Author: Devon Herrick

TeleNurse: Virtual Nursing is Growing

Posted on by Devon Herrick

I have long been a fan of telemedicine. The first time I wrote about telemedicine was in 2007. The following quote is how I explained it to D Magazine in 2013:

“This is a daily occurrence in consumer markets, but is absent in healthcare markets because health plans [including Medicare and Medicaid] pay 89 percent of medical bills,” Herrick says. “You can talk to your attorney over the phone; he or she will bill you for his or her time. You can talk to your accountant over the phone. But most people don’t routinely consult with their physician over the phone because insurers are reluctant to pay for telephone consultations. Many health plans will only reimburse for physician visits if they are in-person—even though more than half of all contacts with primary care physicians could be done by email or over the phone.”

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Is Homelessness the Result of Disease or a Lifestyle?

Posted on by Devon Herrick

A recent study commissioned by the California Department of Health and Human Services found that about 172,000 people are homeless in the state, accounting for nearly one-third (30%) of the total homeless population in the nation. Moreover, the idea that homeless people flock to California was dispelled by the study. It found that roughly 90% of the homeless in California were living there prior to becoming homeless. Housing advocates worry the homeless are undercounted because it doesn’t necessarily measure those who sleep in their cars or couch surf from one friend’s couch to the next. It presumably does not include the plethora of people living in old recreational vehicles parked alongside streets or roads. Advocates say those living in RVs do not consider themselves homeless, although living in a derelict camper on public property blurs the lines between homelessness and marginal housing.

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Drug Company: Doctors Should Treat Obesity Like a Disease, Not a Moral Failing

Posted on by Devon Herrick

Excess weight and obesity are major public health concerns. Roughly four-in-ten adult Americans are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly one-third (30.7) of adults are overweight but don’t reach the level of obesity. That suggests more than two-thirds of adults carry too much weight.

This disproportionally affects certain historically marginalized groups. According to the CDC, about 49.9% of non-Hispanic Black adults have obesity. This is followed by Hispanic people at 45.6%, non-Hispanic white people at 41.4%, and non-Hispanic Asian individuals at 16.1%.

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