I’ve been following the continuing impact of gaps or delays in patient care due to the pandemic, so I was interested to see research on this topic (paywall). The study is an early look at the demographics of those affected by involuntary delays in care — people who had to delay, reschedule or cancel medical […]
Editor’s note: The article below, first published by Kaiser Health News, reports on the effect of delays in medical care caused by the pandemic during the past year. That effect garnered immediate concern from many quarters last spring. I reported on it here in late May 2020, and, in hindsight, am taken aback to see how I failed […]
Editor’s note: This post first appeared in Patient Safety Beat, the digital newsletter of the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety. The pandemic has complicated efforts to eliminate prolonged stays in the emergency department (ED), especially for children and adolescents in need of inpatient mental health care. A recent survey from the Massachusetts College of […]
Editor’s note: The vaccine rollout in the United States is a vivid example of the uphill battle patients and their families often face dealing with the health care system. The stories vary, but in many places, including my home state of Massachusetts, the older age group that became eligible for COVID-19 vaccination after healthcare workers […]
Little Havana is a neighborhood in Miami that, until the pandemic, was known for its active street life along Calle Ocho, including live music venues, ventanitas serving Cuban coffee and a historic park where men gather to play dominoes. But during the pandemic, a group called Healthy Little Havana is zeroing in on this area with […]
Editor’s note: Dr. Joseph Betancourt, who led the effort described below, frequently uses social media and presentations to to convey what he observes and has learned about the overlapping pandemics of health disparities and COVID-19. In addition to the article below, interested readers will find many offerings that feature Dr. Betancourt on YouTube, including “Structural […]
Bobye List is an inspiring exception to the heavy, often deadly, toll the pandemic has taken among older adults. At 78 years old, List was able to successfully manage a serious case of COVID-19 at home, where she lives alone, and has chosen to share her compelling story in a blog post and video for […]
Bill Gardner, Ph.D., has been writing for The Incidental Economist (where he is a regular contributor) about his experience as a cancer patient since early July after he received a diagnosis of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. In addition to telling his own health story, in posts that now number nine, Dr. Gardner reports on the global […]
For decades, people struggling with illnesses of all kinds have sought help in online support groups. This year, such groups have been in high demand for COVID-19 patients, who often must recover in isolation. But the fear and uncertainty regarding the coronavirus have made online groups targets for the spread of false information. And to […]
Visitation policies have been subject to tremendous change and debate during the pandemic. New guidelines from the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care are designed to help organizations develop successful visitation policies for various care settings. As the Coalition indicates in the guidelines’ title – More than a Visitor: Balancing safety, connection and well-being at […]