6 Tips to Help Health Care Providers Stay Current on Medical News
Staying on top of the latest news in the medical industry can feel like a full-time job. For doctors and health care workers with busy schedules, keeping up with the latest news and medical innovations is a struggle, especially when medical knowledge is expanding exponentially. According to research, the total body of available medical knowledge doubled every 73 days in 2020, a startling acceleration from doubling every seven years in 1980.
It is a struggle for health care practitioners to stay on top of the latest research and information. Yet in order to provide the best patient care, it is important that they stay current. Here are a few vital tips that can help health care providers stay current with the latest medical information.
Build Networks With Colleagues
To help you sort through and prioritize the most important medical news updates, work on building networks with colleagues who practice in your same field or specialty. This will help you to draw on the shared accumulation of knowledge in your community of peers.
Your network likely includes health care workers in multiple areas of the industry—nurses, PAs, pharmacists, clinical workers, industry professionals, and others. When you hear of a resource that impacted a colleague’s understanding or practice, take note and follow up on that resource yourself.
Set News Alerts
Public perception of the latest medical news can be as important as the detailed information covered in medical journals. When you are following a medical topic or trend, set Google news alerts.
The process is simple, intuitive, and easy to customize, and you will receive daily inbox updates on how networks from BBC Health to Fox News Radio are covering the story.
Read Journals
Journals are critical sources for the latest developments in medicine, but sorting through the vast array of publications can be a daunting task. It is estimated that there are 20,000-30,000 medical journals in publication, and no practicing medical professional has the time to read every journal even in a single area of specialty.
Fortunately, a few publications do the heavy lifting by curating resources in medical journals, providing summaries of new developments. A few popular options include NEJM Journal Watch and the American College of Physicians’ Journal Club.
Subscribe to Newsletters
Nearly every major publication now publishes daily or weekly online newsletters via email. The most relevant newsletters for medical professionals are topical. For instance, major news publications will offer individual subscriptions to topical newsletters in national news, science news, sports headlines, and other topics. Subscribe to the topics that matter to you, and use the email notifications you receive as a daily reminder to at least skim the headlines and follow up on the topics that pertain to you.
Adopt Clinical Decision Support Systems
Many medical practices utilize clinical decision support systems, which are tools integrated into online health records that help to streamline health data and guide providers through the decision-making processes in patient care. Many of these systems also curate medical research to help providers stay current with the information that is most relevant to patient care.
Listen to Podcasts
Especially if you have a commute to work, podcasts can be a helpful and entertaining way to stay current on all sorts of news topics. Several of the most noted medical journals, like NEJM and JAMA, now offer regular podcasts and news summaries. Major news networks also provide podcasts on specialized topics in science, health, and medicine. Subscribing to a podcast can be a great way to keep up with current affairs and public perception of important topics.
Whatever systems you develop to stay current in medical news, the most important part is to dedicate some of your professional time to prioritizing this important task. If you build some clear strategies to regularly keep up with medical news topics, the task will feel like less of a burden, and your patients will benefit from your knowledge of current research.
