Minnesota medicine
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Gardens are experiencing a renaissance in health care settings as a growing body of research is showing that exposure to natural environments can improve both the patient experience and health outcomes. This article reviews studies that have shown a connection between exposure to nature and improved healing, less medication use, shorter hospitalizations, and decreased anxiety and stress among family members and staff. It also provides guidelines for garden design in medical settings.
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Complexity science is a useful construct for physicians trying to cope with the escalating sophistication of health care and pressure to control costs. The science of complexity suggests that outcomes are not always linear or predictable. ⋯ Assessing and managing complexity in the health care environment involves understanding why medical practice is a complex adaptive system and how to work within such a system to achieve the best outcomes. The goal of this article is to help physicians understand the basic concepts of complexity science and how they might be applied to medical practice.
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In order to explore the correlation between physical activity, fitness, and injury among police officers, a cross section of active-duty members of the Minneapolis Police Department were surveyed about their level of fitness, physical activity, and prevalence of injury and chronic pain within the past year. In the study, officers with the highest self-reported fitness levels were less likely to experience sprains (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.08-0.88), back pain (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.09-0.88), and chronic pain (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.06-0.73) than those who considered themselves less fit. ⋯ And officers with a BMI greater than 35 were 3 times more likely to report back pain (OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.17-9.66) than those whose BMI fell in the normal range (18-25). Thus, officers who engage in higher levels of physical activity and are more physically fit have a lower prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain.
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Physician professionalism is influenced by both environmental and personal factors, one of which is physician well-being. Yet, a variety of stressors inherent in medical training and practice can erode a physician's sense of well-being and contribute to distress. This article reviews the epidemiology of physician distress; describes what is known about the relationships between distress, well-being, and professionalism; and discusses personal and environmental factors that contribute to professionalism among physicians.