Smartwatches and other wearable fitness trackers are everywhere—and they’re doing way more than counting steps. These devices now track heart rate variability (HRV), flag irregular heart rhythms, and even record single-lead ECGs. Cool, right? But what happens when a patient walks in with their wrist buzzing and a bunch of data they want us to interpret? Let’s dive into the world of wearables and what they mean for us as healthcare providers!
2024 was a banner year for Hippo Education, as we focused on providing resources that cater specifically to the growing number of nurse practitioners (NPs) entering and advancing in clinical practice. With more NPs taking on essential roles in healthcare, Hippo has made a concerted effort to create practical, high-quality content to support their growth and success. Here are our top three highlights from this year:
With pertussis cases on the rise, it's time to brush up on best practices for diagnosing, treating, and containing this highly contagious respiratory infection. Aside from thinking of the song, “Whoop there it is” whenever I hear pertussis, and the fact that it’s one of the only things Azithromycin is still good for, the rest of the details about this disease were buried in the back of my brain!
Working in the pediatric ED is a job I absolutely love—well, except between November and March. Every spring, we emerge from the trenches of winter respiratory season, and I somehow forget the endless parade of coughing, sore throats, and snot that dominates our halls.
Sleep apnea is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and affects up to 14% of the population, yet it often remains underdiagnosed. In my primary care practice, sleep medicine specialists are frequently booked months in advance, so I've transitioned to diagnosing and managing sleep apnea care directly. This blog shares practical tips for ordering a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.
Across a wide variety of practice environments, the concept of medically screening a patient who presents with suicidal ideation is often a source of friction between the emergency department and psychiatry. In theory, a medical screening exam would help the ED team identify acute medical conditions in patients with co-existing psychiatric pathology, but in reality, local guidelines and protocols can lead to extensive and often unnecessary medical workups in patients who present with strictly psychiatric chief complaints.
Dengue fever has been on the rise all over the world, with more cases than usual in many countries, including the United States. 2024 was a “banner year” for dengue, with up to 400 million cases worldwide and up to a 2000% increase in cases in different regions compared to the year beforehand. While most cases are mild, severe cases of dengue fever can lead to death. It’s important for front-line clinicians who see sick patients in ambulatory settings to be familiar with how dengue fever presents, to manage it, and to predict if a patient may develop severe disease and, therefore, need a higher level of care.
IUD insertions have long been known to cause pain, with some patients describing the experience as extremely uncomfortable or even traumatic. Until recently, pain management for this procedure didn’t receive much attention, but that’s starting to change.
As nurse practitioners (NPs), prescribing medications is a central part of our daily practice. To maintain high standards of patient care, continuing education in pharmacology is not just recommended but mandatory. However, staying up-to-date with the latest pharmacological guidelines and advancements presents its own set of challenges. Fortunately, new resources like Hippo Education’s Practical Pharmacology: An Outpatient Audio Course are making it easier to meet these requirements in a practical and engaging way.
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