Can Predicting Which Kids Are Likely to ‘Bounce Back’ Help Reduce Return Visits?

Every urgent care operator wants to see patients return again and again. It means they’re happy with the care they receive, and the economic benefits for the business are obvious. Seeing the same patients return a day or two after a visit with concerns related to their initial complaint is another matter. An article just published in Physicians Weekly reveals insights that could help you predict which kids are most likely to bounce back, however—and maybe anticipate their needs so a return trip won’t be necessary. The study on which the article is based identified a “reutilization rate” of 10% in pediatric emergency rooms and urgent care centers, based on a retrospective chart analysis of 688 patients with amoxicillin-associated responses (AARs) over a 2-year period. Specifically, they considered rash phenotype; systemic symptoms like fever, angioedema, joint involvement, and  gastrointestinal symptoms; and physicians’ management as red flags that could precede reutilization. Urticaria was revealed to be the most likely rash type to necessitate a return visit, while patients under 2  years of age were more likely than others to return if the provider failed to document “explicit return precautions.” The authors concluded that “Improved anticipatory counseling and early allergy consultation are two examples of treatments that can be used to optimize care for children presenting with AARs by addressing the clinical characteristics and treatment gaps related to ED/UC reutilization.”