DERMATOLOGY : JUST SKIN ?

Sunscreen, lotion, wipes : All are mandatory essentials found in the average Indian’s home these days to undo the damage that has been done to their skin by being out all day in the most severely polluted environment. It just doesn’t seem fair to subject the most visible organ on our body : the skin, to such harsh conditions. But we have no choice. As a result, there are side effects like rashes, pigmentation, black spots, sunburns, uneven tanning.

People also develop more serious conditions like skin cancer, warts, fungal infections, severe acne , cold sores, and the likes. It does make one shudder to think what our skin has been , and is going through every day. It is therefore extremely important to take good care of our skin and do so with the help of a well qualified doctor. A dermatologist is a doctor who deals with treatment of diseases of the skin, hair, nails . Dermatologists essentially give us a helping hand to undo the damage we have done to our skin or to diagnose the diseases that unfortunaltely land upon a huge section of the society. Even if we don’t have any ailments, it is always advisable to keep in touch with a dermatologist, because prevention IS better than cure after all.

At MEDICOSA appointments with dermatologists such as Dr TA Rana, an immensely qualified doctor who specializes in skin,cosmetic and laser surgery can be made. 

It is better to take action now than regret being lazy later! 

By - Sukanya

For more visit : Dermatology in Noida

BLOOD DONORS: ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

We all know that blood is required for transfusions and after accidents and surgeries and there is a major shoratge of blood in our country. There has been great emphasis on why blood donation is the need of the hour, but are we really working towards our goal? Most of us agree that blood donation is indeed a very noble, altruistic act and can save lives but when its our chance, do we really change our habits and contribute to it positively? Its time for us to roll up our sleeves (literally) and get that one unit of blood drawn.

A few years back, while organizing a blood donation camp, I came across a very shocking and disgraceful incident. The camp was a success but almost towards the end, an old lady rushed to us and begged for HH blood group (commonly known as Bombay blood group) for her son. It is one of the rarest blood groups in India and wasn't available in any of the nearby blood banks at that moment. She used all her contacts but all her efforts went futile and she was left with no other option other than reaching out to a blood donation camp. While we searched for a blood donor on the internet, the incident threw light on the importance of a platform which connects the needy directly to the donors.

Many healthcare servers have come up which provide the required platform for an effective blood donor search. MEDICOSA, an online networked healthcare system displays a list of all the blood donors arranged according to their blood groups. It also provides the much needed interface for the patients to connect and contact the donors directly.  By - Jessica

OB-GYNS : HOW IMPORTANT ARE THEY ?

To be honest, most of us have heard about OB/GYNs through the TV. We know they exist but we have seldom been to them, because it seems that only people with “problems” visit OB / GYNs . firstly, it is important to define who OB / GYNs are. OB GYN is the abbreviation for obstetricians and gynaecologists. Obstretricians mainly take care of pregnant women and their unborn baby during the course of their pregnancy. Their duty also extends to providing post natal care and ensuring that the baby and mother are both in good health.

Gynaecologists are doctors who deal with the reproductive system in women and problems associated with it. Like problems with the menstrual cycle, anomalies in the uterus, ovaries and so forth. Obstetricians and gynaecologists often double up to perform both duties. It is imperative for every female teenager to know that visits to the OBGYN are considered routine in most countries and one does not need to be plagued with a “disease’’ to do so. Regular visits to the OBGYN ensure that everything is in order within the body and are the best form of preventive healthcare when it comes to the reproductive system.

In today’s day and age , due to differences in lifestyles as well as mindsets as compared to traditional times, certain anomalies have been seen on an upward trend. Infertility is also becoming a major cause of concern these days. It is better to get an early start and seek guidance from an OBGYN so as to prevent future hindrances along the road.

MEDICOSA is a networked patient care ecosystem on cloud to enable medical fraternity for offering integrated healthcare services to their patients. For more information about obstetrics and gynaecology in noida please visit MEDICOSA.   BY- SUKANYA

DOCTOR PROGRESS NOTES

A progress report is a document, given by a physician, doctor, pathologist or a nurse to keep a track of a patient's medical condition and recovery stages.

A progress note may sound as an appealing, self-sufficient record but it does have a few shortcomings.

1. A progress note is written manually and hence, it is very difficult for the doctors to draw statistical models to infer data. Statistics is a vital feature of providing health care and a lack of it doesn't present a complete picture to the patient.
2. A progress note, which is an important document, requires careful handling. A patient needs to ensure that his/her progress note doesn't get mixed up with other documents or get misplaced.
3. A progress note is usually brief and may not be of much help for future medical research.
4. Doctor progress notes might also lack 100% transparency, which may be because the patient is trying to hide something from the doctor or vice-versa or the patient may just not remember all the facts needed to write a comprehensive note.
5. Patients are unable to write down their opinions or add their views to the doctor's advice.
6. Most of the doctors, physicians, nurses and pathologists generally follow a given format to write a medical progress record. It may happen that the standard format may not cater to everyone's need and some important points are missed out.

Despite the multiple drawbacks, Doctor progress notes are still used, even in large hospitals. With the changing trends and technology, electronic health records is gaining popularity since it overcomes most of the cons of a medical progress note. By - Jessica

MEDICAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The medical practice management system/software,also known as PMS , is the new advent in technology that strives to make health care efficient and minimum-time consuming. The PMS mainly pertains to the business and management side of health care,that is,to say that PMS is not exactly the domain of a doctor or physician as it does not require any proficiency in the medical area. What PMS actually is,is an assistant to the doctor’s assistant. It helps schedule appointments,track patient progress,estimate bills and most importantly keep a permanent record of the patient’s vital demographics like place of living,emergency contacts etc. The PMS also facilitates the tracking of one of the most important parts of health care – insurance,and coordinates the patients’ eligibility to seek a certain kind of treatment.

Even though the medical practice management system does not require a physician’s active involvement,doctors do need to take a conscious role in selecting the type of software that is going to be used in their clinic or hospital,so that problems of coordination do not arise further along the road. Since the PMS also doubles up as an accounting system,keeping track of the receipt of fees and corresponding office expenditures, the renumeration of doctors also depends on a sound medical practice management software with minimum glitches. With everything slowly being modified to find incorporation in the digitized world,it is only natural that something as basic yet crucial as maintenance of proper records is carried out efficiently,because one loose link could break the entire chain.   

By- Sukanya

ONLINE MEDICAL ADVICE – TO SEEK OR NOT TO SEEK ?

Online medical advice

The uber fast technological network and the even more rapidly working brains of today’s generation urge them to find quicker solutions to their health problems, ones which they can seek at their fingertips. Online medical advice seems like the perfect fit for people who have no time to venture out of their office. Even though it might be for reasons as important as their health,or for people who find waiting in doctors’ lounges passé and cumbersome. As it so correctly seems,the INTERNET has an answer to every query that pricks our minds , and now,even our bodies. Type in the illness our symptoms you’re suffering from,and you’ll get a list of diagnoses seeking to put the finger on your problem. BUT,and that’s a big but,one needs to be very careful and not self-diagnose using the Internet,because some websites have the tendency to tell you that your mild headache signifies a brain tumour. We need to be very diligent and controlled while seeking medical advice,choose the correct doctor from a website like MEDICOSA and then proceed to seek and actually follow the advice given.

Having taken all the precautions and having chosen the most suitable online “clinic”,one actually finds the process more convenient. The appointment is fixed,there is no wastage of time and over a span of ten minutes via video chat ,one’s problems are addressed clearly and concisely.

If there were any lingering doubts about whether to try this new advent of technology,they are now being dispelled,as convenience and precision matters more than any reluctance to break from the age old norms of actually visiting doctors and hospitals.

BOOK ONLINE APPOINTMENT WITH DOCTORS

Human life has gone almost fully online now. From toothbrush to floss, lunch to dinner, education to health care; everything has gone digital. We are so used to digitalization now that virtual reality has become more real than comprehensive reality. Even in this age there are certain basic features which have remained virtually inaccessible to us. Medical checkups and Health care is one such.
Fortunately, there are startups which are available nowadays which can cater to your personal health care needs. Book online appointment with doctors in a fast, secure and reliable way has never been better. There are many people catering to such needs. They provide to you a systematic and networked system for complete health care solution. Such systems can be accessed by patients and doctors alike. Not only that the systems are integrated in such a way that hospitals, testing labs, pharmaceutical companies and diagnostic hubs can also access them, thus providing a complete health care solution to a patient.

The system works in a simple yet efficient way. First the patient registers himself or herself on such sites, providing their comprehensive medical history. This is a very important step as all future diagnostics can be evaluated considering this as a baseline. Then the patient can contact a doctor nearby their area as per their need. The contact shall be mutual and the patient’s illness or symptoms shall be carefully considered by the doctor. The doctor will evaluate the condition and give his diagnostic to the patient. But the advantage does not stop here. The patient shall now be able to get the desired medical assistance in the form of medicines, equipment or therapy as per their requirement. The website shall store the patient’s records so that it can be easily accessible to them in the future. These sites will also have their dedicated health care coordinator to ensure that all customer requirements are tailored specifically to their needs.

All this raises an important question; will the cost incurred in this be within my budget or will I have to break my budget for this? Well, the benefits of online competition mean that you shall have many groups vying for your attention. Such services are not only accurate but affordable with branded companies like MEDICOSA offering their services for reasonable prices at 299/- only.

Human health is a serious issue. Especially in our country where many fatalities occur due to non-availability of timely medical assistance in rural areas, such services can become a blessing for them. Connecting such villages and providing medical assistance to people at reasonable rates is nothing short of service to nation and such be encouraged.