Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Health Systems Break Ties With UnitedHealthcare

Several major health systems are struggling to reach contract agreements with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) to provide care services for members covered by the insurer. Recently, Duke Health posted in a blog that its UHC reimbursement is below the 25th percentile among similar hospitals in North Carolina, which it calls “unacceptable” as it continues contracting talks with UHC. If no agreement is achieved, Duke will be out-of-network as of November 1 for several health plan products, including …

High Dose Stimulants Present Elevated Risk for Mania

A recent study of adult emergency department (ED) admissions published in Psychiatry Online found that patients taking high doses of prescription amphetamine drugs such as Adderall (>30 mg dextroamphetamine equivalents) have a 5.28-fold increased risk for developing psychosis or mania. Researchers compared 1,374 cases of individuals presenting with first-episode psychosis or mania to 2,748 control patients with a psychiatric hospitalization for other conditions. Data analysis suggests that 81% of cases of psychosis or mania potentially …

Arm Position Matters In Blood Pressure Measurement

A randomized clinical trial of 133 adults published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that arm position can have an effect on blood pressure (BP) readings. When subjects supported their arm on their lap, it resulted in systolic BP readings overestimated by 3.9 mm Hg and diastolic BP readings overestimated by 4.0 mm Hg. Additionally, an unsupported arm at the subject’s side overestimated systolic BP by 6.5 mm Hg and diastolic BP by 4.4 mm Hg. …

Oral Antibiotic Prescriptions Trending Down

From 2011 to 2019, the rate of oral antibiotic prescriptions filled at U.S. outpatient pharmacies declined by 13%. The number of prescriptions dropped from 877 per 1,000 people in 2011 to 765 per 1,000 people in 2018 and 2019. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a total of 2.4 billion oral antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed over this time period. The most significant reduction (-25%) …

GLP-1 Drugs May Have Potential For Addiction Treatment

Patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs like semaglutide for diabetes may have a lower risk of opioid drug overdose, according to a new study led by National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow, MD, published in JAMA Network Open. Previous empirical studies and anecdotal reports of fewer drug cravings among individuals with type 2 diabetes and comorbid opioid use disorder who use semaglutide inspired the study. Because the GLP-1 drugs are relatively new, there …

CMS Offers Advance Payment For Providers After Hurricane Helene

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is offering accelerated and advance Medicare payments for providers affected by Hurricane Helene. Those in disaster zones may request the payments individually with their unique National Provider Identifier to improve cash flow issues resulting from impaired operations that might be preventing providers from submitting claims and receiving Medicare payments. CMS notes Medicare providers that need assistance should contact their assigned Medicare Administrative Contractor. It’s …

Iron Deficiency Affects Many American Adults

A cross-sectional study of data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey from 2017 to 2020 of 8,021 adults found that 14% of U.S. adults experience absolute iron deficiency (defined as serum ferritin less than 30 ng/mL regardless of transferrin saturation), while 15% have functional iron deficiency (defined as serum ferritin greater than or equal to 30 ng/mL with transferrin saturation less than 20%). Absolute iron deficiency is more prevalent among younger women, however, …

UPMC, GoHealth Joint Venture Acquires MedExpress Locations

A new UPMC joint venture with GoHealth Urgent Care announced plans to acquire a number of MedExpress urgent care locations in 2025. The organizations state that new branding will rename UPMC urgent and express care locations as UPMC-GoHealth Urgent Care, and the partners will operate MedExpress locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. New locations are also on the drawing board, they say, however, the number of new, jointly operated centers was not disclosed. Some …

COVID Vaccination Provides Cardiovascular Protection

Vaccination may protect people from serious cardiovascular disease associated with COVID-19. As published in the European Heart Journal, researchers in Sweden studied risk windows in the time immediately after each of 3 doses of the COVID vaccine and assessed several outcomes. The risk of cardiovascular events for patients vaccinated with 3 doses was generally 20–30% lower than for those with no vaccinations. Additionally, stroke risk was lower after vaccination than without, while the risk of …

Pertussis Surge Puts Public Health on Alert

Cases of whooping cough have surged in 2024, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting at least 15,661 cases in the United States through September 21, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels. Preliminary data shows that about 5 times as many cases have been reported compared to last year, according to CDC. Pennsylvania recorded the highest number of cases at 2,087, followed by New York with 1,781. Public health experts are concerned …