Practice Management
It’s a plain demographic fact that the segment of the U.S. population over the age of 65 is growing—and that it will continue to do so for years to come. It’s also been proven that seniors account for more healthcare spending than younger patients. In fact, they make up around 15% of the population right now, but contribute over 21% to healthcare costs. What’s more, seniors visit the emergency room more frequently and stay there …
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Just as the United States House of Representatives held hearings to explore ways to encourage more people to get vaccinated against measles—acknowledging that fear over mythical side effects makes a significant impact—a new study in Denmark provides further scientific proof that there is no link between vaccines and autism. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, focused on 657,461 children, some of whom were unvaccinated per their parents’ wishes and some of whom …
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Urgent care providers are well trained, well educated, and well prepared to treat patients with a wide array of complaints. One of the challenges is, there are still a great many people who don’t know that. The same holds true for employers in your area, who also may not realize that many urgent care centers offer occupational medicine services. Advertising, marketing campaigns, cold calls, and signage are all good ways to try to reach them, …
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New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that after years of decline, the number of HIV infections in the United States has pleateaued. New infections have stabilized, prompting the CDC to issue a call “for immediate action” on the part of healthcare providers, regardless of setting, to be more proactive in preventing HIV. The CDC’s report, Ending the Epidemic: A Plan for America, breaks down its recommendations into four steps: Protect …
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Deaths due to accidental opioid overdoses have reached unprecedented heights. In fact, according to new data from the National Safety Council, the odds of dying of an accidental opioid overdose are greater than being killed in a car accident in the United States. The odds for death by accidental opioid overdose are now 1 in 96, compared with 1 in 103 for car accidents. Recognizing the risk even in advance of the troubling new data, …
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Vermont Urgent Care has made testing for and treating sexually transmitted diseases a clinical priority in its Los Angeles neighborhood—even offering to test qualified patients at no cost. That decision is paying off with acclaim in being called out as one of the top providers of herpes testing services in the LA metro area. It started as part of a concentrated effort to expand the operation’s sexual health services. That allowed its providers to both …
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The Urgent Care Association will launch its 2019 Accreditation & Best Practices Webinar Series with a look at best practices for lab protocols and radiology next Thursday, March 7, 1 to 2 pm (Central). Some webinars in the series will qualify for Certified Urgent Care Management Professional (CUCMP) credit. To date, UCA has the following webinars planned: March 7, 2019: Ancillary Compliance ─ Lab Protocols and Radiology Best Practices (1 credit toward CUCMP designation) April …
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Americans spend more time traveling to and waiting to be seen by a healthcare provider than any other single pursuit, including in the infamously inefficient motor vehicle department, according to a study just released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, that time amounts to an economic cost of roughly $89 billion dollars annually—and that’s not counting the time they spend in the exam room. Over the entire survey period (2006–2017), the sum approaches …
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Just this month, we shared data from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners indicating that the number of nurse practitioners has grown considerably over the past year, and is expected to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Many are likely to gravitate toward urgent care, given this industry’s own continued growth. We’re not the only ones to realize the overall trend for NPs, however. State legislatures from coast to coast are taking a …
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A lesson in reducing unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics could be gleaned from a new study based in a large academic dental practice, of all places. It showed a 73% decrease in antibiotic prescribing vs baseline. The study population included 635 Medicaid members who sought urgent care for oral complaints at Illinois’ largest oral healthcare provider. Before the mandated intervention (patient and provider education and clinical guideline development), 8.5% of visits included a prescription for an …
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