2018 Careathon: $257,000 and still counting

The goal was set shortly after the 2017 Careathon ended: $250,000 would go a long way to help local families with childhood cancer.  And NE Florida came through in a big way during Friday’s Careathon at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care: $257,000 and still counting! INDEPTH:  Stories, photos, podcasts, more! 100% of the money raised through Careathon goes directly to local families in many ways: Bill payment assistance, gift cards, family weekends at Camp Boggy Creek, and more.   And the rest goes to a restricted fund that will forever fund the Child Life Specialist position at Nemours. Miss Joli has been walking side-by-side with children during their cancer fight.  From the entire News 104.5 WOKV team, thank you to all the donors and sponsors for stepping up and helping these families!

Study: Doctors give patients only seconds to explain reason for visit before interrupting

Have you ever felt rushed during a doctor’s visit? Most physicians don’t give their patients adequate time to explain the reason for their visit, according to a new study.  >> Read more trending news Researchers from the University of Florida, Gainesville, recently conducted a study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, to explore clinical encounters between doctors and their patients. To do so, they assessed the initial few minutes of consultations between 112 patients and their medical practitioners between 2008 and 2015. The encounters they reviewed were videotaped in various clinics in the United States. >> Heart attack sufferers more likely to survive if doctor is away, study says The scientists observed whether doctors invited patients to set the agenda with questions such as “What can I do for you?” They also took notes on whether patients were interrupted while answering questions and in what manner. After analyzing the results, they found that 36 percent of patients were able to set the agenda. However, they were interrupted 11 seconds on average after beginning their statements. Those who were not interrupted finished speaking after about six seconds.  >> Medical errors kill almost as many as heart disease, doctors say They said primary care doctors allowed more time than specialists as specialists generally know the purpose of a visit.  “If done respectfully and with the patient’s best interest in mind, interruptions to the patient’s discourse may clarify or focus the conversation, and thus benefit patients,” co-author Singh Ospina said in a statement. “Yet, it seems rather unlikely that an interruption, even to clarify or focus, could be beneficial at the early stage in the encounter.” >> Doctor burnout can cause major medical errors, study finds While they are unclear why doctors don’t allow patients to speak longer, they believe time constraints, not enough training on how to communicate with patients and burnout may be factors.  The scientists now hope to further explore their investigations on the ultimate experience of doctor visits and the outcomes.  “Our results suggest that we are far from achieving patient-centered care,” she says. 

Officer killed by suspected drunken driver during funeral escort, Dallas police say

A 32-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department died early Saturday after he was hit by a suspected drunken driver during a funeral escort, authorities said. >> Read more trending news Senior Cpl. Earl “Jamie” Givens died early Saturday while he and other officers were escorting the body of Senior Cpl. Tyrone Andrews from Laurel Land Funeral Home to East Texas, police said. Andrews died of cancer, The Dallas Morning News reported. Givens was stopped Saturday morning with his motorcycle’s emergency lights on when he was struck by a fast-moving Kia Sportage, authorities said. Givens, who was assigned to DPD’s traffic unit in 2012, was blocking traffic to an Interstate 20 on-ramp when he was hit, according to police.  Givens’ fellow officers rendered aid to him before the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department arrived at the scene. However, police said, he was pronounced dead after he was taken to the Baylor University Medical Center. The driver of the Kia Sportage, whose name was not released, struck a concrete divider and stopped, according to officials. The 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Authorities continue to investigate the incident. Dallas police Chief Renee Hall asked for the public’s prayers Saturday during a news conference. “Keep the Givens family in your prayers,” she said. “Keep the Dallas Police Department in your prayers. Keep the city of Dallas in your prayers.”