Effective communication between patients and their healthcare providers ensures better patient care, and can make a positive influence on health outcomes while increasing patient satisfaction. It leads to greater patient understanding of health problems and treatments available. Better communication also helps patients to reveal their bad habits like alcohol consumption, smoking, drug addiction etc. To gain more quality time with patients, doctors depend on dedicated solutions such as EHR-integrated medical transcription services. In keeping with the trend of timely communication with the patient population, doctors in Florida are warning teens about the dangers of e-cigarettes as the Florida Department of Health reports that there has been one death and 39 confirmed cases of lung injury associated with vaping in the state as of October 1.
According to a report by Orland Sentinel, Cynthia Gries, the medical director of lung transplant program at AdventHealth, the message about the harmfulness of bad habits such as vaping should be given right from a very young age. She added that young children should be made to realize the negative repercussions of vaping. In the US there are more than 1,000 cases that have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 48 states and 1 U.S. territory this year and there have been 18 deaths in 15 states. Majority of the patients that are involved in vaping are men who are below 35 years of age who use products that contain THC which is a high marijuana chemical. Health officials at the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration have urged the public to avoid vaping altogether.
E-cigarettes is a booming industry that remains largely unregulated in the United States and it continued to gain popularity after the introduction of JUUL, a popular brand of e-cigarettes and flavors such as candy, fruit and chocolate. A recent federal survey showed that around 28 percent of high school students reported using e-cigarettes this year, compared with 21 percent last year. Researchers have found intermittent cases of lung injury over the years due to vaping and they are trying to find out what harmful product is causing the lung injuries.
Over the last few months, doctors of Orlando area analyzed patients who landed in the ER and eventually ICU due to vaping. There have been at least four cases at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, two at Nemours Children’s Hospital, about seven at Oviedo Medical Center and a handful more at AdventHealth Orlando. Most of these patients are teenagers and young adults. A pediatric critical care physician at Arnold Palmer Hospital, Dr Jenna Wheeler, encourages parents to educate themselves about the e-cigarettes and vaping and then have a conversation with their teens.
Symptoms of lung injury from vaping begins with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea along with shortness of breath. According to a pulmonologist, Dr. HadiChohan at Central Florida Pulmonary Group, who treated around eight to 10 patients at area hospitals in recent months, the patients’ condition worsens quickly after being admitted, but then they do improve over a period of 48 hours. They may have to remain hospitalized for approximately seven to 10 days or more before they can be discharged.
From the above details we can understand that the use of e-cigarettes can lead to respiratory issues. The CDC has taken initiatives to discourage the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products.
Embarrassment and the feeling of being judged are the main reasons why patients hide their bad habits from doctors. Doctors have to take great effort to win the patient’s confidence so that he/she talks openly about the bad habits or addictions they have. Keen observation and accurate documentation of the patient’s condition, preferably with the support of medical transcription companies, are vital to provide appropriate care and treatments. The important consideration is the time doctors get to spend with the patients. Only this can help build rapport between the patients and doctors and persuade patients to share their concerns openly with their doctors. Casual chats with patients help them open up more about their health condition and habits. When it comes to addictions like smoking and alcohol, doctors can provide an effective care and support system to their patients by listening to them patiently and understanding the root causes of their health problems.as EHR-integrated
