Not every ache and pain warrants a trip to the doctors, but some health symptoms need checking out by a medical professional. Certain symptoms can be the sign of a serious underlining medical condition, and failing to act quickly can have serious long-term consequences. Here are some health symptoms that you shouldn’t ignore:

Chest pain

Chest pain can be due to something minor like indigestion, but it can also be caused by a more serious health condition. You should never ignore chest pain, especially if it is severe or accompanied by other symptoms like nauseous or shortness of breath. Chest pain can be associated with heart problems and may signal that you are having a heart attack. It can also be an early warning sign that you have cardiovascular disease. If this is caught early, then medical intervention can improve your heart health and lower your risk of having a heart attack or other cardiovascular problems in the future. If you experience sudden chest pain, then seek medical assistance immediately.

Unexplained weight loss

Unexplained weight loss can be caused by several health conditions and should not be ignored. If you notice that you are losing weight without changing your diet or exercise, then you should speak with your doctor. Make your doctor aware of any other symptoms you are experiencing, such as fatigue or stomach pains. According to prevention.com, some possible causes of unexplained weight loss include diabetes, an over-active thyroid, depression, and pancreatitis. Some forms of cancer can also cause unexplained weight loss.

Unexplained weight gain

Unexpected weight gain should also not be ignored, particularly if your weight has increased rapidly. Being overweight puts stress on your heart and puts you at risk of cardiovascular issues. Gaining weight suddenly can be caused by various medical conditions such as menopause, insomnia, depression, and certain medical conditions. Unexpected weight gain can also be caused by a hormone imbalance. Other warning signs of a hormone imbalance include hair loss, excessive sweating, headaches, and fertility problems. If you experience any of these symptoms, then you should visit your doctor to discuss your concerns and request that you are tested for a hormone imbalance.

Headaches

Headaches are extremely common, and around 1 in 6 Americans complain about headaches each year. Most people experience headaches from time to time, but persistent headaches should not be ignored. Besides being painful, ongoing headaches can also signal a serious underlining health condition like a brain tumor. A sudden, severe headache may also be caused by a burst blood vessel or meningitis, both of which require urgent medical attention.

Summary

When it comes to your health, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you notice any unusual or concerning symptoms, then always speak to your doctor. At the very least, you will get peace of mind knowing that your symptom is nothing serious. Acting quickly and seeking medical advice could save your life, so always get health symptoms checked out by a medical professional.

MPOWERHealth announced that it has invested more than $7 million over the past two years to develop the advanced data analytics and information technology infrastructure needed to better drive quality outcomes and efficiencies with clinically integrated networks in the healthcare company’s home state of Texas, as well as Ohio, Georgia and other states across the country.

MPOWERHealth’s investments have focused on building a foundation of data analytics and healthcare informatics through technology and ensuring independent physicians receive the support their businesses need through key personnel hires.

The infrastructure supports quality-focused clinically integrated networks for independent musculoskeletal physicians that MPOWERHealth is establishing in several parts of the country. The network will help drive better outcomes and create efficiencies as the industry moves toward value-based care. For example, MPOWERHealth has the largest quality-driven independent clinically integrated network of its kind in Texas, with more than 40 practices across the entire state.

“The massive infrastructure that we have developed to support our clinically integrated networks will allow independent physicians to maintain their autonomy while giving them access to the tools needed to improve outcomes and bring value-based care to their patients in need,” said Scott LaRoque, chief executive officer and founder of MPOWERHealth. “We are driven by a vision to empower better healthcare, which is why we’re thrilled to establish comprehensive quality-focused networks. Independent physicians are the heartbeat and foundation of our healthcare system, so championing their success is critical.”

In addition to maintaining their independence, the benefits to physicians of joining MPOWERHealth’s network include the ability to improve quality outcomes, efficiencies and patient experiences through proprietary data analytics and information technology tools that help establish best practices and deliver increased value in musculoskeletal care to the market.

About MPOWERHealth
MPOWERHealth is dedicated to empowering better healthcare through innovative solutions for specialty physicians, hospitals and payors. Its services include integrated physician networks that support collaboration between neuromusculoskeletal physicians to promote quality improvements; best-in-class intraoperative neuromonitoring and surgical assist services for physicians, hospitals, health systems and medical facilities; and bundled solutions for payors and employers that create direct access to the highest level of conservative spine care at a set cost. Headquartered in Addison, Texas, MPOWERHealth serves more than 400 physicians, 40,000-plus patients annually and more than 300 facilities in 24 states.

Therap’s health management suite of comprehensive EHR provides health outcome solutions for data-driven care. Providers in agencies can use Therap’s complete health management suite, along with other system features to address compliance, communication, documentation, reporting, billing, and more. Therap offers provider organizations a range of flexible tools to efficiently track health data and visualize the data with a variety of detailed reports.

One of the system’s product add-ons, Health Plus, is a favorite among providers who value robust information on the health status of individuals their team supports. The Health Plus options include the following functionality:

Care Plans provide agencies and care providers a more Person-Centered approach through comprehensive documentation of individualized plans of care. The Care Plans can be used to outline the health problems of an individual so that appropriate goals can be set, as well as the correct approaches can be determined, implemented, tracked and reviewed easily with regular team collaboration.

Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (eCHAT) allows a detailed health evaluation of an individual from the Therap application. Providers can utilize this tool to complete health screening assessment with a comprehensive health evaluation form for an individual receiving services. It enables assessment of an individual’s health symptoms and medical history. Through the evaluation, providers can retrieve scores that correspond to the overall acuity level and can generate a health assessment summary with recommendations for where Care Plans may be required. From the eChat, Health Passport for an individual can also be generated which contains essential information such as safety issues and risk factors, emergency contacts, allergies, and more.

Health Screening Tools can be used to document screening records and recommendations as well as generate different types of reports on individuals. It allows users to document, monitor and follow up on the health screenings that are recommended.

About Therap
Therap Services complete EHR solution for Human Services provides web-based documentation, communication, reporting, and electronic billing to over 7000 HCBS providers across the United States, in addition to supporting over 20 state government contracts.

Aurora Spine Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of innovative medical devices that improve spinal surgery outcomes, announced it has successfully launched its proprietary SiLOTM Posterior SI Joint Fusion System (SiLO), which was designed specifically for posterior sacroiliac joint fusion.

Sacroiliac joint (SI Joint) fusion is a surgical procedure which fuses the iliac bone (pelvis) to the spine (sacrum) for stabilization. The SiLOTM Posterior SI Joint Fusion System is a single graft Posterior SI-Fusion System made of human cortical bone and was developed to provide a simple, safe, and reproducible method of stabilizing and fusing the sacroiliac joint.

The SiLO graft was designed specifically for posterior sacroiliac joint fusions and consists of three levels of ridges along its circumferential solid body to increase implant retention and stability through its unique “Dowel Anchorage Design.” The SiLO graft is shaped for enhanced 360-degree bone incorporation and includes vertical side-channels that allow for additional bone graft material during insertion for enhanced stability. The SiLO graft is implanted with custom designed, patent pending instrumentation.

Trent Northcutt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aurora Spine, commented, “We are pleased with the recent commercial launch of Aurora’s proprietary SiLOTM Posterior SI Joint Fusion System, which we expect to be a key growth driver for Aurora into a market that has gained acceptance among key surgeons and pain interventionalists alike. Also, conducting SI Joint Fusion posteriorly is a procedure that is expected to grow immensely in the coming years, as it can be done through minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and has quicker recovery times for patients.”

In a recent BONEZONE article titled “SI Joint Fusion Market Has Rapid Growth Potential” author Mike Evers wrote, “Minimally invasive sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion is an increasingly common treatment for patients with low back pain due to SI joint dysfunction. Therefore, it represents a high-growth potential niche in the orthopedic spine market.”

The article goes on to state, “…we see the market growing significantly in the medium-term once surgical volumes normalize to pre-COVID levels. The 2019 SI joint fusion market ranged between $150 million to $250 million globally, with double-digit annual growth according to our estimates.”

About Aurora Spine

Aurora Spine is focused on bringing new solutions to the spinal implant and pain management markets through a series of innovative, minimally invasive, regenerative spinal implant technologies.

Memic, a medical device company dedicated to transforming robot-assisted surgery with its proprietary technology, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted De Novo marketing authorization of its Hominis® robot-assisted surgical platform for use in single site, natural orifice laparoscopic-assisted transvaginal benign surgical procedures including benign hysterectomy. The De Novo authorization is supported by clinical data from procedures using the Hominis system on a variety of patients in Belgium and Israel with Drs. Jan Baekelandt and Lior Lowenstein, respectively.

“This FDA authorization represents a significant advance in the world of robot-assisted surgery and fulfills an unmet need in the world of robotic gynecological surgery,” said Professor Jan Baekelandt, MD, PhD, a gynecologist at Imelda Hospital in Bonheiden, Belgium, who performed the first hysterectomy using the Hominis system in November 2018. “Research shows vaginal hysterectomy provides optimal clinical benefits to patients including reduced pain, recovery time and rates of infection but in most countries the incidence of vaginal hysterectomy is decreasing. In addition, transvaginal approaches result in no visible scars, which is very important to the gynecological patient. Hominis is the only robot specifically developed for transvaginal surgery and is therefore small and flexible enough to perform surgery through a small incision.”

The Hominis (Latin for humanoid) system is the first and only FDA-authorized surgical robotic platform that features miniature humanoid-shaped robotic arms that provide human level dexterity, multi-planar flexibility and 360 degrees of articulation. The biomimetic instruments are designed to replicate the motions and capabilities of a surgeon’s arms, with shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. Multiple instruments can be introduced to the body through a single portal and the 360-degree articulation offers obstacle avoidance as well as optimal access and working angles. In addition to these features, the system will be sold at a significantly lower price compared to other marketed robotic surgery systems, potentially allowing more medical facilities including hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to access and adopt surgical robotics.

The company plans to pursue general surgery and transluminal indications for the Hominis platform and is developing artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled features to support all its surgical indications.

“We are pleased to receive FDA De Novo authorization of our Hominis system, which offers a small, cost-effective and less invasive option over current robotic instruments limited to straight shaft and single wrist designs and controlled with large, complex and expensive equipment,” said Dvir Cohen, CEO of Memic. “This authorization is also just the beginning; it opens the door for our novel system to expand to additional indications that, until now, have been off-limits to robot-assisted surgery.”

“We believe the Hominis surgical system represents the most significant advancement in robotic soft tissue surgery in the last 20 years and will deliver great benefit to patients and their healthcare providers,” added Maurice R. Ferré, MD, chairman of the board at Memic and founder of MAKO Surgical, Inc. 

Approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the U.S.¹ The transvaginal approach is well documented as resulting in better clinical benefits, including less patient pain and scarring, shorter recovery times and reduced infection rates, compared to other approaches to hysterectomy.² But surgeons use the transvaginal approach in only 16 percent³ of hysterectomies due to anatomical barriers and accessibility challenges.^4,5 In a recent clinical study using the Hominis system to perform 30 hysterectomies, 100 percent were completed successfully with the transvaginal approach with no device-related adverse events or intraoperative complications.

A first of its kind virtual platform – ‘UK Healthcare Pavilion’ – that showcases the very best of UK healthcare and life sciences, has been launched.

The site provides news, insights, and interviews from a variety of key opinion leaders and policy makers, offering their views on topical subjects in the sector and showcasing the strengths the UK has to offer.

The platform will support UK companies to increase export opportunities, as alongside this is a searchable directory of UK companies providing overseas buyers with a simple and intuitive way to identify and engage with UK industry and healthcare organisations.

Also listed are the UK’s most prestigious private healthcare providers, highlighting why millions of people each year choose the UK as the place to access world class healthcare treatment.

Crucially, key government and healthcare stakeholders are supporting the platform which will also aim to attract inward investments. The result means that the UK Healthcare Pavilion represents the most complete picture of UK healthcare and life sciences to date.

Paul Benton, Managing Director, International, at the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) said: “We are delighted to have worked with software developer Virti and other stakeholders to bring the UK Healthcare Pavilion to life.

“We know how special the UK’s healthcare and life sciences sector is, but there has never been a single front door that showcases its true breadth and capabilities. Throughout the pandemic, organisations have also told us how they are struggling to connect with global audiences due to the closure of physical borders. From there, the idea for the site was developed, to create a ‘go-to’ marketplace for visitors looking to discover, connect and innovate with the UK healthcare and life sciences sector.”

The UK Healthcare Pavilion is supported by Government departments, including the Department for International Trade, Invest Northern Ireland, Scottish Development International and the Welsh Government, as well as UK consulates, embassies, and industry bodies around the world.

A mixture of trade and clinical associations are also supporting the site such as the Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of Physicians, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the British Dental Industry Association (BDIA), the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), Medcity, OneNucleus, the AHSN Network and The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Minister for Exports, Graham Stuart MP said: “The UK is a global leader in life sciences and healthcare innovation, with strengths spanning the NHS, academia, industry and policy.

“We have great heritage in these areas and take a uniquely collaborative approach, giving us strong foundations to build on as we push the boundaries of scientific discovery. This is even more significant as we work to combat Covid-19 around the world. The Pavilion will provide a brilliant platform for UK healthcare businesses to export their goods and services overseas, sharing the very best that Britain has to offer”.

Speaking on behalf of Harley Street Medical Area, Executive Property Director at The Howard de Walden Estate Julian Best, added: “The Virtual UK Healthcare Pavilion will act as the UK’s conduit for hospitals, clinics, healthcare services and the life sciences sector. For the first time there will be a global platform that highlights why the UK is a world leader when it comes to healthcare innovation and patient care.”

About the UK Healthcare Pavilion

The UK Healthcare Pavilion is a unique partnering platform helping overseas customers discover, connect and innovate with the UK’s thriving healthcare and life sciences sector. We inspire cross-border collaborations that can realise large scale impact in response to local and global health challenges.

The platform was created out of a need to provide a single front door showcasing the strengths of UK healthcare and life sciences. Our mission is to provide overseas buyers looking for UK solutions with a simple, insightful way to identify and engage UK industry and healthcare organisations – and to support UK-based medical device, diagnostics, and digital health exporters looking to engage customers around the world.

The UK Healthcare Pavilion provides a global platform showcasing the very best of the sector – and highlights the strengths the UK has to offer.

NHSX has launched a new process to help give staff, patients and the public confidence that the digital health tools they use meet NHS standards.

The digital technology assessment criteria (DTAC) is a rapid process that can be completed in days. It will apply to all digital health technologies, from public facing health apps to systems used within hospitals such as electronic patient records.

The guidance brings together legislation and best practice in five areas. Tools will receive a pass or fail in four categories – clinical safety, data protection, technical security and interoperability – and a score on usability and accessibility.

All parts of the NHS and social care will be encouraged to use the DTAC when considering digital health products.

It is already being used by trusts and systems as they procure products to provide video consultations in secondary care over the coming year. Chosen suppliers must be DTAC assessed to qualify for national funding which supports embedding and spreading of video-consultations.

The new criteria aims to equip NHS and social care teams with guidance on which health technologies to buy or recommend to patients and help innovators and developers understand the standards they need to meet to offer their products to the NHS.

Earlier this month, an NHSX spokesperson confirmed plans for a new unit which will bring together transformation teams at NHSE and NHSE, with the aim of “taking digital out of its silo and putting it at the heart of the NHS.”

Matthew Gould, NHSX chief executive, said: “The new assessment process will identify the digital tools that meet NHS standards on clinical safety, cyber security and data protection from amongst the thousands available in the market, and do it more quickly than before.”

Rhod Joyce, NHSX deputy director of innovation development, said: “We want to support the adoption and scale of good, safe health technologies for those buying health tech within the system, which will ultimately help NHS patients across the country.”

Tim Andrews, ORCHA chief operating officer, said: “It’s never been more vital for health professionals to know, with absolute certainty, that the apps they are using and recommending are of the required standard.”

Matt Elcock, Push Doctor founder and CTO, said: “The speed of innovation within health tech partners can be very rapid as we have seen through the pandemic, so we see this as a vital route for bringing NHS patients innovative products quickly but also safely.”

Dr D J Hamblin-Brown, Careful Systems Limited, director, said: “DTAC will provide us with a one-stop means to assure our clients within the NHS and social care that we have the highest standards of risk management and information governance.”

Lord Bethell, Minister for Innovation, said: “These improvements are another example of innovation and our ambition to constantly strive for better technology to improve digital health.”

BayCare Health System, West Central Florida’s largest provider of behavioral health services, announced plans to significantly increase its capacity and commitment to both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services in response to the community’s needs.

By mid-2022, BayCare will provide 24 more behavioral health inpatient beds at its hospitals. And over the next three years, the health system plans to add 65 more behavior health providers – a combination of psychiatrists and therapists — to provide outpatient services across the region. Twenty of those new providers are expected to be added by the end of 2021.

Once fully implemented, the investments are expected to provide behavioral health access for about 5,800 more outpatients each year, a 22 percent increase in BayCare’s current capacity, and access for about 1,000 more inpatients, a 6 percent increase. Also significant: Several of the new services are being offered in communities that currently have little or no access to behavioral health services.

“BayCare committed itself to addressing behavioral health needs in our community even before the pandemic, and we will sustain this commitment after,” said Rick Colón, BayCare Board Chairman. “We hope by taking this step we will encourage other providers to join us in providing more access to behavioral health services for our entire community.”

The investment is BayCare’s latest step in addressing the region’s behavioral health resources since the health system’s 2019 Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) highlighted the region’s unmet needs. It also comes amid growing demand nationally for such services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The not-for-profit’s board of directors approved the investments earlier this month even with an awareness that the new services will operate at a deficit, as many behavioral health services are not likely to be reimbursed by insurance plans or other programs.

Informing the board’s action was a needs analysis by a national consultant that quantified the shortage of behavioral health providers in West Central Florida, including the Tampa Bay region. The study showed approximately 200 additional outpatient behavioral health providers are needed locally to meet the needs of the community.

As a result, West Central Florida residents are far less likely to access behavioral health services than similar populations in Houston, Memphis and Orlando.

“The consultant’s survey confirmed what all of us who are engaged already knew instinctively: Tampa Bay needs more providers, more services to help our neighbors who are struggling with mental wellness,” said BayCare’s immediate Past Board Chairman Eric Obeck. “But no one health system can do this alone. We hope other health care systems will respond to this dire need.”

The investment by BayCare comes roughly a year after the health care system worked to bring together a coalition of health care providers and community and government partners to address systemic access issues to behavioral health services for local residents. Tampa Bay Thrives, originally formed as the West Central Florida Mental Wellness Coalition, is working across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties to improve the quality and access to resources for mental health and substance abuse disorders.

That coalition came together after BayCare’s 2019 CHNAs for hospitals across the four counties, conducted in concert with community partners, showed behavioral health as a top priority.

“BayCare’s mission is to serve the health of our community,” said CEO Tommy Inzina. “More and more, we all are beginning to appreciate how mental wellness is integral to individuals’ and our community’s well-being. As a community-based health care system, we want to be part of the solution to a healthier tomorrow for all of us.”

About BayCare Health System

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 15 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.