Distinguishing COVID-19 symptoms from the seasonal flu will create challenges for healthcare providers and consumers in 2020. What’s more, because the symptoms have similarities, there may be no other year when an influenza vaccine is more important. Although more companies are likely to encourage flu shots across their organizations, how can you increase compliance? And for organizations that require a flu vaccine as a condition of employment, how do you convey to fellow staff members, patients and visitors that a flu shot occurred? In fact, 2020 flu shot stickers and flu shot labels are an effective way to encourage more vaccinations and communicate compliance.

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Communication is at the heart of providing high-quality medical care for pets at any practice. Plus, with COVID-19 safety concerns changing office workflows, it is essential to protecting your staff and clients. And although verbal communications are typically the most effective, that’s not always possible. So when it isn’t, veterinary labels can enhance your guidance. Here’s how they improve your ability to communicate with clients, their pets and your staff.

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Long-term care facilities have been impacted by COVID-19 more than any other healthcare facility. In fact, since the U.S. coronavirus outbreak began in a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, more than 153,000 residents and employees of 7,700 U.S. nursing homes have contracted COVID-19, accounting for 35% of the country’s deaths.¹ What caused the disparity in infection and death rates compared to other healthcare sectors? In fact, there were a number of causes. Armed with this information and combined with infection prevention best practices, healthcare professionals identified numerous steps that reduce COVID-19 spread at long-term care facilities.

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How will COVID-19 crisis impact veterinary practice revenue? If you listen to news pundits, you will hear many different explanations about how it will impact the economy. For example, Goldman Sachs predicted that GDP will shrink by 35%. The Wall Street Journal wrote about a “swoosh” shaped recovery where the bottoming out process takes longer, but once the rebound starts it would be steady and gradual. But the fact is, no one really knows. Even economists find it difficult to accurately predict a recession or know exactly how consumer spending habits will change. So with the unknowns of the coronavirus impact far outweighing what we do know, it is difficult to predict what will occur. But, it pays to remain vigilant. Here are a number of simple ways veterinary practices can save money if the impact on your business is negative. 

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In the foreseeable future, our lives will include managing COVID-19 infection risk. Until herd immunity, a vaccine or an effective treatment occur, it will require organizations to make adjustments that accommodate virus avoidance best practices. Further, as the curve flattens and healthcare organizations transition to treat more non COVID-19 acute and chronic patients, new safeguards are necessary to ensure patient confidence, limit exposures and execute effective care. Here are issues that will confront healthcare organizations reopening for non COVID-19 related care.

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COVID-19 has thrust the importance of lab testing into the public eye. From the number of tests conducted and the number of confirmed cases identified, to flattening the curve, testing is a topic discussed at both daily press conferences and the dinner table. But, although the news cameras focus on people driving through field testing facilities where healthcare workers obtain tissue viable samples, successfully completing a test requires additional actions. And if a problem occurs at any subsequent step after extracting the tissue sample, including collection, transportation and processing, the test will likely require repeating. It’s one reason why COVID-19 specimen labels are essential to a timely and accurate testing process.

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Although positive patient identification is a crucial first step, it’s only one of the many actions required to prevent specimen identification errors. In fact, with variables that include laboratory information systems (LIS), fluid and tissue samples, internal and external labs, pneumatic tubes, bio bags, and manual and automated laboratory testing, it’s an extensive workflow. But there is a constant that encompasses each step of the process. It’s a laboratory label. An information billboard that enables effective handling at each stage. What’s more, when designed properly, laboratory labels help prevent specimen identification errors and other processing challenges that impact patient safety and health system costs.

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Unfortunately, the impact that the coronavirus, COVID-19, may have on us, our community and the nation is unknown. Will travel restrictions increase? Will business and school closures become the norm? What impact will the virus have on our jobs, the economy and our daily life? The fact is we don’t know. But here’s what’s likely. It won’t just go away in a month or two. Instead, it will take time to understand the impact. Time to develop a vaccine and determine how we can prevent it in the future. It will force us to remain aware of our surroundings and be diligent in finding ways to minimize the virus’s spread. Meanwhile, here’s one thing we do know. The same steps that we use to minimize our exposure to influenza and other viruses are also effective coronavirus infection prevention strategies.[...]

Like most organizations that deliver healthcare services, the demands on veterinary practices have changed. In fact, technological advancements have led to new diagnostic techniques, drugs, therapeutic regimes and preventive care that weren’t available to provide only a few years ago. But, one of the biggest change drivers is the pet owner themself. Because, now more than ever before, they insist that their pets lead the same healthy life they do. These changes present an opportunity for new and expanded services. What’s more, they require proper documentation to ensure effective patient care. United Ad Label carries an extensive selection of veterinary labels that help practices meet the demands of an expanded service offering.[...]

Medication without harm. Because the purpose of prescribing medication is to cure, halt, or prevent disease or ease symptoms, it seems like an obvious statement. Yet medication errors occur with thousands of patients each year in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. Further, the National Academy of Medicine estimates that 7,000 deaths occur annually due to preventable medication errors. Effective medication labeling is one way to combat adverse drug events. United Ad Label carries an extensive selection of anesthesia labels and flag labels for vials and syringes that help healthcare workers with effective medication dispensing.[...]