CORHIO, Colorado Health Care Leaders Issue Report on Strategies to Integrate Behavioral and Physical Health Through ...

DENVER, April 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As a measure to improve integration of behavioral and physical health, the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO) partnered with a multi-stakeholder behavioral health Steering Committee, and solicited feedback from communities across Colorado, to create a report with recommendations and future strategies for effective inclusion of behavioral health in health information exchange (HIE). The report was written as part of the CORHIO Behavioral Health Information Exchange Project with support from Rose Community Foundation.

The report is now available on the CORHIO website at www.corhio.org.

"Unfortunately, there is still a stigma associated with mental health conditions and some people fear that their diagnosis may fall into the wrong hands and will be used against them," says Amanda Kearney-Smith, director of the Colorado Mental Wellness Network and member of the project's Steering Committee. "We have to be sure to strike a careful balance between protecting individual privacy with the need to have comprehensive information available for high-quality health care treatment and services."

To solicit information for the report, CORHIO helped facilitate six meetings in communities across Colorado, which were chosen to represent a broad cross-section of perspectives and attitudes regarding HIE. A total of 124 consumers, physicians, and other behavioral health stakeholders were in attendance to discuss the concerns, opportunities and priorities of exchanging behavioral health information. The meetings took place in collaboration with community mental health centers and other behavioral health community organizations, so participants could feel comfortable and have open and honest dialogue.

A few key points that came out of the community discussions include:

Consumers expressed significant interest in having access to their health information within the HIE.Both physicians and patients expressed significant concerns, such as privacy issues and inappropriate use of information.Behavioral health stakeholders agree that better information sharing can lead to better outcomes for individuals and populations receiving behavioral health care.Participants expressed they would have more comfort with information sharing if there were more choice about which information would be shared with whom. Current models of all-in or all-out information sharing do not seem to meet the needs of this community.Across all six events, only one participant felt that better information sharing was not needed.

Studies have shown that the average life expectancy for those with serious mental illness ranges from 13 to 30 years less than the rest of the population.[1] Much of this can be attributed to fragmented, inconsistent, and episodic care. Individuals requiring behavioral health services have a unique need for integrated care due to frequent use of the healthcare system and a greater need to coordinate care among diverse providers. However, today, behavioral health care services are not well integrated with physical or medical care. According to the CORHIO report, nearly 90 percent of participants surveyed agree that behavioral health should be considered a part of a person's overall health care.

"HIE is an invaluable tool for the behavioral health community because it enables information to truly follow consumers through the entire treatment path, across a variety of care settings. It provides immediate access to vital patient information which reduces the chance that a consumer will experience a drug interaction or other medical complication and improves the overall consumer experience as they navigate the health care system," said CORHIO Policy Director, Liza Fox-Wylie. "CORHIO remains committed to working with the behavioral health and physical health communities to improve care coordination and population health outcomes through HIE, while protecting patients' rights to privacy."

CORHIO is developing an action plan based on the results and recommendations in this report, including working with project Steering Committee members and other stakeholder organizations on consumer, provider and policymaker education and working with CORHIO's technology partner, Medicity, to improve the robustness of HIE technology to support more granular options for patient choice regarding which information is shared with whom.

In September 2010, the Rose Community Foundation awarded CORHIO a two-year grant to support the Behavioral Health and Health Information Exchange Project, which funded the creation of CORHIO's behavioral health report. "Individuals' physical health, mental health and substance use are closely intertwined," said Whitney Connor, Rose Community Foundation's health program officer. "Provider access to timely information about their patients' medical and behavioral health is critical to delivering effective care."

About CORHIO
CORHIO is dedicated to improving health care quality for all Coloradans through health information exchange (HIE). As the state designated entity for HIE, CORHIO collaborates with health care stakeholders including physicians, hospitals, clinics, public health, long-term care, laboratories, health plans and patients to improve care collaboration through secure systems and processes for sharing clinical information. CO-REC, a CORHIO initiative, assists primary care providers in adopting, implementing and becoming meaningful users of electronic health record (EHR) systems. CORHIO is a not-for-profit supported in large part by grants, including awards from the Colorado Health Foundation and from federal ARRA HITECH funds. CORHIO's technical infrastructure is built on industry-leading HIE technology developed and maintained by Medicity.  For more information about CORHIO, please visit www.corhio.org.

[1] Colton CW, Manderscheid RW. Congruencies in increased mortality rates, years of potential life lost, and causes of death among public mental health clients in eight states. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2006 Apr. URL: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/apr/05_0180.htm.

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Physical Fitness and Exercises

Free Articles » Health » Wellness » Physical Fitness and Exercises

Autor: william smith :: Views: 521 :: :: View PDF :: Print View

Physical Fitness is the ability of the human body to function with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with ample energy to engage in leisure activities, and to meet physical stresses. Muscular strength and endurance, cardio respiratory integrity, and general alertness are the overt signs of physical fitness.

Physical fitness is usually measured in relation to functional expectations?that is, typically, by periodic tests measuring strength, endurance, agility, coordination, and flexibility. In addition, stress testing, which ascertains the body's accommodation to powerful, sustained physical stimuli, is used to analyze fitness. If individuals are able to accommodate to the stressors, they are assumed to be fit.

The level of physical fitness can be influenced by regular, systematic exercise. Moderate activity will maintain the individual at a level that is usually adequate to handle ordinary stress. If the fitness level is to be improved, however, it is necessary to participate in more intensive exercise that overloads the physiological systems and thus promotes change.

Exercises that demand total body involvement improve and maintain fitness most effectively?for example, jogging, running, swimming, vigorous dancing, cycling, and brisk walking. Organized games and sports have long rest periods within the play design have only minimal influence on fitness. Programs especially planned to help individuals attain fitness are offered in numerous places: schools and gymnasiums, private clubs and studios, and special, professionally organized clinics that are attentive to problems of cardiac and pulmonary function. The individual must be careful in choosing an exercise program and should ensure it is staffed by experts in physical education or medicine.

Normal, healthy individuals may plan their own exercise programs. The general rule is to exercise only until discomfort is experienced?that is, until breathing becomes labored, circulation seems inadequate, or fatigue influences performance. People with health problems caused by heart attacks, strokes, and illness should see a physician before devising an exercise program.

Proper nutrition is important to physical fitness, because energy expenditure depends on nutrition. If diet is inadequate, the fitness level will drop. Overweight, underweight, and weak individuals will have below average fitness levels

Generally, longer periods of exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease for the individual. Yet many individuals and organizations promote fitness through extreme means. Such programs should be approached with skepticism and caution. The attainment and maintenance of physical fitness, coupled with nutritious diet and reasonable rest patterns, require dedication to a long-term, systematic investment in an active life.

For the latest updates and diet plans, go through ? www.fitnessguidebook.com

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Ways To Burn Calories - Physical Movement And Exercise Is Important For All - Adults AND Children

Ways to burn calories reduces to physical movement and exercise. It is important for all of us...adults and children. There are, however, a few more difficulties involved in remaining physically active for those who are unusually heavy (morbid obesity):

Self-esteem issues may prevent you from participating in group activities.
Movement, such as bending or brisk walking, may be difficult.
Clothes suitable for exercise may be hard to find.
Depression may cause lack of motivation to even make the effort.
Discouragement causes one to feel hopeless that anything will make any difference.

So, what is the larger person to do? Should you just abandon the effort and "resign yourself to your fate"?

Exercise is essential for all living beings. We are not designed to be sedentary. Further, people who are overweight to any extent are at more risk of developing illnesses associated with weight: diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis, sleep disorders, gall bladder disease, and even some types of cancer.

What are the benefits if you "get on the move"? In addition to losing weight and reducing risk of disease as discussed above, take a look at this benefits:

Improves mood and self-esteem.
Increases energy.
Helps to reduce blood pressure.
Aids in the control of blood sugar.
Improves balance and flexibility.
Strengthens and conditions bones, muscles, and joints.

Convinced? Let's get started!

1. Walk. Start slowly if you have been completely sedentary. (If you have been ill or suffer from breathing difficulties or heart disease, check with your doctor first, just so he knows what you're doing. It's unlikely he will tell you to continue to sit or lie perfectly still all day.) Start with only five minutes at a time and build up to ten minutes, and then fifteen. Walking is a safe and comfortable way to begin to get yourself moving. If you wish, ask a friend to walk with you. Don't race...don't even get out of breath. Just start walking. (If you have large thighs you may need liners or shorts to prevent skin irritation of your inner thighs).

2. Water exercise. If you have access to a gym with a pool (check with your local YMCA) count yourself fortunate and sign up immediately. Exercising in water is an excellent way to get yourself moving without undue stress on muscles or joints. Water provides natural resistance for toning of muscles and flexibility of joints.

3. Yoga exercises. Check your community resources for classes. Yoga is a gentle way to begin to get your body moving without undue stress on muscles and joints that have become accustomed to inactivity.

4. Limit the amount of time you spend watching TV or using the computer. You are more likely to feel an urge to get moving if you are not engaged in a pleasant activity. Set certain hours of the day for screen time and in the off times, get moving...even if you're walking around your house or lifting small hand weights.

5. If you are too large at this time to engage in much movement, participate in chair exercises available every morning on several TV stations.

Remember your goal...you're striving for a mere five percent of your body weight. You can do it...start right now!

Sue Bristol, R.N. answers the question regarding How to burn calories ? in a very practical and easy way.
Here's the "Secret Weight Loss Diet" that virtually EVERY successful dieter uses. (Whether or not they are even aware of it!)
Click Here to get your Free e-book, which will give you the "Weight Loss Secret" You don't need to be overweight: Learn how to lose weight in a scientific and effective way.

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