Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

No Surprise, but Confirmed: Smoking and COPD Are Linked to Higher COVID-19 Mortality

Patients with COVID-19 who are also current or former smokers or who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at greater risk for severe complications and mortality than other COVID-19 patients, according to a study just published in the journal PLOS ONE. In analyzing data from 15 studies reflecting 2,473 patients with confirmed COVID-19, the researchers found that patients with COPD were at a higher risk of more severe disease (risk of severity = 63% compared …

UCA Moves to Boost Urgent Care’s Profile—Just When It’s Needed Most

You don’t need to be told that these are hard times for urgent care. In addition to the very real problems many individual operators, clinicians, and staffers are experiencing thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry as a whole is facing uncertainty. Even the Urgent Care Association’s annual convention had to be recast as a virtual event. Still, UCA is continuing in its mission to advocate and serve as a resource for the urgent care …

Occ Med Providers Will Be Truly ‘Essential Businesses’ When Companies Ramp Back Up

Urgent care operators who offer occupational medicine services will be more valuable than ever once states make the difficult decision to resume “normal” operations and allow businesses to do the same. What that looks like will undoubtedly vary from state to state, but it’s likely that worker testing, examinations, and workplace hygiene practices will be a subject of great interest for both employers and workers. Occ med providers will be in a great position to …

COVID-19 May Not Be as Threatening to People with Asthma as We Thought

People who have asthma are often listed among patients at higher risk for severe disease and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a new article on MedPage Today calls that presumption into question. Quoting infectious disease experts and drawing on data from the still-small pool of research that’s been done on COVID-19, the piece notes that 5% of people in China have been diagnosed with asthma—but asthma was found in less than 1% of patients …

New Data Highlight the Need to Be Vigilant for Diabetes Among Patients with COVID-19

Patients with “underlying conditions” are at increased risk for severe disease and poor outcomes if they have COVID-19. That drum has been beaten long and loud. However, new data published in Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews illustrate how great the threat is to patients who have diabetes, in particular. Meta-analysis showed that diabetes was associated with composite poor outcomes (risk ratio = 2.38, 95% confidence interval 1.88-3.03), including mortality (RR 2.12, 95% …

As One Possible COVID-19 Treatment Gets a Closer Look, Another Prompts Safety Concerns

As One Possible COVID-19 Treatment Gets a Closer Look, Another Prompts Safety Concerns While the world hopes for a “magic bullet” that will put COVID-19 down, or at least prevent it, researchers remain committed to exploring all available options. Most recently, the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the investigational antiviral drug remdesivir for the treatment of suspected or laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in adults and children hospitalized with severe disease. Acknowledging that …

Urgent Care Continues to Adapt as Needs Related to the Pandemic Evolve

Some urgent care operators, especially those in hard-hit areas like New York City, have been in the thick of the fight against COVID-19 from the start. Others experienced dramatic drop-offs in patient visits (and still may be) before developing plans that would allow them to serve their communities in new and different ways; classifying some locations as testing centers and launching telemedicine services allowed them to continue bringing in revenue while providing much-needed care. Now …

Urgent Care Is Being Bashed and Disregarded in the COVID-19 Crisis—Set the Record Straight on How You Can Help

As cases of COVID-19 started to spike in some parts of the country, urgent care’s potential contributions in fighting the pandemic were overlooked or even maligned by media outlets with a poor understanding of the level of care urgent care providers offer on a daily basis. Perhaps worse, some articles accurately portrayed concerning actions by local officials and state governments. As you peruse the examples below, consider proactively reaching out to local newspapers, broadcasters, and …

Confirmed: Patients Are Opting Out of Essential Care During the Pandemic; Help Them!

Paradoxically, patients who may be at greatest risk for complications due to COVID-19 are opting out of the very care that could keep them from suffering with severe disease, according to research published by Patient Care Online. The concern is especially great among those with chronic conditions such as asthma and type 2 diabetes. The problem, simply, is that they’re scared; 40% said they’re “worried/very worried” about going to a medical facility, including the emergency …

If You Test or Treat Uninsured Patients for COVID-19, Make Sure You Get Paid. Here’s How

The Department of Health and Human Services, under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and the Economic Security (CARES) Act, has launched a portal specifically designed to ensure healthcare providers who have tested or treated uninsured patients for COVID-19 are compensated for those services. Claims are reimbursed “generally at Medicare rates,” according to HHS. Claims related to care provided on or after February 4, 2020 can be submitted through the …