Health News
- Higher-income Kentuckians' Reported Health Keeps Declining; Reports From Those With Lower Incomes Go Up, Marginally
A statewide poll again finds that Kentuckians with higher incomes consider themselves in better health than those with lower incomes. The latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll, taken Oct. 8 through Nov. 6, found that 55 percent of Kentucky adults who are...
- 'this Kind Of Sloppy Defiance Reeks Of A Podunk Attitude,' Hopkinsville Paper Says After Fair Doesn't Enforce Smoking Ban
It's been a while since we read an editorial as clear, blunt and well-taken as the one the Kentucky New Era ran about the flouting of Hopkinsville's smoking ban at the Western Kentucky State Fair, so here it is, in its entirety: The Hopkinsville...
- Poll: Only 23% Of Kentuckians Say They Eat Recommended Daily Portions Of Fruits And Vegetables; Cost And Location May Be Factors
Only 23 percent of Kentuckians eat the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables, and cost and accessibility of food may be factors, according to a recent statewide poll. Fruit and vegetable consumption can decrease a person's chance of...
- Steaz Drink
Steaz is a naturally sweetened (stevia and erythritol), calorie-free sparkling organic green tea. It is delicious. It is certified organic, and was just introduced to market in October. We tried the blueberry pomegranate, and it is excellent. Steaz...
- Interpreter Services Available At Sinai
Sinai Hospital is proud to offer a variety of translation services to its non-English speaking patients. A full-time Russian translator works on the Sinai campus Monday through Friday, and a translation service is available after hours. This translation...
Health News
Study finds doctors often overestimate how well they communicate in English as a second langauge
A study appearing in Health Services Research shows physicians who speak English as a second language, an increasing phenomenon in the U.S. and parts of Kentucky, often overrate how well they are communicating with patients.
The finding is the result of a language scale adopted by the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, which rates language proficiency in five levels: poor, fair, good, very good and excellent.
After the new scale was introduced in 2009, out of four of physicians who participated changed their rating. Of the 258 participants, 31 who had considered themselves "fluent" downgraded to "good" or "fair." Just 11 percent deemed their proficiency "excellent." "Seventeen percent used 'very good' and 38 percent said they were 'fair,'" reports Glenda Fauntleroy of research-reporting service Newswise. "Being 'fair' was defined as 'can get the gist of most everyday conversations but has difficulty communicating about health care concepts.'"
"This is a very tricky area as this demonstrates how many providers overestimate their proficiency in another language," said Joseph Betancourt, director of the Disparities Solutions Center at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "This can lead to miscommunication and even medical errors." (Read more)
- Higher-income Kentuckians' Reported Health Keeps Declining; Reports From Those With Lower Incomes Go Up, Marginally
A statewide poll again finds that Kentuckians with higher incomes consider themselves in better health than those with lower incomes. The latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll, taken Oct. 8 through Nov. 6, found that 55 percent of Kentucky adults who are...
- 'this Kind Of Sloppy Defiance Reeks Of A Podunk Attitude,' Hopkinsville Paper Says After Fair Doesn't Enforce Smoking Ban
It's been a while since we read an editorial as clear, blunt and well-taken as the one the Kentucky New Era ran about the flouting of Hopkinsville's smoking ban at the Western Kentucky State Fair, so here it is, in its entirety: The Hopkinsville...
- Poll: Only 23% Of Kentuckians Say They Eat Recommended Daily Portions Of Fruits And Vegetables; Cost And Location May Be Factors
Only 23 percent of Kentuckians eat the recommended daily portions of fruits and vegetables, and cost and accessibility of food may be factors, according to a recent statewide poll. Fruit and vegetable consumption can decrease a person's chance of...
- Steaz Drink
Steaz is a naturally sweetened (stevia and erythritol), calorie-free sparkling organic green tea. It is delicious. It is certified organic, and was just introduced to market in October. We tried the blueberry pomegranate, and it is excellent. Steaz...
- Interpreter Services Available At Sinai
Sinai Hospital is proud to offer a variety of translation services to its non-English speaking patients. A full-time Russian translator works on the Sinai campus Monday through Friday, and a translation service is available after hours. This translation...