Thyroid Awareness Month: The Connection Between Thyroid Disease and Mental Health

January 31, 2020

The end of January marks the conclusion of Thyroid Awareness Month, which aims to spread awareness of the thyroid conditions affecting over 20 million Americans. At present, many individuals live with undetected thyroid disease – up to 60% of patients are unaware of their condition. While the underlying causes of thyroid disease remain largely unknown, preventative measures are necessary, such as the routine evaluation of the thyroid to ensure early detection and diminish the risk of severe comorbidities.

Thyroid conditions can affect people of all ages, however, they affect women significantly more often than men. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include restlessness, inability to focus, anxiety, weight loss, and tachycardia: all of which can be alleviated with appropriate treatment methods. However, emerging research reveals a connection between thyroid disease and the development of mental health conditions – which are not easily mitigated with treatment of thyroid dysfunction.

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Protecting Against Medical Identity Theft

January 28, 2020

Since the implementation of National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), billing processes have been simplified and streamlined. The unique ten-digit identifier codes assigned to physicians and other healthcare providers by the US Department of Health and Human Services have now become a part of the majority of electronic health information being transmitted and are used in a variety of circumstances, including authentication, process control, individual claims, contracts, agreements, and more. Although the use of NPIs has improved efficiency and eased burdensome processes, their existence poses a potential threat of identity theft and medical fraud.

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Thyroid Awareness Month: AI-Assisted Thyroid Nodule Classification

January 24, 2020

January marks the beginning of Thyroid Awareness Month , which aims to spread awareness of thyroid conditions affecting over 20 million individuals living within the United States. Up to 60% of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition, while women are significantly more likely to experience thyroid issues than men. Although the underlying causes of thyroid disease are largely unknown, it is important to routinely evaluate the thyroid as undiagnosed thyroid disease can put patients at risk for severe health complications – including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and infertility.

Alongside conditions such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, the thyroid may also frequently develop nodules. Most don’t cause any symptoms and are benign in the majority of cases, however, a small percentage of thyroid nodules are cancerous. To improve early detection techniques, research efforts have begun investigating the potential benefit of employing artificial intelligence (AI) in classifying thyroid nodules.

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