Know Your Obamacare - Prescribed Reading from the Blogosphere

The Web is filled with valuable information for staying informed about health care and ahead of the all-too-prevalent myths, if you know where to find it.  I am pleased to offer a regular round-ups of the most intriguing and informative blog posts and stories from around the Internet to help Field Clinic readers keep on top of a wide range of developments.  Here are some recent posts I've found myself starring, subscribing to, and sharing:

1.            The role of hashtags in healthcare: Forecasting The Flu, Tweet By Tweet (NPR, Weekend Edition)

NPR profiles how social media can help government agencies and health systems track and predict health care outbreaks.

2.            How to convince vaccine holdouts: How to talk with parents about vaccines (KevinMD.com)

Vaccination is a proven science that continues to come under fire.  Dr. Cronyn shares his strategy for helping parents protect their children.  But the question raised by some doctors is if you question their recommendation to vaccinate, why do you trust anything they have to say?

3.            Romneycare is working: Does Health Insurance Improve Health? Evidence from Massachusetts (Forbes, Pharma & Healthcare)

Romneycare, the state based initiative that in many ways served as the model for Obamacare, can provide us with valuable projections of how we can expect Obamacare to improve the nation's health.

4.            President Obama’s final push for enrollment:

» READ MORE: Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis

(Funnyordie.com)

Not exactly high-brow, but the video has been viewed millions of times and highlights the administration's need to reach millenials before the insurance marketplace enrollment deadline on March 31st.

5.            The title speaks for itself: Silly Republican Insurance Reform Ideas (thehealthcareblog.com)

As we approach election season, both sides of the aisle will be using Obamacare to sway voters.  But even after over 50 attempts to repeal the law, Obamacare continues to survive because Republicans have not introduced a viable alternative to fix our ailing health care system.

6.            Google Glass may (literally) change the face of healthcare professionals: Experience the Future of Wearable Technology (Philips Healthcare)

The best way to understand how technology is revolutionizing healthcare is to experience it yourself.  Philips, working with Google, demonstrates why we may soon see more wearable technology on health professionals.

7.            Health services as a second chance for inmates: To Improve Public Health and Safety, One Sheriff Looks Beyond the Jail Walls (HealthAffairs)

Improving healthcare for inmates is not always a politically viable stance, but access to services can halt the cycle of recidivism.  Basic health and social services solve many of the problems that lead to incarceration and stifle the spread of epidemics within prison walls.  Here's an in-depth look at how one county is championing the effort.