Effects of Regular and Long-Acting Insulin on Cognition and Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers: A Pilot Clinical Trial.

Background: Long acting insulin detemir administered intranasally for three weeks enhanced memory for adults with Alzheimer's disease dementia (AD) or amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The investigation of longer-term administration is necessary to determine whether benefits persist, whether they are similar to benefits provided by regular insulin, and whether either form of insulin therapy affects AD biomarkers.

Objective: The present study aimed to determine whether four months of treatment with intranasal insulin detemir or regular insulin improves cognition, daily functioning, and AD biomarkers for adults with MCI or AD.

People, technology, and process meet the triple aim.

Banner Health is addressing the Triple Aim (quality care and satisfaction, improved health, and reduced cost) for Medicare beneficiaries by combining the people of one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the United States (Banner Health) with innovative telehealth technology and leveraging high-reliability, standardized processes. The program, known as Banner iCare, builds on a highly successful tele-ICU program (some of the lowest mortality and length of stay results in the country) and expands the service to progressive care, medical-surgical, and emergency departments. These successes have led to the introduction of a home-based telehealth program with the strengths of the acute care programs.

The high cost of low-acuity ICU outliers.

Direct variable costs were determined on each hospital day for all patients with an intensive care unit (ICU) stay in four Phoenix-area hospital ICUs. Average daily direct variable cost in the four ICUs ranged from $1,436 to $1,759 and represented 69.4 percent and 45.

Physiologic monitoring alarm load on medical/surgical floors of a community hospital.

Unlabelled: It has been known to the public that high frequency of false and/or unnecessary alarms from patient monitoring devices causes "alarm fatigue" in critical care. But little is known about the impact to care on the less acute patients located outside the critical care areas, such as the traditional medical/surgical (med/surg) floor.

Methods: As part of a larger population management study, we initiated continuous physiological monitoring to 79 beds of floor patients in a community hospital.