Freelance Medical Communications
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I always love finding new recipes to try out, & they score bonus points if they’re even vaguely healthy! Here are three tried & tested options that I thought I’d share with you this week:
Cumin Cilantro Corn-On-The-Cob
On Tuesday last week, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) recommended a ban on pets traveling in passenger cabins of Canadian airlines. At the CMA’s 144th annual meeting in St. John’s, Newfoundland, a resolution reading, “The Canadian Medical Association recommends a ban on all pets, except for certified service animals, traveling inside the aircraft cabin on all Canadian passenger planes” was adopted.
Several airlines have typically allowed small pets to be carried aboard planes and stowed under the seat, for a charge, in approved carriers. B.C. physician Dr Mark Sconfeld suggested that current federal regulations allowing national airlines to accept pets in cabins pose health risks to people with animal allergies: “While airlines argue that this is a great convenience for pet owners, the practice actually exposes our patients, and their passengers, to significant allergens that can make the journey very difficult – and occasionally [makes them] quite seriously ill as a result.”
Pet owners are displeased with the resolution, however, and many reacted quickly. One person who is allergic to animals rejected the proposed ban, and added: “I have worked 10 years in an emergency department and I have never seen an anaphylactic reaction to house pets.” Inevitably doctors did receive support from the public for their proposal, with many people stating that pets do belong in cargo.
On the physician front, with 93% of doctors voting in favor of the ban, those against it were naturally a minority. One doctor, who even has family members with pet allergies and peanut allergies, stated that it wasn’t the CMA’s place to be decreeing what should or should not be permitted on planes.
Air Canada and WestJet both allow small pets on board in the cabin. Air Canada did ban pets from flights in 2006, but changed the policy again in 2009, due to customer demand, and competition from WestJet which reportedly has pets on about one quarter of its flights. In light of this recent proposal by the CMA, WestJet reported that they have no plans to ban pets from their flights, saying the air filters on planes effectively screen out allergens, and that passengers can opt to take different, petless flights if they so choose.
Pet allergies are now classified as a disability by the World Health Organization, and doctors would like airlines to ban pets in the cabin in order to prevent passengers from suffering from allergy symptoms, asthma attacks, and potentially going into anaphylactic shock. An editorial in the February 16, 2010, edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, discusses the health risk to people allergic to pet dander on planes, and calls for legislation to ban carry-on pets from flights.
Apparently about 1 in 10 people have allergies to animals, and the authors of the editorial remark that, “Severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis or an exacerbation of asthma, are serious under the best of circumstances. On an airplane, at high altitude and isolated from access to emergency medical care, the consequences can be much more dangerous.”
They discussed how airlines removed peanuts from flights when it was determined that exposure to peanut dust caused anaphylaxis in allergic passengers. In closing, they concluded that “People with allergies should be able to fly without placing their health at risk and must not be prevented from travelling for fear of being confined close to a pet. The preferences of pet owners should not supercede the well-being of their fellow passengers.”
Here on the East Coast, we’re awaiting the wrath of Hurricane Irene. Now a category 2 storm, Irene is predicted to travel north along the East Coast throughout the weekend, possibly threatening areas from South Carolina to as far north as here in New England.
If you live in one of these impact zones, now is the time to be considering your evacuation plan, even if there is no immediate evacuation order in your area. And it’s equally important to think about your pets too – if it’s not safe for you to stay home and weather out this potentially destructive storm, it won’t be safe for your pets either.
As a veterinarian, I’ve had plenty of experience over the years helping people to prepare for the worst when it comes to their pets. Here are some tips that might help you prepare to evacuate your pet.
10 Things To Remember As You Prepare For The Storm
Even though evacuations can be more difficult for people with pets, a little forward planning can make a world of difference. And even if you’re not planning an evacuation, just having these things accessible somewhere can be useful for other eventualities, such as a driving vacation with your pet, or even a house-move. It never hurts to “be prepared”!
The Tiba Foundation is a San Francisco-based, non-profit organization that addresses rural health issues in Kenya.
Since communities cannot thrive without quality medical care, the Tiba Foundation aims to provide healthcare solutions to people in remote areas of the country. By creating a viable community health system, they enable people to work productively, and provide for their families – thereby helping them to succeed, instead of spending large amounts of time sick, incapacitated, and unproductive.
They partner with the Matibabu Foundation in Kenya which performs the work on the ground – building facilities, providing medical care, and managing the administration. And in addition to being loved by the local community, the organization also has the support Kenyan government.
Trachoma Surgery (Kenya, 2006) (Photograph Courtesy of The Tiba Foundation)
Then And Now
It all began in 2004, founded by Dr Gail Wagner and a small group of volunteer physicians and nurses. The group traveled to Ugenya District in Kenya, only to find no roads, no power grid, and no medical service.
The organization that Tiba supports, the Matibabu Foundation, is thriving, and has even received two prestigious grants from the US government and Columbia University. Things have certainly changed since those early days when the first volunteer group arrived in the area to find no medicines, no medical supplies, and no diagnostic capability. Today, Tiba Foundation supports the services of two out-patient clinics, and construction of their first in-patient hospital is well underway.
The Construction Crew: Matibabu Women's & Children's Hospital (Ukwala, Kenya, February 2011) (Photograph Courtesy of Arthur Combs, The Tiba Foundation)
On the ground in Kenya, the Matibabu Foundation provides a valuable community presence for all rural health initiatives within the community. They manage a network of over 500 community health workers, training them to diagnose basic medical conditions. Additionally, through coordination with clinical officers, they arrange transportation and critical care provision for patients. Training of community members in preventative health matters such as provision of clean water, use of mosquito bed nets, and HIV education is another of their important roles.
Tiba and Matibabu work together, along with Kenya’s Ministry of Health, to ensure that the Matibabu Clinic facilities are well supplied, representing some of the best stocked clinics in rural Africa. Medical diagnosis and HIV testing are rapid and affordable, and the medicines needed for diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria are available at manageable prices. Matibabu’s onsite laboratory has gained a reputation as a center of diagnostic excellence and is relied upon by a number of regional facilities.
Closing In On The Distance
Transportation is a challenge in remote areas of Kenya, and it is not unusual for people to walk many miles to receive medical care. Consequently people die every day, unable to cover these large distances. Typically only the wealthy people have cars. Few people own a motorcycle, and even bicycles are a rare possession. This summer the Tiba Foundation launched a program to supply bicycles to rural healthcare workers in one of the poorest regions of Kenya, enabling them to visit at least twice the number of families per week as they can see on foot. This concept is simple and relatively inexpensive, yet life-saving.
The new hospital will also ease the situation for many people too. In addition to providing a clean, safe environment for healthcare, it will reduce the amount of travel required by many people to obtain medical attention.
Sick people are unable to work. Economic margins in this region are slim. Consequently, accessible medical care not only saves lives, but helps to improve economic productivity and independence. Since their inception, Tiba’s healthcare investments have helped to increase primary school graduation rates, as well as making tens of thousands of people healthier and more productive in life.
The combination of the local health programs Tiba supports and Tiba’s medical volunteers now positively impacts over 100,000 lives annually. In describing the growing project, James Schaffer, one of Tiba’s Executive Directors says: “We’re passionate about building community health care in rural Kenya. Thanks to our partnership with Matibabu Foundation, and the support of our donors, our vision of quality, accessible care in this underserved area is becoming a reality.”
Can You Help Tiba?
Please spread the word about this wonderful organization however you can. Join them on Facebook and Twitter.
And if you think you can help in any way, please read more about volunteering for the Tiba Foundation.
“Taste Buds” is my way of sharing recipes (that are at least vaguely healthy) with those of you who are:
Registration is open for AMWA’s 71st Annual Conference in Jacksonville, FL, October 20th-22nd this year.
If you’re not already a member of AMWA, I’d highly recommend joining.
Cover One Of The Open Sessions
Additionally, you can make the most of your AMWA Annual Conference attendance – AMWA are looking for writers willing to cover one of the 37 open sessions for the AMWA Journal.
Dr. Kristina Wasson-Blader advises AMWA members: “Writing a summary for the Journal will give you a published piece and also bring the conference to those who can’t attend the conference or a particular session. If you are interested in writing for the Journal, send an email to the AMWA Journal Editor at amwajournaleditor@editorialrx.com.”
Time for Step 7 of the “Beginner’s Medical Writing” series – a step-by-step guide to getting yourself started in freelance medical writing – an extremely basic guide for making the first move into medical writing.
If you’re just arriving, feel free to check out the earlier steps:
The next best step, if you haven’t already jumped the gun and done so, is to join AMWA – the American Medical Writers Association.
The current annual membership fee is $165 ($60 if you’re a student). If you’re hesitant to spend this much money without really knowing what it’s about or what it might be able to do for you, I’d advise checking to see if there’s a local chapter anywhere near you. Local chapters hold meetings throughout the year, and you can still attend these without being a member – you just end up paying about $5 extra on the local meeting fee than members pay.
This way, you can attend a meeting and get to network with some friendly medical writers local to your area – this will certainly help you get a feel for the organization and how you can benefit from it.
So check out their website and at least consider attending a local meeting – I guarantee you’ll feel inspired afterwards!
Diabetes mellitus is a serious condition in which patients have high blood glucose levels due to defective insulin production or action, which leads to inadequate blood sugar control. This is a chronic, progressive disease and can lead to life threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage, and even blindness.
In the US, almost 19 million people have diabetes. It is also estimated that a further 7 million people have undiagnosed diabetes, and 79 million are prediabetic. Amazingly, the number of adults with diabetes worldwide has already doubled since 1980, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that as many as one third of American adults could be diabetic by 2050 if current trends continue.
The Diabetic Foot Ulcer
The diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) represents a marker of fatal disease, since almost 50% of people with unhealed DFUs die within 5 years. In comparison, the 5 year mortality rate for women with breast cancer is 14%.
DFUs are a major complication of diabetes, and are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other diabetic complication. They tend to be located on the ball or sides of the foot, or the underside of the big toe. Most cases of DFU result from minor trauma and structural deformity in the presence of peripheral neuropathy. Calluses and peripheral arterial disease are also underlying risk factors in the development of DFUs.
The Shocking Statistics
The Save A Leg, Save A Life Foundation
I recently came across the “Save A Leg, Save A Life” Foundation (SALSAL). This national, non-profit organization was founded several years ago to promote a team approach to treating wounds.
Its mission statement is: “To reduce the number of lower extremity amputations and to improve the quality of life for our fellow citizens who are afflicted with wounds and complications of diabetes and peripheral arterial disease.We will accomplish these goals by educating professionals, students and patients through advanced evidence based methods and through community outreach.”
It brings together specialists such as podiatrists, vascular surgeons and wound-care experts, aiming to encourage health professionals to act quickly to deal with underlying medical issues. For this concept to work best, primary care physicians need to see this organization as an effective resource to help their patient. Maybe a vascular surgeon needs to open up narrowed arteries first to improve blood flow, or maybe a podiatrist needs to address structural problems of the feet. Whatever the underlying issue, doctors should refer patients to the appropriate specialists before problems become too advanced to repair. After all, a delay of a few weeks can mean the difference between losing or saving a limb.
Luckily, current technology now allows for improved wound healing and limb salvage for many patients, where amputation previously was the only consideration. “Amputation should not be considered as a treatment option, but as a treatment failure” says Dr Yazan Khatib, a cardiologist and co-founder of SALSAL.
“If you have a DFU that leads to a major amputation, your risk of death in five years is greater than that of breast cancer and prostate cancer combined,” comments Dr David Schwegman, co-chair of the Atlanta chapter of SALSAL.
Local chapters of the organization exist in many regions, and these are a good way to educate other physicians on best practices, to collect data on the outcomes of treatments, and to reduce duplicative medical services
So if you, or someone you know, suffers from diabetes, visit the SALSAL website and spread the word. And don’t be afraid to mention it to your physician.
Your words could help save a limb. Wouldn’t you like to help keep someone’s feet healthy?
“Taste Buds” is my way of sharing recipes (that are at least vaguely healthy) with those of you who are:
Here are this week’s offerings:
Almost Sugar Free Apple Pumpkin Muffins
Time for Step 6 of the “Beginner’s Medical Writing” series – a step-by-step guide to getting yourself started in freelance medical writing – an extremely basic guide for making the first move into medical writing.
If you’re just arriving, feel free to check out the earlier steps:
Back in Step 3 I urged you to consider using some form of social media for your work. This is especially useful for those of you working freelance, but is also helpful even if you’re getting into medical writing and intend to work as a full time employee somewhere.
If you only wanted to use one networking site, LinkedIn would be the one I’d advise. Launched in 2003, this is one of the oldest of the social networks, and is the one most used for business – and it recently stole the spot as 2nd largest social network from MySpace.
The principle behind LinkedIn kind of reminds me of online dating. You create a profile that describes you at your most stellar, and make connections with professionals in similar industries, or anyone who you think could potentially be a useful contact for you.
Advantages Of LinkedIn
Getting the most out of LinkedIn
Some Useful LinkedIn Links!
Miriam Salpeter is one of my favorite online job coaches, and her blog contains a lot if useful material about social networking for business.
I also came across this free, downloadable chapter of her book: “Social Networking For Career Success” which has some useful information in it for using LinkedIn.
And hot off the press, I just discovered How To Get Around In LinkedIn (via Twitter!).
So go ahead, set up your profile on LinkedIn, and please feel free to join me there. And if it all seems like a lot of work to do at once, why not just devote 20 minutes each day to it until you’ve completed it?
Follow Me!