Developing Data: February, 2008
As an emerging distinct practice environment, urgent care is in the early stages of building a data set specific to its norms and practices. In Developing Data, JUCM will offer results not only from UCA’s annual benchmarking surveys, but also from research conducted elsewhere to present an expansive view of the healthcare marketplace in which urgent care seeks to strengthen its presence. In this issue: How did the corporate structure/organizational models among participants in UCA’s …
Read MoreDeciphering Payor Language and Other Challenges
DAVID STERN, MD (Practice Velocity) Q.Many procedures, such as injections and fracture care, are reported to patients as “surgery.” Patients sometimes accuse us of false billing, as they don’t consider these procedures to be a “surgery.” How can we fix this problem? A.All third-party payors have installed computer software programs that have code descriptions loaded for each CPT code. Many of these code descriptions are hard to understand, and sometimes they are not truly accurate. CPT …
Read MoreAbstracts In Urgent Care: February, 2008
Over the Counter but No Longer Under the Radar—Pediatric Cough and Cold Medications Key point: Since 1985, all six controlled studies of cough/cold preparations in children have not shown a positive effect. Over the last 7 years, poison-control centers have reported more than 750,000 calls Citation: Sharfstein JM, North M, Serwint JR. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(23):2321-2324. In recent weeks, over-the-counter cough and cold medications for children have received unprecedented attention from reg- ulators, physicians, …
Read MoreClinical Challenge: February, 2008
The patient is a 9-year-old girl who fell and received a blow to her right chest. A few hours later, she presented to urgent care complaining of pain on deep breathing. On exam, you find a pulse of 103, and SAT of 96. She is not in respiratory distress; her chest exam was clear and she has an abrasion over her right chest. She is generally healthy, is on no medica- tions, and has no …
Read MoreIntegration of Pharmacologic and Non-pharmacologic Techniques to Enhance Pediatric Minor Procedures
Urgent message: Integration of various techniques when performing minor procedures on children can enhance clinical care for patients and families while bringing within reach administrative and financial goals. Emory Petrack, MD, FAAP, FACEP, Lisa S. Perry, CCLS, and Kristine Vehar, RN As the practice of urgent care medicine continues to grow, urgent care centers grapple with several important issues, among them the needs to provide optimal clinical care, reduce medical legal risk, and deliver excellence …
Read MorePublic Speaking Skills Enhance Professional Standing and Proficiency
Whether you are a clinician or a sales professional—or both, as is often the case in the urgent care occupational medicine arena—it is likely that you will find yourself in front of an audience giving a talk at some point. The topic may be a clinical one or something intended to get the audience to employ your professional services; either way, proficiency as a public speaker will greatly improve your chance of making the most …
Read MoreInsulating Your Practice from Sexual Harassment Claims
JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law describes sexual harassment as a form of employment discrimination consisting of unwelcome verbal or physical conduct directed at an employee because of his or her sex. Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when a condition of future or current employment is predicated upon fulfilling sexual demands. Finally, hostile environment sexual harassment occurs when the harassment has the effect of interfering with the victim’s work performance …
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Boosting Revenue by Working Harder—or Smarter?
Urgent message: With careful consideration and disciplined planning, ancillary services can add to your bottom line without significantly adding to your workload. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity Could Charles Dickens’ discourse provide a better depiction of the urgent care business today? Unprecedented growth in recent years proves the value of a healthcare delivery model like urgent care, based on consumer needs for affordability and convenience. But urgent care is not immune from challenges …
Read MoreA Field Guide to Evaluating Medical Literature
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Urgent care medicine is a rapidly evolving discipline. Out of this evolutionary process, scientific skepticism is naturally born. It is the checks and balances of medicine, ensuring that what is purported to be true, is in fact based on evidence, not speculation. We welcome this inquiry and support the process necessary to lend legitimacy to what has been mere estimation and speculation, thus far, in the development of our discipline. …
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