How to get personalized, local tours while traveling on assignment; two new health apps; and the effects of health workers’ flu vaccinations on the prevalence of flu cases are among this week’s Friday Recap offerings. Enjoy!
- The Advisory Board Company reports vaccinating just fifteen health workers prevents one community flu case, according to a study that examined 2009 – 2012 data from 376 California hospitals. During the 2011 – 2012 flu season, approximately 68 percent of the state’s health workers were vaccinated against the flu. Bumping that number to 90 percent would have prevented 30,000 documented flu cases.
- The Wall Street Journal shares insight into the studies of husband and wife researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. The pair is looking into what causes some people to need more sleep than others, and aims to develop drug therapy to alter the body’s levels of required sleep. Ultimately, the study focuses on understanding the implications of sleep deprivation on overall health.
- California-based electronic medical record company Drchrono developed a new Google Glass app that allows providers to have instant access to patients’ health records via the device, ITPro announced. The company currently has 60,000 registered EMR users, 300 of whom are already using the Google Glass app.
- Only have a short time to explore in your locum tenens locale, or unsure which landmarks are considered must-sees? StarTribune explains how private, personalized tours are no longer just for luxury travelers. Sites like ToursByLocals, UrbanAdventures, and Nomaders allow travelers to search for local guides by location and tour preferences.
- A new mobile health app, launched by BetterDoctor, is the first to integrate Medicare’s provider and payment data, including a list of the most common procedures by more than 800,000 providers who received 2012 Medicare Part B payments, HIT Consultant reports. BetterDoctor also allows patients to search and save local physicians across sixty specialties.
Have a wonderful weekend!