Practice Management
Results from a poll of 1,000 consumers presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts show that half of those who went to an emergency department (ED) believed the amount of time they waited for care was unreasonable. While only 3% of respondents who went to the ED had to wait more than 12 hours, another 6% waited from 8-12 hours, 22% waited 4-8 hours, and 29% waited 2-4 hours. The balance (39%) waited less …
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The Urgent Care Association’s (UCA) Commission on Diversity is seeking organizations to participate in a pilot program for a new commendation for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). UCA created the program as an opportunity for urgent care organizations to be recognized for efforts to address disparities with well-thought DEI strategies. The DEI Commendation will be structured to recognize a commitment to best practices in creating inclusive environments, while fostering equal opportunities and embracing diversity to …
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Walmart is pumping the brakes on expansion plans for its superstore health clinics, a decision that parallels a similar trend among other national retailers that have reconsidered the scale of their care operations recently, according to news in Healthcare Dive. The retail giant was aiming to offer 75 store-based health clinics by the end of this year but has now targeted 2025 for that milestone instead. “The current iteration of Walmart Health launched in 2019 …
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was found to be the most common comorbidity for adults with asthma, according to a study published in BMJ Open Respiratory Research. Acute rhinosinusitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, dysfunctional breathing, diabetes, pneumonia, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, respectively, were also common comorbidities. Based in Finland, the study included 1,648 adults with asthma and 3,310 individuals without the condition, following them for 15 years. Researchers …
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According to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), new projections indicate a continued shortage of physicians in the next 10 to 15 years, although the shortage is expected to be less than previously forecasted. AAMC predicts a shortfall of 13,500 to 86,000 physicians by 2036, with demand for physician services continuing to outpace the supply of working clinicians. By comparison, the 2021 report projected a shortfall of up to 124,000 physicians …
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A recent article in Physicians Practice by Benjamin Barlow, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Experity, summarizes the shifting market position for urgent care (UC). Barlow notes how during the pandemic era, UC clinics stepped up with flexibility and efficiency to deliver SARS-CoV-1 tests at scale. However, after a time, relying on that approach became short-sighted, leading to many clinics shifting away from fundamental urgent care capabilities. Now they must restore balance that is long overdue …
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Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) has launched a new virtual urgent care service specifically for children and young adults up to 21 years old who need after-hours medical attention for non-emergency conditions, according to MobiHealth News. The platform connects patients with CHLA healthcare providers for presentations such as fever, respiratory infections, vomiting, minor eye issues, allergies, bruises, cuts and scrapes. The telehealth providers can offer discharge instructions, send prescriptions to pharmacies, and recommend a referral …
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Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved the medication sotatercept, which traps activins that cause constriction of arteries in the lungs, leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Sotatercept targets a growth factor that is overproduced in PAH, reducing the risk of blood vessel thickening. The population with PAH is relatively small—diagnosed in 500 to 1,000 Americans annually and disproportionately affecting women between the ages of 30 and 60, according to the American Lung Association. …
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A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that simultaneously test for multiple causes of a rash may show false positives for measles in children who recently had a dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. About approximately 5% of kids experience a rash 7–10 days after the MMR shot. A study of 1,548 syndromic PCR panels from the Tennessee Department of Health found 14 children …
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The share of the procedures provided in urgent care (UC) centers submitted on commercial insurance claims grew 207% from 2013 to 2022, according to an in-depth index report from nonprofit claims-data analysis organization FAIR Health. Teasing out single-year growth, utilization of urgent care centers increased 43% from 2021 to 2022. Growth of these “claim lines”—essentially individual procedures listed on insurance claims—echoes the robust growth in the number of urgent care clinics serving the nation overall, …
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