Adam Hochron

As more awareness is being raised about autoimmune hepatitis more can be done to help the patients with the condition. While it may be a slow moving process doctors are encouraged that their patients are receiving the help they need.

Thanks to the power of social media and the internet doctors and patients around the world can now learn more about autoimmune hepatitis. This marks a big step forward for a condition where information used to be few and far between for people who need it most.

There are a variety of ways to test patients for autoimmune hepatitis and there are different treatment options for those patients as well. The key is finding the condition to match treatment before it is too late for the patients.

Autoimmune hepatitis has only been known in its current form for around 20 years meaning there is still much to be learned about the condition.

The days of patients requesting stacks of paper medical records being sent to a new healthcare professional are largely over in many places. How the information is transmitted and who gets to see that information is now a topic of discussion in the community.

The field of electronic health records has made big advancements in recent years but there is still more work to be done. How that work is done will depend on input not only from the healthcare field but also the patients who use it.

Many hospitals around the country are eliminating their paper records all together which is changing the way patient records are shared. This can have a long reach into a patient's life as different parts of their lives depend on having their records to send to various entities.

Now that it has been shown that more control can be given to patients in regards to their electronic health records, the question becomes whether it should be done and how it should be done.

When converting medical records into an electronic form most of the work can be done without much consideration. However, when it comes to observations and other notes by healthcare professionals, how they are included and made available to patients can present the need for more in depth thought.

When deciding how or even if to give patients access to their medical records, a recent study found there are many areas that need to be considered before the access is made available.

When given the choice of what parts of their records patients wanted made available to healthcare professionals, the results showed a mixed reaction to the ability. There were also questions raised about the risks associated with only making the records available to certain people.

Having one of the oldest electronic health record systems in the country the state of Indiana has been at the forefront of the field for close to 30 years. Using those records and networks in the state a group from the Regenstrief Institute looked at how patients might want to control who can see their records.

Under the direction of the CNS 7 teams from around the country are looking at best practices for nursing homes in their area. The groups are then pooling their information to see what can be done to improve the life of patients in these facilities and others like them.

People are living well into their 70's and beyond, and as a result the medical community as a whole is being asked to tackle new challenges. This is especially true for nursing homes where patients can require a variety of care on a given day.

Nursing homes across the country have been operating with the same procedures for many years. While a new way of approaching care may take some getting used to and have some initial costs the end result could be beneficial in the long run.

As part of a program run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services centers around the country are taking a closer look at what the nursing home field could look like in the future.

A little known heart condition can be identified using simple tests that could help patients maintain an active lifestyle. Helping doctors to know about the condition is key according to a recent study.

It has become a growing trend for many young professionals, particularly women to go to the gym before heading to work. A recent study shows some may be at risk of a rare heart condition which, if not properly diagnosed and treated, could be fatal.

Doctors are always looking out for new ways to help treat their patients, and while it may mean changing their approach to care it can often have overall beneficial results.

When the American Academy of Neurology met in Washington DC results were presented from studies covering a variety of topics and at different levels of completion. Many of those results could eventually have long lasting impacts on the field.

Now that congenital heart disease has become manageable for many patients doctors are treating them longer and working to ensure a high quality of life moving forward.

Technology has improved a lot throughout the medical field which has helped patients with a variety of conditions. For those with congenital heart issues that can mean getting advice and help they need even when the doctors are not near their location.

When young patients 20 or 30 years ago were diagnosed with a congenital heart condition they had no way of knowing how long they would live. Now the question is what happens when they live as long as the rest of the patient population.

With an aging population more and more people are likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. That can mean not only more issues for them, but also their loved ones and caretakers as well.

For many years research of alzheimer's disease was stuck on the role of amyloids in the condition. That discussion has shifted rapidly recently and continues to develop going forward.

While understanding alzheimer's disease has improved over the past year, finding therapies for the condition has taken longer but is now moving forward.

The field of research for alzheimer's disease has changed drastically in just over a year as more is learned about amyloids and their role in patients developing the condition.

Diabetic kidney disease does not have the telltale signs of other conditions which can make it difficult to spot. However, with the right tests patients can get the treatments they need.

Diabetic kidney disease does not have the telltale signs of other conditions which can make it difficult to spot. However, with the right tests patients can get the treatments they need.

One of the newest developments in the treatment of diabetes is the GLP-1 receptor agonist. With different forms intended for different populations it continues a longstanding pattern of bringing new medications into the pool of options for doctors to choose from.