Decisions, Decisions: Factors that Influence a Patient\u27s Medical Tourism Choices

In the digital age, the amount of information and sources concerning Medical Tourism is overwhelming. Knowledge is power in an era of healthcare uncertainty. As health care options have grown in global proportions, it has become more difficult for potential patients to locate the material necessary to make informed decisions or to even know which factors to consider during their information search. Individual financial circumstances vary greatly. This paper suggests how medical tourism makes financial sense for many patients and payers. Proximity and culture play roles in that medical tourists may prefer locations that are not too far from home. Or at least don’t seem quite so far because of the cultural similarities such as language and food. Medical tourists want to know that they are safe not only concerning medical care but also in their travels. Legal issues are also an important consideration as medical tourists may forego some of the rights they take for granted in the U.S. Information on medical tourism is available from government sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and accrediting organizations including the Joint Commission International. Additional organizations to include the Medical Tourism Association exist for the purpose of guiding would-be medical tourists through the process

Decisions, Decisions: Factors that Influence a Patient\u27s Medical Tourism Choices

In the digital age, the amount of information and sources concerning Medical Tourism is overwhelming. Knowledge is power in an era of healthcare uncertainty. As health care options have grown in global proportions, it has become more difficult for potential patients to locate the material necessary to make informed decisions or to even know which factors to consider during their information search. Individual financial circumstances vary greatly. This paper suggests how medical tourism makes financial sense for many patients and payers. Proximity and culture play roles in that medical tourists may prefer locations that are not too far from home. Or at least don’t seem quite so far because of the cultural similarities such as language and food. Medical tourists want to know that they are safe not only concerning medical care but also in their travels. Legal issues are also an important consideration as medical tourists may forego some of the rights they take for granted in the U.S. Information on medical tourism is available from government sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and accrediting organizations including the Joint Commission International. Additional organizations to include the Medical Tourism Association exist for the purpose of guiding would-be medical tourists through the process

Medical Tourism: How Far are You Willing to Go to Save Money?

Medical needs of Americans are increasing as the population is aging and struggling with obesity. The addition of new medical technology and techniques, their widespread availability, and procedural improvements have created a more open market for medical providers. Costly procedures in cardiology and orthopedics serve as examples of increasingly needed medical treatments. Individuals, businesses and insurance companies have struggled to find ways to pay for these necessary procedures. Traditionally, in the U.S. the majority of medical procedures have been performed locally. Because of the rising costs associated with these procedures individuals and some healthcare providers are now looking to foreign markets. The performance of medical procedures by foreign providers has created a whole industry referred to as Medical Tourism. The growth of the field of Medical Tourism has presented significant questions, as well as substantial risks and rewards that need to be addressed before the consumer decides what is right for their particular circumstances

Mesoscale simulations of surfactant dissolution and mesophase formation

The evolution of the contact zone between pure surfactant and solvent has been studied by mesoscale simulation. It is found that mesophase formation becomes diffusion controlled and follows the equilibrium phase diagram adiabatically almost as soon as individual mesophases can be identified, corresponding to times in real systems of order 10 microseconds.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, ReVTeX

Влияние параметров одномассной системы с упругими ограничителями на характер ее колебаний

У статті розглянуто одномасну систему з пружними обмежувачами. Побудовано області існування різних режимів коливань системи, а також визначено вплив параметрів системи на межі цих областей.A one-mass system with elastic constraints is studied. Areas of existing of different oscillation modes are built. Also an influence of system parameters on limits of these areas is determined

Polymers pushing Polymers: Polymer Mixtures in Thermodynamic Equilibrium with a Pore

We investigate polymer partitioning from polymer mixtures into nanometer size cavities by formulating an equation of state for a binary polymer mixture assuming that only one (smaller) of the two polymer components can penetrate the cavity. Deriving the partitioning equilibrium equations and solving them numerically allows us to introduce the concept of "polymers-pushing-polymers" for the action of non-penetrating polymers on the partitioning of the penetrating polymers. Polymer partitioning into a pore even within a very simple model of a binary polymer mixture is shown to depend in a complicated way on the composition of the polymer mixture and/or the pore-penetration penalty. This can lead to enhanced as well as diminished partitioning, due to two separate energy scales that we analyse in detail.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

How simple can a model of an empty viral capsid be? Charge distributions in viral capsids

We investigate and quantify salient features of the charge distributions on viral capsids. Our analysis combines the experimentally determined capsid geometry with simple models for ionization of amino acids, thus yielding the detailed description of spatial distribution for positive and negative charge across the capsid wall. The obtained data is processed in order to extract the mean radii of distributions, surface charge densities and dipole moment densities. The results are evaluated and examined in light of previously proposed models of capsid charge distributions, which are shown to have to some extent limited value when applied to real viruses.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in Journal of Biological Physic

Long term hemodialysis aggravates lipolytic activity reduction and very low density, low density lipoproteins composition in chronic renal failure patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dyslipidemia, particularly hypertriglyceridemia is common in uremia, and represents an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To investigate the effects of hemodialysis (HD) duration on very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) compositions and lipopolytic activities, 20 patients on 5 to 7 years hemodialysis were followed-up during 9 years. Blood samples were drawn at T0 (beginning of the study), T1 (3 years after initiating study), T2 (6 years after initiating study) and T3 (9 years after initiating study). T0 was taken as reference.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Triacylglycerols (TG) values were correlated with HD duration (r = 0.70, P < 0.05). An increase of total cholesterol was noted at T2 and T3. Lowered activity was observed for lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (-44%) at T3 and hepatic lipase (HL) (-29%) at T1, (-64%) at T2 and (-73%) at T3. Inverse relationships were found between HD duration and LPL activity (r = -0.63, P < 0.05), and HL activity (r = -0.71, P < 0.01). At T1, T2 and T3, high VLDL-amounts and VLDL-TG and decreased VLDL-phospholipids values were noted. Increased LDL-cholesteryl esters values were noted at T1 and T2 and in LDL-unesterified cholesterol at T2 and T3.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Despite hemodialysis duration, VLDL-LDL metabolism alterations are aggravated submitting patients to a greater risk of atherosclerosis.</p