What are opioids?

Opioids are medications used to treat moderate to severe pain that may not respond well to other pain medications. They reduce the sending of pain messages to the brain and reduce feelings of pain.  They include codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, methadone, morphine and oxycodone.   Hydrocodone medications are the most commonly prescribed for conditions such as dental and injury-related pain.  Morphine is used before and after surgery for severe…

The Affordable Care Act expanded eligibility for the Medicaid program with the hope of enrolling millions of low-income U.S. residents who could not access insurance.   California was one of the states that chose to expand.  Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco conducted a study that investigated the trends in the association between insurance coverage and usage of emergency departments among adults 18-64 from 2005 through 2010.  They found that ED utilization in…

Good customer service data help organizations improve quickly. How does the organization ensure the data is smart enough to take action.  In spite of the tools available to make it smart, the quality of the data is dependent on the customer. He or she has to feel confident enough in the experience of the product before supplying the vital information. The experience generates a multitude of emotions, ranging from complete satisfaction to disgust.  They are embedded in data, but…

Data are good for many reasons, and there are times when data are not useful.  However, the good reasons outweigh the bad.

The best benefit of data is the opportunity to learn from it.  When companies create atmopheres for learning, data become an asset and a strategic priority.

Another benefit of data is the opportunity to get work done quickly.  However, the time needed to finish a task with the aid of data is dependent on a solid understanding of the question posed by the…