Practice Management
Some operators may dismiss online reviews as a random mishmash of disgruntled patients spewing sour grapes when a doctor visit didn’t go the way they wanted or, to the other extreme, meaningless praise heaped on a business by shills. Those operators do so at their own peril, however, as a new survey reveals that online reviews matter a great deal to patients who are about to make healthcare decisions. According to the report from PatientPop, …
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The ongoing (and building) measles outbreak is getting most of the headlines, but simultaneous to that hepatitis A cases have continued to mount well into the thousands. Since the first confirmed case in 2016, more than 15,000 infections have occurred across the country; some 8,500 have required hospitalization. Florida has been hit especially hard, with 883 cases reported so far this year. That’s more than the total for all of 2017 and 2018 combined. Virginia …
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As marijuana use becomes legal in more communities across the country and urgent care providers (among others) get the message that opioid prescriptions have been far too prevalent, the nature of positive drug tests in the U.S. workforce seems to be changing with the times. Based on more than 10 million workplace drug test results in 2018, Quest Diagnostics reports growth in positive results for marijuana, while positive results for most opiates were down vs …
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As we continue to see success in lowering use of opioid drugs in managing acute pain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers data suggesting what might be appropriate parameters for their use when they’re truly necessary. Based on 13,440 patients covered by a large U.S. commercial insurer in 2014, and who filled an opioid prescription within 7 days of a primary care clinic visit, an initial prescription for 4–7 days was found to …
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The stated intention of the Affordable Care Act was to move the U.S. to a nation in which healthcare insurance was available to every citizen. Part of the subtext for its effect on the healthcare system was that if everyone had access to traditional health insurance, more people would engage in preventive healthcare, leading to lower need for emergency room visits and associated costs. That cause-and-effect has yet to be realized, however. While 20 million …
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Urgent care has benefited from (or perhaps driven) the trend of patients wanting to see a qualified provider the same day they need to, without an appointment. Going hand-in-hand with that is the need to find such a provider. Enter social media. When people post a review on Yelp! or gift an urgent care center with a “like” on its Facebook page, people notice—and may be more inclined to visit that location. A new study …
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Awareness of the opioid crisis plaguing the country has risen sufficiently that responsible healthcare providers are realizing where there are opportunities to help—while more nefarious characters prey on those who fall victim to addiction. Just this week federal agencies pounced on 53 medical professionals, leveling charges that they were taking part in illegal prescribing and distribution of opioids and other dangerous narcotics in Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. All told, they’re alleged to …
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As even the most frigid regions of the continental U.S. embrace spring and look forward to warmer weather, the time is right to start thinking about what that means to your urgent care operation. Besides seeing more warm-weather injuries and illnesses, as well as an influx of patients who are just passing through your community on vacation, there are seasonal opportunities to raise awareness of your business and reach people who may have been hibernating …
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New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the number of measles cases continues to grow in the United States, and that more states are seeing cases than was previously known. From January 1 to April 4 of this year, 465 cases were confirmed in 19 states—all told, the second highest number of cases since measles was declared “eliminated” in 2000. The CDC cautioned that the case count is preliminary, so the …
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Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV infection is controversial. Proponents hail it as a long-overdue opportunity to save lives and stem a public health crisis. Some urgent care providers are exploring whether it’s a viable opportunity both clinically and economically. Then again, some clinicians and public health officials believe offering PrEP de-incentivizes patients from using safe-sex practices and making healthy sexual decisions. A newly published article in the Journal of the American Medical Association raises another …
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