Intro to Population Health & Informatics (PH&I)

We would like to introduce ourselves before informing you of our goal and the value of what we do. We are Population Health & Informatics, which was began about a year ago, by medical researcher, Kendrick Williams, MSHI. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in health administration and analytics and a master’s degree in health informatics, so he has perfected different forms of research and methodologies used to obtain primary and secondary data. Services offered by Population Health & Informatics include data analyses, research, speech writing, PowerPoint presentations, project management planning, data visualizations, healthy living coaching to extend life expectancies, data migration, PICOT analysis, workflow optimization, usability feedback about electronic health records (EHR), extracting/transforming/loading (ETL) data, and methodologies. The goal of PH&I is to help extend life expectancies by providing updated information to patients, as well as to medical care facilities which will reduce the amount of HAIs that recur.

What are HAIs

HAIs, an abbreviation for hospital-acquired infections, are also called healthcare associated infections (HCAIs), and nosocomial infections. They are defined as being morbidities (illnesses) that a patient gains while in a place of care (Maddox, 2023; Definitive Healthcare, 2023; Health Care-Acquired Infections (HAIs), n.d.; Gidey, 2023). There are different types of HAIs which will be elaborated on later, but before causing confusion, a clarification needs to be made: An HAI is classified as an HAI if the diagnosis happens within the first 48 hours after the patient is admitted into the place of care. If it happens anytime after the first 48 hours, it is considered a community-acquired illness.

The types of HAIs are staph infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), surgical-site infections (SSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Staph itself may not cause harm but it can cause infections in the bloodstream, which can be fatal. Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) come from the central line tube becoming infected. The central line is used for providing fluid or measuring fluid amounts in a body. If it is not inserted correctly, or maintained properly, bacteria can enter the tube, compromising the safety of the patient (Definitive Healthcare, 2023; Health care-associated infections (HAIs). Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) affect the urinary system, including the urethra, bladder, kidneys, and ureters. CAUTIs come from urinary catheters that are inserted to help urinate. They can gain bacteria while being inserted in a patient which puts the patient at a high risk. Surgical site infections, or SSIs are infections that take place wherever the patient received the surgery at. Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the condition that develops when a ventilator which helps someone breathe, becomes infected. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), unlike the others listed, comes from contaminated hands and not changing gloves, contaminated medical devices that are inserted, and can come from a wound (Health care associated infections (HAIs)).

Wherever you seek care, you are at risk of getting an HAI. The patient populations most likely to experience an HAI include children, elderly patients, pregnant women, and patients who are immunocompromised (Health care-associated infections (HAI)). Data provided by Health care associated infections (HAIs) disclose that patients who get an HAI risk an elongation of inpatient care for up to 6.5 days. For the cost of care, patients who acquired an HAI paid an average of $54.02 in care costs more than those who did not get an HAI (Gidey, 2023). In the U.S., the estimate for treating HAIs annually can be between 28.4 billion to as high as 45 billion! Data from CDC reveals that HAIs are causal to 1.7 million infections and ~ 99,000 deaths. Maddox (2023) shares that HAIs are the fourth leading cause of death in America, and is the main cause of a preventable death.

Some recommendations to decrease HAIs include regularly washing hands, changing gloves; catheters being used and removed in a timely manner; cleaning the skin properly, and wearing the right equipment. In 2015, CMS tried to prevent poor quality care by passing the HAC Payment Reduction Program, where care facilities have their payment reduced by 1%. According to Definitive Healthcare (2023), some care facilities have their payment reduced every year. On a list provided by Definitive Healthcare, the three states with the highest HAI mortality rates were California (8997), New York (6776), and Texas (6449), in order from greatest to least, respectively.

If health care facilities would like to take action to prevent or possibly end their recurring HAIs, they can contact us at www.ph-and-i.com.

References

Definitive Healthcare (2023). Most hospital-acquired infections and conditions by state Https://www.definitivehc.com/blog/hospital-acquired-infections-by-state/

Gidey, K. (2023, February 23). Clinical and economic burden of healthcare associated infections: A prospective cohort study. PloS one, 18(2), e0282141 Https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282141

Health care-acquired infections (HAIs). Https://www.patientcarelink.org/improving-patient-care-healthcare-acquired-infections-hais/#:~:text

Maddox, W. (2023, June). Hospital infections are on the rise. How do DFW hospitals compare Https://www.dmagazine.com/healthcare-business/2023/06/hospital-infections-are-on-the-rise-how-do-dfw-hospitals-compare/

Healthy Living Coach

Healthy living coaching is a one-on-one session with a patient or person where they can confide in a person with their life experiences and be open with their lives. They do not expect any judgment or interruptions, just attention and feedback afterwards. They just want to be heard and hope that the listener is able to share information that can help and give guidance on what they can do positively. Without that information, the person/patient risks picking up bad habits that may be detrimental (Latif, 2021; Health coaches: What they do- and how they can help you, 2021).

The uses of healthy living coaches can vary but the benefits are all for health. Two specific populations of people who benefit from healthy coaching are diabetics and people who have hypertension (Latif, 2021). Other focuses a health coach may help in are smoking, stress, nutrition, time management, sleep, and the activities of the person/patient (Health coaches: what they do- and how they can help you, 2021). Health coaching enables confidence in the persons and knowledge for self-help. Different health coaches contact their clientele by phone, emails, and/or in-person meetings, usually over a 3-month period. Other benefits from a health coach that are proven include blood pressure (hypertension), cholesterol, glucose (blood sugar), triglycerides (blood fat), weight, and cardiovascular fitness (Health coaches: What they do- and how they can help you, 2021). Although health coaches are recommended to be board certified, there are many who are not. Order health living coaching services from www.ph-and-i.com.

References

Health coaches: What they do- and how they can help you (2021, August 10). Health Coaches: What They Do — and How They Can Help You (clevelandclinic.org)

Latif, S. (2021, December 14). What is health coaching? 12 benefits & principles explained What Is Health Coaching? 12 Benefits & Principles Explained (positivepsychology.com)

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.