

His econometric model is projecting that the stock market will rise by 19% over the next 12 months, and 89% over the next five years. That five-year rate is equivalent to nearly 14% per year on an annualized basis.

While Fosback’s model incorporates numerous different indicators that he has found to have predictive abilities, he says that the major underlying issues for the U.S. market right now are “domestic corporate profits, valuations of domestic stocks, and Federal Reserve policy.” This is what Fosback has to say about each:

Corporate profitability is an all-time high. “Not only have pretax profits soared to match their highest levels in history, but plunging effective corporate tax rates have sent after-tax corporate profits soaring to even greater heights compared with historical norms... With after-tax profits running at 10% of the nation’s $15-trillion GDP, net additions to business cash coffers are running at least 1-1/2 trillion on an annual basis, even after dividend payouts to stockholders. At the moment, that is effectively doubling cash holdings on an annualized basis. Liquidity, in other words is enormous.”
Despite these record profits, the P/E ratio on the S&P 500 index is back to where it stood in 1990 (when calculated on the basis of operating earnings). The decade of the 1990s, of course, was one of the most bullish in U.S. stock market history.
“Monetary policy [is] still in an aggressive easing mode.” Interest rates remain “at record lows” and the money supply is expanding.

What about Europe? Won’t slowing economic growth in that crucial region sabotage the U.S. market, even if it were otherwise poised for a major bull market?

Fosback thinks not, arguing that the media’s obsession with Europe is little more than a “sleight of hand: Look over there ... while the real action is right here.”

Are there any flies in the ointment?

Of course.

Ironically, though, the major such fly that Fosback acknowledges derives from how good things otherwise are right now for corporate America: “The only meaningful negative investors can take away from the current corporate profit and tax environments is that they are so favorable it is almost inconceivable they can get any better; in other words, the path of least resistance for corporate profits going forward may be down, simply because it is almost unimaginable it can get any better.”

But even if corporate profit growth slows to a standstill, which he thinks is most unlikely, the market is still likely to go up because of rising P/E ratios.

Needless to say, you might not agree with Fosback’s cheery assessment. But regardless, and especially if you don’t, you need to have good answers for why the factors he mentions aren’t as bullish as he believes them to be.

Click here to learn more about the Hulbert Financial Digest.

Mark Hulbert is the founder of Hulbert Financial Digest in Annandale, Va. He has been tracking the advice of more than 160 financial newsletters since 1980.

Health-care expenses to rise 8.5% in 2012: study Medical inflation accelerates as recovery gains momentum

2012-01-23T23:53:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) — Employers can expect to see an acceleration in health-care cost increases in 2012, with expenses rising 8.5% next year, according to a study released Wednesday by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The 30-page study says that the recession put a lid on health-care costs, which should keep the inflation rate to 8% for 2011, but those price hikes are getting steeper as the recovery gains momentum.

“Now, a few months into 2011, employers and health plans say utilization remains somewhat deflated, but they’re already worried about a rebound in 2012,” the study says. “Add to this recessionary effect the changes brought on by health reform, and the variables affecting cost trends in 2012 become an interesting blend of reactions.”

Click to Play

White House wants new IMF chief

The U.S. is pressuring the International Monetary Fund to name a managing director to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who remains in a New York City jail on attempted-rape charges. (Photo: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)

But an 8.5% medical inflation rate is a fairly moderate rate.

“These increases aren’t as great as some years,” said Mike Thompson, a principal at Pricewaterhouse. He noted that over the last decade, there have been several instances where medical inflation has exceeded the double-digit mark.

“We do see fluctuation from year to year,“ he said.

Pricewaterhouse surveyed 1,700 employers from 30 industries along with hospital executives and health-plan actuaries. It found that three main factors will drive up medical costs next year.

First, consolidation among hospitals and physicians is snowballing. While that should increase efficiency, payers worry about the impact of consolidation on rates. Second, inpatient costs for Medicare recipients will rise 3.3 percentage points more than hospital rates. And post-recession stress has taken a toll on worker health.

But the study says that employers are expected to try to keep a lid on costs between now and next year, and the actual medical inflation rate for employers should be closer to 7%.

It also says that a number of factors will deflate medical pricing, including cost-sharing by employees through such vehicles as higher deductibles, brand-name drugs losing their patents and adding costs to employees who venture out of the health network for care.

The study also says that spending by insurance companies has grown the most for outpatient and inpatient care over the last five years, along with miscellaneous spending. There was slower growth in drug costs and physician expenses. But inpatient care and physician costs still comprised the biggest chunk of health expenses, each at more than 30%.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010, is expected to have little impact on rates, though it is pressuring employers to be more cost conscious about health care.

Russ Britt is the Los Angeles bureau chief for MarketWatch.

The Crazy Sign Your Sperm Count Is Low

2012-01-10T00:58:00.000-08:00

The Advert : 4checks.com-Free Shipping and Handling on All Personal Checks with code DWF008 Women are naturally drawn to men with deep voices because a macho tone reminds them of all things manly. And while talking like Barry White packs its fair share of benefits, it could also mean bad news for your sperm.

A new study from the University of Western Australia found that guys with a low-pitched voice had reduced concentrations of sperm in ejaculations. The possible connection: “Testosterone, which deepens a man’s voice, also suppresses sperm production when it’s at high levels,” says lead researcher Leigh Simmons, Ph.D., an evolutionary biology professor at Western Australia.

Meanwhile, the pitch of your voice isn’t the only health clue your body is sending you. Here are five other surprising body quirks that may be early signs of health problems.

Finger Length
As Men’s Health previously reported, size matters—when it comes to your fingers. A study published in the British Journal of Cancer found that men whose index fingers were longer than their ring fingers were 33 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. As it turns out, people who have longer index fingers were exposed to less testosterone when they were a baby in their mother’s womb, researchers say. This may help protect against prostate cancer later on.

More from MensHealth.com: What Your Hand Says About Your Penis

Nail Color
Healthy nails are usually smooth and spotless, but “redness under your fingernails can be a sign of a collagen vascular disease like lupus,” says Neil Sadick, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College. “It gives you inflammation of the blood vessels, and that can present as redness or blood vessels under the nail itself.” Research has also found that white nails are linked with liver issues, and unusual curvatures can even be a sign of lung cancer.

Earlobe Wrinkles
Diagonal creases on your earlobes may be a sign of potential cardiovascular problems, according to a study from the University of Chicago. Researchers found participants with a crease (and no prior coronary artery disease) were nearly eight times more likely to experience cardiac events as those without. Earlobes may give a reflective health warning because of the similarities between the blood vessels that supply the earlobes and the heart, researchers speculate. Or creases may just be a result of aging.

Sense of Smell
The inability to identify certain orders may be a warning sign of Parkinson’s Disease. A study led by the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders and the University of Pennsylvania found that when given a small test, patients with Parkinson’s could only correctly identify half of the smells presented. An additional study in the Annals of Neurology found that this impaired sense of smell can predate Parkinson’s by about 4 years.

More from MensHealth.com: A Man Without Taste

Hair
Although going bald is natural, it could also be a clue to more serious conditions. “Hair loss can be a sign of thyroid disease or thyroid cancer,” Sadick says. “If you have an overactive thyroid, or a thyroid that’s not functioning well, you can get hair loss as a presenting sign of it.” Hypothyroidism may also manifest itself in unusual thinning of the eyebrows. Plus, “sometimes men can have very fine hairs along their temples early in life, and that can be a sign of impending genetic hair loss,” says Sadick.

More from MensHealth.com: The Biggest Health Problems for Men

Additional reporting by Maria Masters

Allied health professions

2011-11-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

Allied health professions are clinical health care professions distinct from dentistry, nursing and medicine. One estimate reported allied health professionals make up 60 percent of the total health workforce. They work in health care teams to make the health care system function by providing a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct patient care and support services that are critical to the other health professionals they work with and the patients they serve.
a. Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body.[1] Dentistry is widely considered necessary for complete overall health. Doctors who practice dentistry are known as dentists. The dentist's supporting team – which includes dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and dental therapists – aids in providing oral health services.
b. Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death.
Nurses work in a large variety of specialties where they work independently and as part of a team to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care. Nursing Science is a field of knowledge based on the contributions of nursing scientist through peer-reviewed scholarly journals and evidenced-based practice.
c. Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness.
Contemporary medicine applies health science, biomedical research, and medical technology to diagnose and treat injury and disease, typically through medication or surgery, but also through therapies as diverse as psychotherapy, external splints & traction, prostheses, biologics, ionizing radiation and others. The word medicine is derived from the Latin ars medicina, meaning the art of healing
Allied health employment projections
Projections in the United States and many other countries have shown an expected long-term shortage of qualified workers to fill many allied health positions. This is primarily due to expansion of the health industry due to demographic changes (a growing and aging population), large numbers of health workers nearing retirement, the industry’s need to be cost efficient, and a lack of sufficient investment in training programs to keep pace with these trends.
Studies have also pointed to the need for increased diversity in the allied health workforce to realize a culturally competent health system in the United States and elsewhere.
Workforce and health care experts anticipate that health services will increasingly be delivered via ambulatory and nursing care settings rather than in hospitals. According to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), the health care industry consists of three main sub-sectors, divided by the types of services provided at each facility:
• Hospitals: Primarily provides inpatient health services and may provide some outpatient services as a secondary activity.
• Ambulatory health care settings: Primarily provides outpatient services at facilities such as doctors’ offices, outpatient clinics and clinical laboratories.
• Nursing and residential care facilities: Provides residential care, such as community care for the elderly or mental health and substance abuse facilities.
In the US, a larger proportion of the allied health care workforce is already employed in ambulatory settings. In California, nearly half (49.4 percent) of the allied health workforce is employed in ambulatory health care settings, compared with 28.7 percent and 21.9 percent employed in hospital and nursing care, respectively.
Advancements in medical technology also allow for more services that formerly required expensive hospital stays to be delivered via ambulatory care. For example, in California, research has predicted the total consumption of hospital days per person will decline from 4 days in 2010 to 3.2 days in 2020 to 2.5 days in 2030. In contrast, the number of ambulatory visits per person will increase from 3.2 visits per person in 2010 to 3.6 visits per person in 2020 to 4.2 visits in 2030.
In developing countries, many national human resources for health strategic plans and international development initiatives are focusing on scaling up training of allied health professions, such as HIV/AIDS counsellors, clinical officers and community health workers, in providing essential preventive and treatment services in ambulatory and community-based care settings.
With this growing demand for ambulatory health care, researchers expect to witness a heavier demand for professions that are employed within the ambulatory sector and other non-hospital settings — in other words, allied health.
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_health

Related Post :

Primary Health Care Per Capita Payment Systems

2011-10-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

READERSHIP OF THIS VOLUME

Many countries have adopted a general purchasing health services framework (Preker and Langenbrunner 2005), which specifies several components of purchasing, specifically: Core policy characteristics or “policy levers” that can be used for allocating, resources by purchasers across geographic areas or directly to providers, Organizational characteristics of providers and the incentive regimes within provider organizations and provider markets, Institutional characteristics embedded in the transactions that occur between different organizational units emanating from the government and across both public and private sectors. This area is similar conceptually to that outlined in The World Health Report 2000—Health Systems: Improving Performance(WHO 2000), which discussed this area as “stewardship” of the health sector.
In the short term, the use by purchasers of core policy levers can bring about
significant impacts in the delivery of care services. Core policy levers include
consideration of: Demand or “population coverage” (for whom to buy)?, Supply or “benefit package” (what to buy, in which form, and what to exclude)?, Factor and product markets or “contracting” (from whom, at what price to buy, and how much to buy)?, Prices and incentive regime or “provider payment systems” (at what price and
how to pay)?;
This volume focuses on the issues and experiences of one dimension (or policy lever) regarding the move to a strategic purchasing arrangement in a low- or middle-income country (or even geographic region), or within a public or private organization. Many argue that this dimension is one of the most important.
The volume also looks at issues of how to set prices and design the incentive regime or “provider payment systems” (box 1). Incentives can fundamentally change provider behavior, but purchasers must still set prices and decide exactly how to pay.
The intended readership includes health policy makers in low- and middleincome countries, and donor representatives or technical assistance specialists tasked with the design or implementation of health financing projects that include hospital payment reform, as well as (for health management information systems) technology managers.

-----------------------------------------------

Health insurance exchange

2011-09-22T00:52:00.001-07:00

A health insurance exchange is a set of state-regulated and standardized health care plans, from which individuals may purchase health insurance that is eligible for Federal subsidies. In the United States, it is the main thrust of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
A private health insurance exchange is an exchange run by a private sector company or private nonprofit corporation. Health plans and carriers in a private exchange must meet certain criteria defined by the exchange management. Private exchanges combine technology and human advocacy, include online eligibility verification, and mechanisms for allowing employers who connect their employees or retirees with exchanges to offer subsidies. Private exchanges are designed to help purchasers find the best possible plan value personalized to their specific health conditions and doctor/hospital networks.

Health insurance

2011-09-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is available to pay for the health care benefits specified in the insurance agreement. The benefit is administered by a central organization such as a government agency, private business, or not-for-profit entity.

A health insurance policy is:

1) a contract between an insurance provider (e.g. an insurance company or a government) and an individual or his sponsor (e.g. an employer or a community organization). The contract can be renewable (e.g. annually, monthly) or lifelong in the case of private insurance, or be mandatory for all citizens in the case of national plans. The type and amount of health care costs that will be covered by the health insurance provider are specified in writing, in a member contract or "Evidence of Coverage" booklet for private insurance, or in a national health policy for public insurance.

2) Insurance coverage is provided by an employer-sponsored self-funded ERISA plan. The company generally advertises that they have one of the big insurance companies. However, in an ERISA case, that insurance company "doesn't engage in the act of insurance", they just administer it. Therefore ERISA plans are not subject to state laws. ERISA plans are governed by federal law under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Labor (USDOL). The specific benefits or coverage details are found in the Summary Plan Description (SPD). An appeal must go through the insurance company, then to the Employer's Plan Fiduciary. If still required, the Fiduciary’s decision can be brought to the USDOL to review for ERISA compliance, and then file a lawsuit in federal court.

The individual insured person's obligations may take several forms:

Premium: The amount the policy-holder or his sponsor (e.g. an employer) pays to the health plan to purchase health coverage.
Deductible: The amount that the insured must pay out-of-pocket before the health insurer pays its share. For example, policy-holders might have to pay a $500 deductible per year, before any of their health care is covered by the health insurer. It may take several doctor's visits or prescription refills before the insured person reaches the deductible and the insurance company starts to pay for care.
Co-payment: The amount that the insured person must pay out of pocket before the health insurer pays for a particular visit or service. For example, an insured person might pay a $45 co-payment for a doctor's visit, or to obtain a prescription. A co-payment must be paid each time a particular service is obtained.
Coinsurance: Instead of, or in addition to, paying a fixed amount up front (a co-payment), the co-insurance is a percentage of the total cost that insured person may also pay. For example, the member might have to pay 20% of the cost of a surgery over and above a co-payment, while the insurance company pays the other 80%. If there is an upper limit on coinsurance, the policy-holder could end up owing very little, or a great deal, depending on the actual costs of the services they obtain.
Exclusions: Not all services are covered. The insured are generally expected to pay the full cost of non-covered services out of their own pockets.
Coverage limits: Some health insurance policies only pay for health care up to a certain dollar amount. The insured person may be expected to pay any charges in excess of the health plan's maximum payment for a specific service. In addition, some insurance company schemes have annual or lifetime coverage maximums. In these cases, the health plan will stop payment when they reach the benefit maximum, and the policy-holder must pay all remaining costs.
Out-of-pocket maximums: Similar to coverage limits, except that in this case, the insured person's payment obligation ends when they reach the out-of-pocket maximum, and health insurance pays all further covered costs. Out-of-pocket maximums can be limited to a specific benefit category (such as prescription drugs) or can apply to all coverage provided during a specific benefit year.
Capitation: An amount paid by an insurer to a health care provider, for which the provider agrees to treat all members of the insurer.
In-Network Provider: (U.S. term) A health care provider on a list of providers preselected by the insurer. The insurer will offer discounted coinsurance or co-payments, or additional benefits, to a plan member to see an in-network provider. Generally, providers in network are providers who have a contract with the insurer to accept rates further discounted from the "usual and customary" charges the insurer pays to out-of-network providers.
Prior Authorization: A certification or authorization that an insurer provides prior to medical service occurring. Obtaining an authorization means that the insurer is obligated to pay for the service, assuming it matches what was authorized. Many smaller, routine services do not require authorization.
Explanation of Benefits: A document that may be sent by an insurer to a patient explaining what was covered for a medical service, and how payment amount and patient responsibility amount were determined.

Prescription drug plans are a form of insurance offered through some health insurance plans. In the U.S., the patient usually pays a copayment and the prescription drug insurance part or all of the balance for drugs covered in the formulary of the plan. Such plans are routinely part of national health insurance programs. For example in the province of Quebec, Canada, prescription drug insurance is universally required as part of the public health insurance plan, but may be purchased and administered either through private or group plans, or through the public plan.

Some, if not most, health care providers in the United States will agree to bill the insurance company if patients are willing to sign an agreement that they will be responsible for the amount that the insurance company doesn't pay. The insurance company pays out of network providers according to "reasonable and customary" charges, which may be less than the provider's usual fee. The provider may also have a separate contract with the insurer to accept what amounts to a discounted rate or capitation to the provider's standard charges. It generally costs the patient less to use an in-network provider.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance

Health care industry

2011-09-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

The health care industry, or medical industry, is the sector of the economic system that provides goods and services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, palliative, or, at times, unnecessary care. The modern health care sector is divided into many sub-sectors, and depends on interdisciplinary teams of trained professionals and paraprofessionals to meet health needs of individuals and populations.

The health care industry is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing industries.[3] Consuming over 10 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) of most developed nations, health care can form an enormous part of a country's economy.

For purposes of finance and management, the healthcare industry is typically divided into several areas. As a basic framework for defining the sector, the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) categorizes the health care industry as generally consisting of:

1. hospital activities;
2. medical and dental practice activities;
3. "other human health activities"

This third class involves activities of, or under the supervision of, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, scientific or diagnostic laboratories, pathology clinics, residential health facilites, or other allied health professions, e.g. in the field of optometry, hydrotherapy, medical massage, yoga therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, chiropody, homeopathy, chiropractics, acupuncture, etc.

The Global Industry Classification Standard and the Industry Classification Benchmark further distinguish the industry as two main groups:
(1) health care equipment & services; and
(2) pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and related life sciences.

Health care equipment and services comprise companies and entities that provide medical equipment, medical supplies, and health care services, such as hospitals, home health care providers, and nursing homes. The second industry group comprises sectors companies that produce biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and miscellaneous scientific services.

Other approaches to defining the scope of the health care industry tend to adopt a broader definition, also including other key actions related to health, such as education and training of health professionals, regulation and management of health services delivery, provision of traditional and complementary medicines, and administration of health insurance

Health care reform: Revolution or evolution - What we can do to control our destiny

2011-09-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Health care reform is considered by many Americans to be the most important domestic issue in America, but is it really? Indeed it is important, but is it more important than the loss of our democracy and the loss of the voice of the people? Is it more important than the pollution, poor quality food, and high levels of stress that are causing much of the epidemic of chronic diseases that now affects 50% of all Americans? Is it more important than fighting the two wars we've been engaged for such a long time? And at a much higher level, is it more important than solving the global issues of preventable disease and hunger?

We have partially awakened from our trance and are starting to address some of these issues. We're screaming about our lost rights but are feeling helpless about creating change because we don't have faith that we can make a difference as individuals. We have forgotten that the only way change ever occurs is with an idea and someone to represent it. We must remember that if it is worthy, others eventually will see and follow.

Is there hope? Is it too late? There are very worrisome signs that our government is so far out of the hands of "we the people" that it no longer does much good to "write to our Congresspeople!" In fact, even voting in many respects no longer offers much choice; does it matter in any substantive way whether you vote Democratic or Republican? Is there that much, or even any for that matter, difference between the two parties as far as corruption is concerned? Has either party come up with a solution to our health care issues that is sensible? Have we become involved with a colossal struggle characterized by politics so polarized that we have lost sight of what we're trying to accomplish. Why is it that every single Democrat votes one way and every single Republican votes the other on health care reform? Is anyone in either political party thinking for themselves? Is following political party lines more important than working together to make America a better place? Are we doomed to crumble under the weight of our own corruption as have so many empires of the past?

Perhaps Gandhi had the answer when it comes to effecting social transformation. Our natural instincts are to fight against what we believe is wrong. However, where has this gotten us? Into fights! Sometimes there is no other option, but generally, even when this works, it causes change through fear and dominance rather than inspiration. How about we behave by becoming the change we want to see? That was what Gandhi proposed. There's no fighting involved in this approach. But, it may be more difficult to change our behavior rather than do what comes so naturally to us; fighting back. Change through inspiration tends to be lasting because it comes from within and is what we choose. Change through fear and dominance may impose change, but it is not likely to be lasting because it is not our choice. It leads to revolution, not evolution.

What if we took action at the local level and engaged in community programs based on good things such as developing programs that support a healthy lifestyle? What if we began participating in local government to create policies we believe in? What if we created educational programs that teach the golden rule first, and then how to build community? What if we learned to listen and care about everyone in our community? What if we spent our dollars to achieve these goals and refused to spend them on what we don't believe in? What would happen if we took this kind of responsibility?

The answer is obvious! We'd control our destiny. We'd take back democracy without the firing of a single shot. We would become leaders rather than followers and would elect only those Congresspeople who would represent us completely. We would stay in constant contact with our elected officials and participate in all governmental decisions. We'd eliminate any corporate or private business that did not offer service as the first priority because we would not purchase their goods or services. We'd be teaching our children how to get along with one another and live in community. We'd have health care that we could afford and would encourage wellness rather than react for the most part only after we get sick. In short, we'd be healthier, much happier, and make decisions that benefit our community. We'd have meaningful purpose in our lives. We'd also have far more financial resources to allocate to whatever projects we believed in.

The choice is ours: reacting to corruption with outrage, or being the change we want to see. Do you support revolution or evolution?

About the author:
Len Saputo, MD is board certified in internal medicine and is in private practice focused on integrative, holistic, person-centered care at the Health Medicine Center (http://www.doctorsaputo.com/a/healt...) in Walnut Creek, CA. Dr. Saputo is the founder of the Health Medicine Forum (http://www.doctorsaputo.com/a/healt...) and the author, with Byron Belitsos, of the Nautilus Gold Award winning book, "A Return to Healing: Radical Health Care Reform and the Future of Medicine" (http://doctorsaputo.com/a/a-return-...). He and his wife, Vicki, have hosted KEST radio's "Prescriptions for Health" show that airs daily for more than a decade.

Dr. Saputo's highly interactive health and wellness website www.DoctorSaputo.com has more than 1500 audio and video media files that are organized and targeted to address your specific and unique health issues. Take the free Health and Wellness Assessment Survey on the home page and experience how his surveys on a wide range of health care conditions provide immediate personalized integrative suggestions for your health challenges!

HHS releases new plan to prevent and treat viral hepatitis

2011-09-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

(NaturalNews) Viral hepatitis remains a public health challenge in the United States. Approximately 3.5-5.3 million persons are living with the condition, and millions more are at risk for infection. Hepatitis, which is largely preventable, is the leading cause of liver cancer. Without appropriate care, 1 in 4 persons with chronic hepatitis will develop liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

In January 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report on hepatitis, explaining the barriers to hepatitis prevention and treatment. In response to this, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) just released the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan -- Combating the Silent Epidemic: US Department of Health and Human Services Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis. The Plan is meant to result in:

- more people being aware that they have the condition
- a reduction in new cases
- a complete elimination of mother to child transmission of Hepatitis B

Although viral hepatitis is a leading cause of infectious death in the U.S., many people are unaware they have the condition because often time they don't feel the symptoms, or the symptoms are there, but just feel like the flu.

Here's a quick overview of viral hepatitis:

Hepatitis A - found in the feces of infected persons. Hepatitis A spreads from one person to another by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the stool of a person with hepatitis A. This can happen when people do not wash their hands after using the toilet and then touch other people's food. Typically, milder symptoms than hepatitis B or C. Illness from hepatitis A is usually brief, and infection with the virus does not lead to chronic liver disease or liver cancer.

Hepatitis B - found in blood and certain body fluids of infected persons. Hepatitis B spreads when a person who is not immune comes in contact with blood or body fluid from an infected person. Hepatitis B is spread by having sex with an infected person without a condom, sharing needles during injected drug use, needle sticks or sharps, exposures in a health care setting, or from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal birth. Exposure to blood in any situation can be a risk for transmission. There are usually no symptoms until there are serious liver complications. When symptoms do appear, they may include high fever, jaundice and abdominal pain chronic hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.

Hepatitis C - also found in blood and certain body fluids of infected persons. Hepatitis C spreads when a person who is not immune comes in contact with blood or body fluids from an infected person. Hepatitis C is spread through sharing needles during injected drug use, needle sticks or sharps, exposures in a health care setting, through organ transplants that have not been screened, or less commonly from an infected mother to her baby during vaginal birth. It is possible to get hepatitis C from sex, but it is uncommon. Infection with the hepatitis C virus is the number one reason for liver transplant in the U.S. Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C.

There is a simple blood test to check for the Hepatitis virus.

Hopefully, with the guidance of this plan and the collaboration of policy figures, stake holders, and health care practitioners we can reduce the transmission of this silent epidemic.

To read the action plan please see http://www.hhs.gov/ash/initiatives/...

Data source: The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Risk Factor Survey (www.cdc.gov/reach)
Data source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm)

About the author:
Kshamica Nimalasuriya MD, MPH is a Preventive Medicine Physician involved with merging Media with Health, Open-Source Education, Herbal Medicine, Fitness, Nutrition, Wellness, and Love. She works on many initiatives bridging the global digital divide of health care education.

Health care system

2011-09-19T19:05:00.001-07:00

A health care system is the organization of people, institutions, and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations.

There is a wide variety of health care systems around the world, with as many histories and organizational structures as there are nations. In some countries, health care system planning is distributed among market participants. In others, there is a concerted effort among governments, trade unions, charities, religious, or other co-ordinated bodies to deliver planned health care services targeted to the populations they serve. However, health care planning has been described as often evolutionary rather than revolutionary

Health policy

2011-09-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Health policy can be defined as the "decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society." According to the World Health Organization, an explicit health policy can achieve several things: it defines a vision for the future; it outlines priorities and the expected roles of different groups; and it builds consensus and informs people.

There are many categories of health policies, including personal health care policy, pharmaceutical policy, and policies related to public health such as vaccination policy, tobacco control policy or breastfeeding promotion policy. They may cover topics of financing and delivery of health care, access to care, quality of care, and health equity.

There are also many topics in the politics and evidence that can influence the decision of a government, private sector business or other group to adopt a specific policy. Evidence-based policy relies on the use of science and rigorous studies such as randomized controlled trials to identify programs and practices capable of improving policy relevant outcomes. Most political debates surround personal health care policies, especially those that seek to reform health care delivery, and can typically be categorized as either philosophical or economic. Philosophical debates center around questions about individual rights, ethics and government authority, while economic topics include how to maximize the efficiency of health care delivery and minimize costs.

Illness

2011-09-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

Illness (sometimes referred to as ill-health or ailment) is a state of poor health. Illness is sometimes considered another word for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist. Some have described illness as the subjective perception by a patient of an objectively defined disease.

The mode of being healthy includes, as defined by the World Health Organization, " [...] a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". When these conditions are not fulfilled, then one can be considered to have an illness or be ill. Medication and the science of pharmacology is used to cure or reduce symptoms of an illness or medical conditions. Developmental disability is a term used to describe severe, life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical impairments.

Physical

Conditions of the body or mind that cause pain, dysfunction, or distress to the person afflicted or those in contact with the person can be deemed an illness. Sometimes the term is used broadly to include injuries, disabilities, syndromes, infections, symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts these may be considered distinguishable categories. A pathogen or infectious agent is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its host. A passenger virus is a virus that simply hitchhikes in the body of a person or infects the body without causing symptoms, illness or disease. Foodborne illness or food poisoning is any illness resulting from the consumption of food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses, prions or parasites.

Adaptive response

According to evolutionary medicine, much illness is not directly caused by an infection or body dysfunction but is instead a response created by the body. Fever, for example, is not caused directly by bacteria or viruses but by the body raising its normal human body temperature, which some people believe inhibits the growth of the infectious organism. Evolutionary medicine calls this set of responses sickness behavior. These include such illness defining health changes as lethargy, depression, anorexia, sleepiness, hyperalgesia, and the inability to concentrate. These together with fever are caused by the brain through its top down control upon the body. They are, therefore, not necessary, and often do not accompany an infection (such as the lack of fever during malnutrition or late pregnancy) when they have a cost that outweighs their benefit. In humans, an important factor are beliefs that influence whether the health management system in the brain that evaluates costs and benefits deploys them or not. The health management system, when it factors in false information, has been suggested to underlie the placebo reduction of illness.[8]

Mental

Mental illness (or Emotional disability, Cognitive dysfunction) is a broad generic label for a category of illnesses that may include affective or emotional instability, behavioral dysregulation, and/or cognitive dysfunction or impairment. Specific illnesses known as mental illnesses include major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to name a few. Mental illness can be of biological (e.g., anatomical, chemical, or genetic) or psychological (e.g., trauma or conflict) origin. It can impact one’s ability to work or go to school and contribute to problems in relationships. Other generic names for mental illness include “mental disorder”, “psychiatric disorder”, “psychological disorder”,“abnormal psychology”, “emotional disability”, “emotional problems”, or “behavior problem”. The term insanity is used technically as a legal term. Brain damage may result in impairment of mental function.
[edit] Study of illness

Epidemiology is the scientific study of factors affecting the health and illness of individuals and populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine.

Behavioral medicine is an interdisciplinary field of medicine concerned with the development and integration of psychosocial, behavioral and biomedical knowledge relevant to health and illness. Clinical Global Impression scale to assess treatment response in patients with mental disorders. It's " Improvement scale" requires the clinician to rate how much the patient's illness has improved or worsened relative to a baseline state. Mental confusion and decreased alertness may indicate that a chronic illness has gotten worse.

Disease

2011-09-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs.[1] It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases. In humans, "disease" is often used more broadly to refer to any condition that causes pain, dysfunction, distress, social problems, and/or death to the person afflicted, or similar problems for those in contact with the person. In this broader sense, it sometimes includes injuries, disabilities, disorders, syndromes, infections, isolated symptoms, deviant behaviors, and atypical variations of structure and function, while in other contexts and for other purposes these may be considered distinguishable categories. Diseases usually affect people not only physically, but also emotionally, as contracting and living with many diseases can alter one's perspective on life, and their personality.

Death due to disease is called death by natural causes. There are four main types of disease: pathogenic disease, deficiency disease, hereditary disease, and physiological disease.

Diseases can also be classified as communicable and non-communicable disease.