Technology: Robot Power Suit – Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) to Help Nurses and Patients

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA   “A robot suit that can help the elderly or disabled get around was given its global safety certificate in Japan on Wednesday, paving the way for its worldwide roll-out,” according to Discovery News. The Hybrid Assistive Limb®, or HAL, is a power-assisted pair of legs developed by Japanese robot maker, Yoshiyuki Sankai, CEO Cyberdyne Inc. The following text is an excerpt from the YouTube video below.    …

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Doctors and Social Media: Legal Aspects and Bottom Line

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA The health care social media legal series continues here on Healthin30, and legal expert, David Harlow, Esq, Health Care Attorney and Consultant at The Harlow Group, LLC in Boston, answers a series of questions focusing on the legal aspects of physicians engaging in social media. Health Care Social Media – Legal Aspects Q: Barbara – According to the American Medical Association, it states:  “When physicians see content posted by…

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TEDMED Great Challenges of Health and Medicine – Medical Communication

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA TEDMED Great Challenge –  Medical Communication TEDMED Great Challenge continues.  Join us today for the live Google Plus event. Tune in today February 14, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. EST at TEDMED.com and ask your questions.   We’ll answer them during the live discussion. The Medical Communication Challenge Team includes: Robert Arnold, MD – Director, Institute for Doctor-Patient Communication, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine John Cox – Co-Founder, President…

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Doctors and Social Media: Personal vs. Professional Online Content

By Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA The topic of health care social media continues here on Healthin30, and legal expert, David Harlow, Esq, Health Care Attorney and Consultant at The Harlow Group, LLC in Boston, answers a series of questions focusing on the legal aspects of physicians engaging in social media. Q: Barbara – In order to maintain professional boundaries, the American Medical Association recommends a separation between personal and professional content online. If inappropriate…

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Understanding the FLU and the FLU SHOT

By Dr. Andy Baldwin In this blog I strive to help you understand the dreaded “FLU” virus and explain why getting the “FLU SHOT” is the right thing to do, both for yourself and your community. Influenza virus is responsible for more than 36,000 deaths in the United States each year. Most of these deaths occur in the very young and the very old. The reason for this bimodal distribution are infants‘ immune system, and…

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