Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Video Consultation May Not Have Advantages For Pediatric Prescribing

Researchers found the use of video telemedicine to conduct consultations for acutely ill children in rural and community emergency departments (EDs) does not reduce medication errors when compared to consultations done by telephone, as presented in JAMA Network Open. A randomized trial across 15 community and rural EDs that examined 696 cases of acutely ill children found no statistically significant differences in physician-related medication errors between cases leveraging telephone consultations when compared to cases leveraging …

DOJ Questions UnitedHealth’s Contracting Practices

The Department of Justice has launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group, focusing on how the UnitedHealthcare insurance division influences its own Optum health-services arm, according to the Wall Street Journal. Optum’s portfolio includes physician groups and other providers, and the business line employs a total physician force of about 90,000, making it the largest physician employer in the country. The investigation is digging into how Optum’s acquisitions of physician groups impact competition, particularly in …

AI Tools Will Soon Be Part of Everyday Practice

A perspectives article in JAMA Internal Medicine notes that primary care providers (PCPs) spend a large part of their time each day clicking in their medical record systems. Artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually working its way into everyday processes—such as algorithms that can suggest coding choices or predict a patient’s risk for a certain health condition—ideally to help clinicians gain some efficiencies. The author believes that the widespread availability of generative AI suggests that AI-powered …

Walgreens Pulls Village Medical Out of Multiple Markets

After investing $5.2 billion in VillageMD in 2021, Walgreens initially had plans to open at least 600 Village Medical primary care clinics within Walgreens retail pharmacy locations in 30 markets by 2025, aiming to amass about 1,000 clinics by 2027. However, last week in what seems like a relative backpedal, Walgreens announced it is now closing all its VillageMD sites in Illinois and Florida, a Drug Store News story revealed. Illinois currently hosts 6 locations, and Florida …

UCA Highlights Bipartisan Effort to Encourage Use of UC

The Urgent Care Association (UCA) recently led a new effort that asks the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to include policies in the forthcoming FY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule that would encourage those covered by Medicare and Medicaid to seek non-emergent care at urgent care centers. A letter written by Ann Kuster (D-NH), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Darin LaHood (R-IL), and Michael Burgess (R- TX) that was signed by 26 members of Congress from both …

Measles Outbreaks Prompt Calls For Action

World Health Organization (WHO) leaders are predicting half of the world will be at high risk of measles outbreaks by the end of the year unless preventive measures ramp up quickly. Measles cases have been increasing across the world mostly because of missed vaccinations, and cases last year increased 79%, according to WHO data reported by Reuters. The measles virus is highly contagious and mostly affects children under 5 years old. According to the Centers for …

Law Doubles the Penalties for Assaulting Healthcare Workers in Michigan

Michigan has 2 new laws going into effect on March 4 to combat the frightening rise in verbal and physical attacks on healthcare workers. The bipartisan bills, signed into law by the governor in December, double the penalties and fines for assaulting healthcare professionals or volunteers, according to a news item in Crain’s Grand Rapid Business. Offenders face up to a 93-day jail sentence and a $1,000 fine for assaulting workers on duty. If the …

Oregon Seeks to Limit PE Ownership of Urgent Cares

In Oregon, proposed legislation could dramatically limit corporate ownership of primary care, specialty, and urgent care clinics. Proponents say they’re concerned about the potential quality issues, staff reductions, increased costs, and the “depersonalization” of ownership they believe comes with private equity control, according to an article by Oregon Public Broadcasting. The bill’s language builds on existing rules in the state and would require clinics with corporate ownership to ensure the majority owners (51%) are physicians. …

Duke UC Staff Adopt Honeybee Mascot

The Duke Urgent Care Hillsborough clinic in Hillsborough, North Carolina, treats about 110 patients per day. And every one of them likely notices that the staff and clinicians have adopted the hard-working honeybee as the center’s official mascot. As part of an employee experience program, workers chose the mascot and decorated the space with bee-themed wall art, signs and plush animals. Many staff wear bee icons on their name tags as well. “We liked what the honeybee …

Buprenorphine, Liraglutide Could Be A Promising Combination

An analysis in Stat shared recent findings from the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference that indicate liraglutide–the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication used for weight loss—significantly reduced opioid cravings for patients in a small randomized controlled trial. The 20 patients used anti-obesity drugs for opioid use disorder for 3 weeks, and those using liraglutide experienced a 40% reduction in opioid cravings, even when the lowest dose was used. Ramp up recovery: Buprenorphine is the …