Quantum Computing and Healthcare Technology

Imagine conducting an MRI, on a single cell instead of the whole body - taking a picture of the molecule or just a group of molecules within the cell, identifying and examining the problem areas within DNA, and coming up with a more precise diagnosis and patient therapy. This is possible today through the precision of Quantum Computing and Nanotechnology built into an MRI equipment.

In a recent news release IBM declared that they are very close to make a breakthrough in the realms of Quantum computing. As a result of some experimental successes they are closer to build the first Quantum Computer, that can take advantage of the oddities of quantum physics and could solve certain problems in seconds, that would otherwise take present-day computers billions of years to solve.

Quantum computing is a computing system based on qubits as opposed to bits; where qubits (Quantum Bits) are basic units of information in a quantum computer. While a bit can represent just one of two possibilities such as 0 or 1, or yes or not, Qubits can represent many more options: 0 or 1, 1 and 0, the occurrence of multiple combinations of Qubits, and that too simultaneously. So, Qubit represents an array of possibilities and all can be calculated simultaneously taking probabilities in account.

The Qubit concept deals with very small particles (subatomic particles). It has been proven that a subatomic particle can have different states simultaneously because the particles are never static. This is evident because they move very fast, close to the speed of light. So, a particle state of the particle (Qubit) looks different to different observers and the particle has several states simultaneously. That is why one subatomic particle can have different states and probabilities, at the same time. We can use it to replace bits and get better performance: Much better performance! And then, when you combine Qubits, that combination holds an exponentially larger amount of information than bits. Subatomic logic is much more powerful than binary logic used in normal computing.

As a result, you can process complicated information faster. Its main applications are encryption, decryption, modeling, databases, voice recognition, structure recognition, simulation and artificial intelligence, plus many others yet non-existent applications.

Imagine its utilization and effect in the realm of Healthcare, specifically e-Health. Volumes of electronically available Patient data, structured, modeled, simulated, and processed in fractions of seconds - artificial intelligence for diagnosis and condition predictability with almost 100% accuracy, will multiply millions of fold, surpassing unthought-of limits.

Quantum Computing has also proved that two entangled particles share its existence. That is when one modifies its state, the other also modifies its own state simultaneously, no matter how far they are in the universe. That means we can "transport" information from one place to another without physical movement, just by modifying one entangled particle state.

In e-Health, this could mean automatic remote and reliable diagnosis, with electronic patient information, through immediate communication with entangled subatomic particles. And, with nano-scale precision applications, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Are Herbal Medicines Safe and Effective for Health?

Today, many people believe that herbal medicines are safe and effective for health. In addition, many of them also believe in several impractical myths relating to herbs. However, you need to know that herbal products are not necessarily safe and effective just because they are natural. Accordingly, in this article, I want to discuss why people still have misconceptions, and why use of herbal medicines could be harmful to you.

What is Herbal Medicine?

Herbal medicine can be described as the medical knowledge practice that uses herb or herb extracts for therapeutic purposes. This medical practice is also known as "traditional medicine", "botanical medicine", "phytomedicine" and "natural medicine". In addition, this medical practice is the oldest but most widely used in all cultures and societies.

Why People Still Have Misconceptions About Herbal Medicines?

One of the main reasons is that still there are many believers in herb myths, and most of these people have a common misconception that herbs are natural ingredients, not drugs.

Pharmacy Jobs - A Top Career in the Healthcare Industry

Pharmacy professionals play an important role in the care of patients and in other areas of the healthcare industry. Pharmacists in the community and hospital setting ensure that patients receive the right medications. They also advise patients regarding medicines, including how to take them, what reactions could happen, and about drug interactions. They are a major resource for medical information in hospitals, clinics, community pharmacies, and many other settings.

One major advantage of having a doctor of pharmacy degree (PharmD) is the variety of opportunities that are available. When most people think of the pharmacy profession they think about the community, hospital, or clinic pharmacist.

Diet Supplements

Diet supplements are things that you eat or drink. They can be vitamins, minerals, herbs or other plants, amino acids or parts of these substances. They can be in pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid form. They supplement (add to) the diet and should not be considered a substitute for food. People commonly take them for health-related reasons. Common dietary supplements include vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin C or a multivitamin), botanicals (herbs and plant products) and substances that come from a natural source (such as omega-3 fatty acids). People have used the active ingredients in dietary supplements for thousands of years to help health and to treat illnesses. Those supplements are the basis for some of today's common medicines.

What are diet supplements used for?

People use diet supplements for many health conditions

People often use vitamins and minerals to supplement diet and treat disease. For example, Echinacea may keep you away from getting a cold and may help you get better faster. High doses of vitamin C may also help you get better faster.

Historically, people have used herbal medicines to prevent illness, cure infection, reduce fever, and heal wounds. Herbal medicines can also treat constipation, ease pain, or act as relaxants or stimulants. Research on some herbs and plant products has shown that they may have some of the same effects that conventional medicines do, while others may have no effect or may be harmful.

Healthcare Management - A Career in Healthcare Without a Medical Degree

Healthcare is an expanding industry. The need for qualified doctors and medical staff in hospitals will continue to increase as will the need for skilled managers to run them.
Hospital managers or healthcare administrators plan, coordinate and manage the business related activities within a hospital or medical practice and ensure proper delivery of services. This includes activities such as creating and supervising work schedules and managing finances. Individuals that choose this career path usually have sympathetic personalities and genuinely want to help others. They also need to display good interpersonal skills and leadership ability as directing and motivating others forms a key part of the position.
On an academic level, entry into this field requires at least a bachelor's degree and most healthcare management professionals hold a master's degree in health administration, health sciences or business administration. Graduates generally begin their careers as administrative assistants and move on to become managers, administrators or department heads once they've gained some experience.

6 Common Misconceptions About The Advanced Healthcare Directive

You may have heard a lot about the importance of creating an advanced healthcare directive whether in the form of instructions or appointing a person, so that the desired line of treatment can be followed if you are not in a position to take your own decisions at a future date. However there are a number of misconceptions surrounding this concept which can put doubts in your mind.

The following will address some of the more common myths about an advanced healthcare directive.

Myth 1 - Only older people need to make an advanced directive

Illness and accidents can happen to anyone old or young; in fact the advances in the medical field may end up keeping a younger person alive for years without any improvement. Ideally any individual above the age of 18 must make a directive or appoint an agent.

Myth 2 - A directive is meant to stop treatment

The Survival of Physicians

On January 6, 2012 the CNN website posted an article titled "Doctors Going Broke". It described several cases of independent physicians who are near bankruptcy although they once were quite well off. For instance, the article detailed the case of Dr. William Pentz, a cardiologist in a small group practice, who had to borrow money last month to make payroll. He and the other cardiologists have cut their salaries in order to meet overhead. Dr. Pentz ascribed the budget problems of the practice to the 35% to 40% cut in Medicare reimbursements for certain tests, such as stress tests. The practice overall saw a 9% decline in income compared to 2010. The article did say that there is a worrisome rise in the number of physicians experiencing financial difficulties. Although some point to new regulations and declining enrollment as the source of the troubles some financial experts point out that the problems may be due to the lack of business acumen of physicians and their staff.

A day after this report the Wall Street Journal posted an article about the bankruptcy and decline of several large corporations, including Kodak and Barnes & Noble. It compared these organizations to successful ones such as IBM and Johnson and Johnson. Briefly, it emphasized that the successful organizations were willing to take some risks on future developments and invest some of their capital into these risks. Not all such investments were successful but enough were to insure the success of the business.

With a bit of insight and some reasoning skills I believe I see in these patterns similarities to Darwin's theory on the survival of the species. Businesses and physician practices that adapt to their changing environments succeed where others languish or subside or sell their practices to hospital groups or insurers.