StuWilli, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Building Urgent Care Referral Relationships Part 2: EDs, PCPs, and Specialists

Urgent message: Forging solid relationships with other clinicians in emergency, primary care, or specialty settings can help facilitate two-way referrals and prove beneficial to all parties involved – including patients. The second of two parts. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Overbooked primary care officers and time-consuming (not to mention costly) trips to the emergency room leave many patients frustrated and feeling they have no place left to turn when a medical condition requires immediate attention …

Abstracts in Urgent Care: February, 2010

Management of Forearm Fractures in Adults Key point: Primary care evaluation and management of forearm fracture in adults is presented. Citation: Black WS, Becker JA. Common forearm fractures in adults. Am Fam Physician. 2009; 15: 80(10): 1096-1102. Upper extremity fractures are often evaluated by primary care physicians at the patient’s initial presentation or at follow-up after the initial presentation to urgent care or the emergency department. These fractures account for approximately 2 million visits to …

Clinical Challenge: February, 2010

In each issue, JUCM will challenge your diagnostic acumen with a glimpse of x-rays, electrocardiograms, and photographs of dermatologic conditions that real urgent care patients have presented with. If you would like to submit a case for consideration, please e-mail the relevant materials and presenting information to [email protected]. The patient is a 17-year-old male who fell and experienced a blow to the right knee. On examination, you not local swelling. The patient complains of pain …

February 2010

The Traveling Patient

Urgent message: The accessibility of urgent care makes it a prime venue for patients preparing for international travel and patients who may have become ill due to exposure to infectious agents while traveling overseas. Francine Olmstead, MD, FACP Whether a patient visits an urgent care center for an infection or a primary care physician for follow-up, every healthcare provider should inquire about anticipated overseas travel. In addition, if a patient is being evaluated for a …

A Mathematical Model for Political Influence in Healthcare Reform

‘Round and ‘round it goes… and where it stops, nobody knows. Feeling dazed and confused by the dizzying display of legislative slight of hand? Now you see it, now you don’t! Compromise, in theory, sounds like the right thing to do when trying to balance interests. Compromise often leads to parity and equity between competing interests. However, when competing interests have unequal power, compromise tends to favor those with the most influence. I promise a …

Clinical Challenge 2: January 2010

The patient is a 20- year- old female who presents with pain one day after experiencing a blow to the knee during a fall. On exam, you reveal no significant findings beyond mild local tenderness. She is able to bear weight fully on both legs. View the image taken (Figure 1) and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.

35-year-old female catches finger in banister

The patient is a 35-year-old female who got her finger caught in a metal staircase banister one day prior to presentation. Physical examination is significant for right fifth PIP hyperextension and DIP hyperflexion (swan neck deformity). The patient\’s PIP flexion appears to be limited to about 20 degrees, while her contralateral PIP joint shows about 100 degrees of flexion. No sensory or motor deficits are noted. View the x-ray taken and consider what your diagnosis …

Developing Data: January, 2010

In each issue on this page, we report on research from or relevant to the emerging urgent care marketplace. This month, we offer an analysis of how patient satisfaction is affected by time spent in the emergency room, and how current scores compare with research done two years prior. Though not reflective of patient experiences in the urgent care settings, these data can serve as a lesson on the importance of respecting the patient’s time …

Author: StuWilli