Patient education regarding causes, risk factors, and therapy of peptic ulcer disease is very essential for ulcer healing and for preventing ulcer recurrence. In this article, I’m focusing on 4 key points on peptic ulcer disease (PUD) patient education. The aim of this article is to help healthcare professionals who deliver (PUD) patient education to be prepared with the required knowledge, and so to “be informative” for their patients.1- Set treatment goals in participation with the patient.The main treatment goals for peptic ulcer diseases are:
Relief of ulcer pain
Healing of ulcer
Preventing ulcer recurrence
Preventing complication
The patient should at least understand the importance of each of the previous goals.2- Identify and modify risk factors.This is achieved by: first, taking patient history regarding:
presence of other illnesses,
patient medication history; especially use of OTC drugs as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and use of corticosteroids, and
lifestyle habits including diet, alcohol and cigarette smoking.Then, helping the patient to modify these risk factors.For example, modifying NSAIDs administration for peptic ulcer disease patients who are in need for NSAIDs. Another example, offering advice regarding foods and drinks to avoid by peptic ulcer patients.3- Encourage proper medication use.
encourage compliance to the specified regimens (whether it is Helicobacter pylori eradication regimen, proton pump inhibitor PPI therapy,… etc.) and educate the patient about PUD potential complications (bleeding ulcer – perforation of stomach or duodenum – gastric outlet obstruction) that might occur if these regimens are not followed properly. And make sure that the patient understands when to administer the medications. For example, PPIs should be administered 15-30 minutes before meals.
Identify potential drug – drug interactions by referring to patient medication history. Among PUD medications that may cause drug interactions are proton pump inhibitors and H2-receptor blockers.
Educate the patient about possible side effects that may make him/her stop taking the medications and how to overcome these side effects. For example, misoprostol that is used to protect the mucosa in chronic NSAID users, causes gastrointestinal effects (eg, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea). And to overcome these side effects, the patient should be instructed to decrease misoprostole dose & take it with meals.4- Always remember that good communication with the patient improves disease management.These are the points that I found most critical in educating peptic ulcer diseases patients. You might have other ideas regarding this topic so, please let me know them. To know more about peptic ulcer disease, please visit Peptic Ulcer Disease Concept Map.
Peptic Ulcer – 4 Key Points on Patient Education
Intellectual Property Checklist
We frequently find that our clients are unaware of the actual scope and value of their intellectual property assets. A great deal of valuable IP can be hidden in a business.
An intellectual property audit (IP Audit) aims to identify what IP is owned by our clients and how important those assets are to them. Once identified, those items can then be attributed a value, and if required can be transferred, licensed or assigned.
An IP Audit can provide significant competitive advantages as it forms the basis of IP management, exploitation and commercialisation. An IP Audit also allows informed decisions to be taken in the event any intellectual property infringement occurs.
1. Have you registered a trademark for your brands and business name for each country in which you do business?
2. Have you registered a design to protect the visual appearance of your products?
3. Do you use Non-disclosure agreements (NDA) or confidentiality agreements before disclosing your valuable IP to third parties?
4. Is your business part of a group of companies?
5. Are your employees subject to a written employment agreement?
6. Have your contractors and suppliers created intellectual property for you? If so, have they assigned that intellectual property to you in writing?
7. Are your contractors subject to a Work For Hire agreement?
8. Does your business have a privacy policy, and is it clearly displayed on your website?
9. Does your business clearly display terms and conditions on its website?
10. Are you in business with others, and if so how is your business structured?
11. Are your trademarks and designs registered to your trading entity, or a separate intellectual property holding company under your control?
12. Do you monitor your competitors’ trademark and design applications?
13. Have you lodged Customs Notices for goods bearing your valuable trademark?
14. Have you registered all available variants of your business’ domain name?
15. Do you allow third parties or suppliers to use your business’ IP without a signed Licence Agreement or Distribution Agreement in place?
Legal fees may in reality comprise only a very small percentage of your overall investment in an IP audit and IP protection. If you are (or were) prepared to spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars on commercialising your intellectual property, then you would be wise to commit a relatively small percentage of your funds to ascertaining the scope of your IP assets.
Save 20 Percent (or More) on Heating, Cooling Bills: Top Five Home Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Anyone who wants to learn how to save money on their heating and cooling bills – and who doesn’t? – must familiarize themselves with the term, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, (SEER) as part of an overall strategy to upgrade the energy efficiency of their home. (SEER is the energy-efficiency rating of a residence or small commercial business.)
Consider the example of Bill and June. Bill and June own a 40-year-old, one story, 2,000-square-foot home in rural Florida. He dislikes the high humidity, while she detests the high air conditioning bills even more, but they are both at a loss about what to do. What upgrades could Bill and June make to their home to reduce the cost of their utility bills?
Here are five home energy efficiency upgrades and their benefits.
Upgrade the HVAC heating pump
Most homes built in the 1990s, 1980s, or older have HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems with SEER ratings ranging from 6 to 10 or 11. Conversely, a newer, more energy-efficient HVAC system will have a SEER rating of at least 15 – and as high as 22.
Even a new HVAC system with a 15 rating can be expected to save a homeowner 20-25 percent on heating and cooling bills compared to an older system with a SEER less than 12. Regardless of the size of the home or the specific upgrade, looking for as high a SEER rating as possible should be the deciding factor for any homeowner.
Add a smart thermostat to your HVAC system
Smart thermostats are one step up from programmable thermostats. Programmable thermostats save energy and money by reducing the temperature in your home while you are away, or asleep, but increasing temperature to maximize comfort during the peak hours everyone is home.
Smart thermostats take this concept one step further by connecting to the Internet – often through a Wi-Fi clip, but also through other devices. Smart thermostats can be adjusted remotely through smartphone apps. Talk about easy! What’s more, smart thermostats offer 15-20 percent savings according to the US Department of Energy.
Upgrade the hot water heater
Conventional storage tank hot water heaters waste energy by keeping water hot even when you’re not using water. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, operate on-demand – heating water only when you need it. Smart Hot Water Controllers are an aftermarket add-on that provides all the energy savings of a tankless water heater and the convenience of a conventional storage tankless hot water heater. Adding a Smart Hot Water Heater controller can even be a DIY upgrade.
Like any upgrade, exact energy savings will vary. Still, the U.S. Department of Energy reports that homes with tankless water heaters or smart hot water heater controllers can be 24-34 percent more energy efficient than homes with traditional water heaters.
What about gas versus electric? One is not “better” than the other, but depends on heating availability. If you have natural gas lines where you live, then a gas hot water heater will make more sense than electric.
Change HVAC filters frequently and flush hot water heaters regularly
Air conditioning filters should be changed every month no matter how often (or how little) you run the AC. The fan causes air to move throughout the home regardless of whether the air is on, and moving air eventually becomes dirty air, so replacing it each month is still a good idea.
In terms of the hot water heater, you have the choice of cleaning versus flushing. Cleaning the filter is easily done by simply pulling it out and blowing it off with a compressor.
It’s even more important to flush the water heater on a regular basis. Flushing prevents the buildup of sediments that can block the electrical element or gas burner in the heater. Over time, this not only decreases energy efficiency but may even cause the heater to fail prematurely.
Some in the HVAC industry recommend annual flushing, but doing so every four months is an even smarter precaution. A flushed heater will heat water faster – and a more energy-efficient heater costs less money to operate.
Install a smart HVAC controller
Modern homes are often constructed as tightly as possible, but a tightly-built home is not necessary a well-ventilated home. If a building is “too tight”, indoor air quality suffers. Without proper ventilation – defined as the exchange of indoor air and outdoor air – contaminants such as radon, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other pollutants can build up, leading to potentially serious health problems. This can be especially true in small commercial businesses that may have many noxious chemicals in the air – a nail salon would be one example. To prevent this, current standard building practices include adding an always open fresh air duct to the HVAC system.
Unlike a ‘Smart Thermostat” which automates temperature settings, a Smart HVAC Controller, as the name suggests, controls and integrates each aspect of the HVAC system – heating, ventilation and air conditioning – together for maximum efficiency.
Smart HVAC controllers connect to the duct system and use indoor and outside sensors to automatically turn off AC when temps are humidity are comfortable – pulling fresh, cool air inside – while flushing bad air with its contaminants outside. Essentially, IOQ is addressed 24/7. In addition, Smart HVAC controllers improve energy efficiency by ventilating the building only when needed to improve IAQ, closing the fresh air duct and resealing the tight building when IAQ is good. Smart HVAC controllers also minimize compressor and heater operation by using outdoor air to adjust indoor air temperature whenever possible.
It’s no wonder that adding a Smart HVAC controller often leads to the greatest savings in heating and cooling costs – in some cases as much as 30 percent savings.
Addressing these five energy upgrades – and being sure to utilize as high a SEER rating as possible for each of them – will maximize the efficiency of any home or small business – be it Bill and June’s house, or YOURS.
Online Auto Loans – Easy Car Financing With Just One Click
Cars are the epitome of success. It is often said that buying an automobile symbolizes a financially strong individual. But, cars have become so much expensive that auto loans have become the order of the day.
Most car buyers get overwhelmed by the very sound of “auto financing”. This is because getting approved for a car loan is often a lengthy process. Plus, several other factors are at play. You have to manage your budget, get the car information, provide the lender with satisfactory replies and then endlessly wait for approval. PHEW! Too much work isn’t it? Well, you can slash down your work by going online.
Online is the Way for every American
When you opt for online auto financing in America, you have the benefit of completing the process in an instant.
1. As the entire process is online, you can get quick approval.
2. Just one simple application form to get auto loans.
3. 100% safe process.
4. Less paperwork.
5. No never-ending lines to the lender’s office.
How to Search for Online Auto Loans?
It is simple to search for an auto loan when you know the kind of loan you are looking for. For getting an online auto financing program, you must use this simple plan.
Prepare a Budget
It is essential that you calculate your income and expenses. It will help you to understand your affordability. Also, the budget will ensure that you do not overspend your limit.
Check your Score
You must know your credit ratings before applying for loans. Once you know what kind of credit score you have, you can opt for anything – bad credit auto loans, zero credit car financing or the usual pre-approved automobile loans.
General Idea of the Car
Are you going to buy a car from your colleague or from a dealership? It will help you in clicking the exact option in the “Type of loan”. If you opt to buy from a private seller, you have to choose, “The Private Party Auto Financing Option”.
Opting for a dealership loan means you will have to choose the “New-Used Car Loan Option”.
Down Payment and Co-Signer
Instant approval on online auto loans is possible with a down payment amount. 10%-20% of the car loan amount can actually turn the tides.
Get a co-signer so that you can increase your chances of getting approval. Anyone of your parents or your friend can become your co-signer. Just make sure that the person has a good credit score as well as a stable debt-to-income ratio.
Avail Online Auto Loans
You have to just type the required details in your computer. It is essential that you type the kind of loan you want – private party auto loan, new car loan, bad credit car loans, etc. Also, mention your geographical area to ensure that you get the best options.
Here are few examples of searching the web for online auto loans:-
a. If you have bad credit and live in Colorado Springs, CO 80917, you must type all this information in the search bar, “Bad credit car loans, Colorado Springs, CO 80917″.
b. If you live in Prospect, OH 43342 and want a private party car loan, search “Private party auto loans 43342″.
c. You can just type for “San Antonio auto loan” if you are looking for a car financing program in San Antonio.
d. If you are looking for online students car loans in Vashon, Google “Student auto loans in Vashon, WA 98070″.
Once you get across several auto financing companies through the internet, check their reliability. Apply with only those companies that are trustworthy and can offer the online auto loans of your choice.
Apply with safe and secure websites and get ready for approval. Online auto financing is as simple as that.
So, next time you are in the car financing market; don’t forget to go the online route. It will save loads of time and money too.
Improve Your Poor Credit Score and Secure Yourself a Loan
So you are thinking of getting some extra money to make some urgent home repairs, the porch door needs replacing, along with a new hot water system. Unfortunately you do not have the money in the bank, but neither do you have a secure porch door or any constant hot water.
Have you considered personal loans? A lot of people take out personal loans for this type of repair. Car repairs and even holidays are used by people with their newly acquired finances. Most people have heard that a poor credit score is not a good thing (However even those that have a poor financial history can still get loans). But how do you make a good rating?
One of thing major pieces of advice from experts, before you apply for finance it is best to get a credit report completed from a reputable source. This will give you an idea of the chance of getting your application approved. In the United States of America there are three levels of credit rating, basically the higher it is the better it is.
An excellent rating is above 760, a good rating would be between 700 and 759 and a poor rating would be between 640 to 699. if you are at the top end, 760 and above then there is no point in making your rating any better. However with other ratings it is worth trying to improve as it will help your chances of succeeding in the application.
There does seem to be a bit of a chicken and egg situation sometimes, you need finance but have a poor score,but to improve you need a lender to give you a chance. Well, luckily there are things that you and your family if you have one, can do to improve your rating.
Having a poor rating does not mean you have to be stuck with it, starting to pay the bills on time instead of late or not at all will start to get you on the right path. Some lenders will still give applicants loans even with a low score, but the total given will be lower than usually and the percentage rate will be considerably higher. So you will pay more over the period of the finance.
Families can help too. If a member of your family has a good rating then some credit card companies can add you to that family members credit card as an authorized user, this will help with any poor credit score. Also having a family member with a good rating co-sign the loan could help you get what you need.
Finding the correct lender for your score is a good way to make sure that you are getting what you deserve, if you have a high score you deserve some of the best deals on the market. Instead of going to your bank or card company you can go online and search for a matching company. Companies like this are a good place go to make sure you achieve the best deal.
What are a matching company and what do they do? You enter your details on their online program and your information will be fed to several of their approved lenders, in turn the lenders will then return to the matching company with a list of loans that they are able to offer.
Once the offers come back it is then up to the applicant to choose one and complete all the necessary paperwork. A check will then be received within a matter of days and your new boiler and door fitted soon after.
Payment Options for Shopping All the Way
Everyone is busy. Busy in shopping online and in the malls. Popular online portals are breaking and making new sale records! All thanks to the convenience and the availability of easy payment options and funds!
Here are few of the factors that are making online businesses a success
Credit Cards: A credit card is plastic money. It is one of the easiest form in which a person gets a personal loan.
All online portals as well as retailers in malls accept credit cards issued by various banks.
Online payment becomes very simple and safe, thanks to the one time passwords generated for such transactions.
A PIN is sufficient for shopping using a credit card at any retail store.
Personal loans for shopping: When we apply for a personal loan, we don’t have to provide the financier with the details of what we want the loan for.
Thus these days’ personal loans are being used to finance shopping.
They can also be used as wedding loans, vacation loans and educational loans.
Payment Processing: As far as payment processing is concerned, the following factors matter to both the consumer and the online retailer.
Uncomplicated manoeuvring on website: It is important for the payment process to be step-by-step and easy to understand. Most websites work on this section very carefully and thus the online shopping experience is satisfactory.
Processing Costs: Processing costs matter to the retailers. More the processing fees they have to pay to providers of payment gateways like Visa, the lesser are their margins. So to have an effective business the processing costs need to be low.
Number of payment options: Multiple payment options should be available for the customer to make payment. This makes the shopping a convenient proposition.
Time taken to process transactions: Processing time not only tests your patience but sometimes also the strength of your internet connection!
Cash on Delivery: This is also known as “collection on delivery.” This is a very popular mode of making payments for shopping in the developing world.
It enhances impulse purchases.
A credit card is not an essential possession for the buyer.
The buyer can check the quality of the product and then pay
So this festive season, do not hesitate to shop and to gift! The availability of funds for shopping is not difficult anymore. Also the convenience of online shopping has brought various retailers to our doorstep. So let us shop all the way!
An easy way of shopping is using a credit card. It forms an integral part of most people’s financial planning. When used in the right manner, it helps reduce financial liability and optimizes financial resources.
Are Online Personal Loans Good For People With Bad Credit?
While the rise of online lending in itself makes it more convenient for people to apply for finance, is this development a good thing for those who are already struggling? There are companies out there who charge expensive annual percentage rates (APRs), leaving many people in more trouble than when they first started.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Over the last few years, online lending has earned itself a bad reputation. The internet leaves many people vulnerable to fraud, so you should always exercise caution when inputting your financial details. The best way to make sure your information remains safe is to find a secure, reliable lending platform.
There is an unfair irony attached to lending today. Those with bad credit are often led to believe they have no financial options if they have made mistakes in the past, often making their situations seem more desperate than they actually are. This can result in people making bad decisions and can lead to borrowing through unstable sources.
Meanwhile, any lenders that do accept you with bad credit will charge extortionate interest rates because of your history, making it more difficult for you to meet your monthly repayment obligations – thus worsening your situation. This is a trap that many people fall into, and it gives online installment lenders a bad name.
However, this doesn’t need to be the case. If you can find yourself a reliable lending platform, you will be connected to a secure network of trustworthy lenders who can offer sensible solutions to your borrowing needs. Many of these lenders will assess your application, even if your credit file isn’t perfect or your income is lower than average.
Instead of (or in some cases, as well as) running credit checks, these lenders will take other factors into consideration, including your income and employment circumstances, and how long you have lived at your current address. They may even ask for references they can contact who will vouch for your character personally.
Even those who receive benefits as a form of income will be able to apply, giving everyone a fair and carefully considered chance of borrowing money. In these cases, applicants won’t be accepted for higher loans than they can afford to pay back, and interest rates will be low, meaning there is a better chance of managing repayments.
If you have poor credit and need to borrow money, consider a personal installment loan, but make sure the APR is advertised between 5.99% and 35.99%. There should also be a number of options in terms of flexible repayment, offering you the chance to pay the money back anywhere between six months and six years, depending on what you can afford to pay per month.
Small, carefully considered personal loans could actually help you build a financial profile making you eligible for better future borrowing. As long as the lender is responsible, and offers reasonable interest rates, online lending platforms can actually give people with more opportunities than many other lenders in terms of improving their situation.
With this in mind, personal loans can be beneficial to those hoping to improve their credit score, but only if some caution is exercised by both parties, and you only apply to borrow an amount you can afford to pay back.
Five Reasons for Refusal of a Personal Loan
Don’t you wish personal finance were a mandatory course in college? Unfortunately, too many of us learn by mistake. When you need a personal loan and are rejected, you might be baffled as to what went wrong- and how to fix it. Here are some clues.
NO CREDIT
No credit is a situation where you have never used credit and therefore have no credit history for the bank to review. They have no way of making an educated decision on whether or not you will pay back a personal loan based on your credit history. No credit is worse than bad credit. Qualifying for and making regular payments on these types of introductory forms of credit can overcome a “no credit” score:
· Student Loans
· Secured credit card (includes a down payment amount)
· Being added to a parent’s or spouses good credit: card, car loan, etc.
LOW CREDIT
Low credit takes on several forms. If you’re using more than 30% of your allowable debt, it can negatively impact your score. Too many inquiries from shopping around for loans will also hit you hard. Lapses in payment, defaults, or bankruptcies are giant red flags and can take a long time to rebuild from.
Other things that lenders may look at are whether or not you have sizeable assets should you default on the loan. They also check to see if your debts are diversified or if you are only carrying one type of debt.
INCOME
Proof of income is generally required when applying for a personal loan. If you are unemployed or underemployed, it can work against you in the loan approval process. Lenders may also require a work history to see how long you have been with your current employer, and to determine if you typically have job stability. Frequent job loss or change will tell a creditor that your payments may not be reliable.
PURPOSE OF THE LOAN
Believe it or not, your application can be rejected due to your proposed purpose for the loan. Financial institutions have the right to set up the parameters surrounding their disbursements and can accept or reject your application based on what you want to use the money for.
BLACKLISTING
If you’ve defaulted on debt before, your name may be put on a list of whom not to loan to,’ also known as a “Blacklist.” This will follow you around for a long time and is difficult to erase. If you do resolve the debt issues, get documents to prove the resolution.
How Can A Personal Loan Improve Your Credit Score?
When it comes to a personal loan, you have to first learn to use it responsibly. Because if you miss a repayment, your credit score will be impacted adversely. And remember, that a credit score is an indicator of how well you manage your personal finances. Also, it plays a defining role when you apply for any kind of loan – secured and unsecured. It is suggested to apply for a loan slightly larger than what is needed so that you will be assured to have enough money to pay all bills necessary and still have some money left over to ensure that your bank account stays current.
A credit score can be defined as a number which reflects the financial situation of a person. If the person is well-off when it comes to financial matters, then he or she is said to have a high credit score. On the other hand, if a person is the exact opposite of this, then they possess a low credit score. There are a lot of factors that are considered by financial institutions for the purpose of evaluating a person’s credit score – usually, the credit scores of people vary from 300 to about 850.
A personal loan is a type of loan that is given by digital lenders, banks and credit unions to aid you in your plans, be it starting a small business, or making a big purchase. Personal loans tend to have an interest rate(s) lower than the credit cards; however, they can also be put to use for combining several credit card debts together into one monthly lower-cost payment.
Now, your credit score is built by keeping in mind various parameters from your credit reports. These reports serve the purpose of trailing your history of utilization of the credit across the duration of seven years. These credit reports are comprised of information, including how much credit you have utilized to date, the type of credit in your possession, the age of one’s credit accounts, whether one has put in for bankruptcy or liens filed against them, actions of debt collections taken against them, one’s total open lines of credit as well as recent inquiries for hard credit.
Like any other type of credit, personal loans are very capable of affecting your credit score. This can be done through the process of applying and withdrawing a personal loan. If you are curious as to how personal loans can end up affecting your credit, then read on to find out more about the context. There are many ways in which your credit can be affected by personal loans and some of them are listed below:
The ratio of your debt-to-income and loan
Debt-to-income ratio is considered to be the measure of your amount of income that you spend on the debt repayments. In the case of lenders, the amount of income that you receive is said to be one of the major factors proving that you are able to repay your loan.
Some of the lenders have come up with their own debt-to-income ratio so that their proprietary credit scores may make use of it in the form of a credit consideration. Do not fall into the kind of mindset that possessing a high amount of a loan would hurt your credit. The most damage it can do is raise the ratio of your debt-to-income so that you won’t be able to apply for loans anymore without it getting rejected or denied.
Paying loans on time will make credit scores soar
The moment your loan is approved, you have to make sure that you settle the payments of each month on time and in full. Delay in repayment may significantly impact the state of your credit score. However, on the other hand, if you make the payments on time every month, then your credit score will soar high, leading to an overall good score. This will not only make your name to the preferred borrower’s list, but it will prove to be beneficial for you in the long run.
Since your payment history is comprised of almost 35% of your credit score, paying loans on time is essential in cases like these so that your credit score can maintain a positive status.
Variety is built into your credit type
There are about five factors that are responsible for determining your credit score. These are composed of the payment history, the length of the credit history, the utilization ratio of the credit, the credit mix and new inquiries of the credit in accordance with FICO®.
The credit mix only accounts for about 35% of your total credit score, whereas when it comes to a personal loan you can have a varying mix of the credit types. This mix of all types of credit is viewed at a high level of approval by the creditors and lenders.
Origination fee charged by loans
Most of the lenders end up charging you an origination fee. This fee cannot be avoided at any cost and is instantly taken off from the amount of the loan payment. The amount of origination fees depends upon the amount of the loan you are about to borrow. Late payments can lead to an overdraft of fees and late expenses. Therefore, make sure that you pay complete repayment for each month before the deadline.
Avoiding penalties when it comes to payments
Some of the credit lenders tend to charge an additional fee if you end up paying your part of the loan earlier than the agreed date. This is because they are looking for moderate amounts of interest on your loan. Now, seeing that you have paid off your part of the loan before time, they will miss out on that interest that they could have possibly made if you had not cleared the debt soon enough before the deadline.