As a nurse practitioner, I encourage my patients to become more knowledgeable of their medical condition. I am a big supporter of patient education. The more a patient knows about their medical condition and their treatment options, the more likely they are to play a proactive role in the self-management of their treatment plan. Research has shown this to lead to more positive patient outcomes and greater patient satisfaction. Studies have shown that, on average, patients forget almost half of the information their provider discussed with them within 5 minutes of leaving the exam room. Many patients will turn to the internet to find more information regarding their medical condition once they leave their provider’s office. I encourage patients to use the internet as a source of gaining more insight regarding their medical condition but they need to make sure the information they access is coming from a reliable and trustworthy site. Our website lists links to recommended sources of orthopedic related patient education. These links maybe found here on this website under the Resources tab. I also recommend patients use the following sites to obtain up-to-date and more accurate information:
www.cdc.gov (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
www.health.nih.gov (National Institutes of Health)
www.mayoclinic.com
Patients may also find the Health on the Net Foundation (HON) link below to be helpful. The HON was created in 1995 and is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose purpose is to guide patients in their selection of online medical information that is useful and reliable.
www.hon.ch
Author: Mary A. Smith, CNP
Congratulations to Dr. W. Todd Smith. He has been chosen to the Council of Delegates for the AOSSM (American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. This organization is involved in the prevention, treatment and evidence based research in sports related injuries. This appointment is for a two year term. For more information visit the link, www.sportsmed.org.
Starkville Orthopedic Clinic congratulates W. Todd Smith, M.D. upon successful board certification in the subspecialty field of Orthopedic Sports Medicine. This subspecialty certification in addition to general orthopedic board certification recognizes a commitment to the treatment of sports related injuries in the Golden Triangle.
Dr. Smith is a member of AOSSM (American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine) and AANA (Arthroscopy Association of North America), which are professional organizations committed to the care, prevention and treatment of sports injuries at the recreational, high school, collegiate and professional level.
Starkville Orthopedic Clinic would also like to congratulate Mary Smith, CFNP on her appointment to the Northeast Mississippi Area Health Education Center (NE MS AHEC) Advisory Board. The NE MS AHEC is located in the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
AHEC’s were developed to address the shortage of health professionals. There are more than 200 regional AHEC’s in operation for most states. AHEC’s educate the youth of our communities on healthcare career opportunities, as well as connecting professionals with our communities which leads to better community health. The counties served in Mississippi include: Alcorn, Benton, Chickasaw, Clay, Itawamba, Lee, Lowndes, Monroe, Oktibbeha, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tishamingo, Tippah, and Union.
Again, congratulations to Dr. Todd Smith and Mary Smith, CFNP on your outstanding success and commitment to the health of our communities.
Dr. Allen Butler of Starkville received the Frank Stinchfield Award for excellence in hip research during the2010 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons conducted in New Orleans last week.
The award winning paper was presented last Saturday to the Hip Society during the societies open session at the 2010 national meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. The award was based on a 5 year project Dr. Butler worked on during his time at Tulane University while in residency training. The project was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Robert Barrack, formerly of Tulane University and now the head of Adult Reconstructive Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Papers submitted in these categories are judged on innovative research, either clinical or basic, encompassing important advances in the management of hip disorders.
The winning paper, entitled “The Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Outcome after THA: A Prospective, Randomized Study” showed that socioeconomic factors, such as education and income, have more of an impact on patient outcome and satisfaction after total hip replacement than what particular implant were placed in patients.
The Hip Society presents three awards per year. This year the two other awards from the society were presented to Henrik Malchau, MD, PhD, the current Chairman of Orthopedics at Harvard University for his research “An Analysis of Cup Positioning in Total Hip Arthroplasty: Quality Improvement by Use of a Local Joint Registry” and to Yong Sik Kim, MD for his research of “Enhanced Biocompatibility of Stainless Steel Implants by Titanium Coating and Micro-arc Oxidation.”
Dr. Butler was also inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons at the 2010 meeting and was recently inducted into the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons as an active fellow. He also is currently named an Emerging Leader in Orthopedics by the American Orthopedic Association.
by: Mary Smith, CNP
Your bones and skeleton play an important role in many bodily functions such as supporting major organs and storing important minerals. Bones also serve as an attachment site for tendons and ligaments. Strong bones are needed for you to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. A bone healthy lifestyle should begin in childhood and continue throughout life. This is important because poor bone health leads to an increase risk for fractures and a negative impact on the quality of life.
No matter what age, it is never too late to start activities that promote healthy bones. The following actions greatly influence the building and maintenance of strong bones:
- Eating a healthy diet high in calcium and vitamin D
- Limit alcohol intake
- Avoid excessive caffeine consumption and tobacco use
- Regular exercise
- Safety measures to protect bones and prevent falls
- Maintenance of hormone balance in premenopausal women
- Maintaining an ideal body weight
Begin living a bone healthy lifestyle today! Speak with your primary care provider if you are concerned about your current bone health and have questions about bone density testing or appropriate bone healthy supplements.
