Practice Management
Providers are concerned about a dramatic rise in pneumonia cases in Indianapolis, according to Mirror Indy. The Indiana state health department does not track the disease, but 2 of IU Health’s urgent care locations in Indianapolis reported a 200% increase in cases. The locations saw 43 cases of pneumonia in September, up from 14 in August, which includes 15 pediatric cases in September, compared to just 1 in August. The department of health sent an …
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Roughly 15.5 million U.S. adults have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and more than 71% of them reported difficulty obtaining their ADHD medication during October–November 2023 because it was in short supply, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ADHD symptoms typically begin in childhood, however, 55% of those with the condition said they had been diagnosed as adults. Approximately one-third of adults reported taking prescription stimulant ADHD medication during the …
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Several major health systems are struggling to reach contract agreements with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) to provide care services for members covered by the insurer. Recently, Duke Health posted in a blog that its UHC reimbursement is below the 25th percentile among similar hospitals in North Carolina, which it calls “unacceptable” as it continues contracting talks with UHC. If no agreement is achieved, Duke will be out-of-network as of November 1 for several health plan products, including …
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A recent study of adult emergency department (ED) admissions published in Psychiatry Online found that patients taking high doses of prescription amphetamine drugs such as Adderall (>30 mg dextroamphetamine equivalents) have a 5.28-fold increased risk for developing psychosis or mania. Researchers compared 1,374 cases of individuals presenting with first-episode psychosis or mania to 2,748 control patients with a psychiatric hospitalization for other conditions. Data analysis suggests that 81% of cases of psychosis or mania potentially …
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A randomized clinical trial of 133 adults published in JAMA Internal Medicine showed that arm position can have an effect on blood pressure (BP) readings. When subjects supported their arm on their lap, it resulted in systolic BP readings overestimated by 3.9 mm Hg and diastolic BP readings overestimated by 4.0 mm Hg. Additionally, an unsupported arm at the subject’s side overestimated systolic BP by 6.5 mm Hg and diastolic BP by 4.4 mm Hg. …
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From 2011 to 2019, the rate of oral antibiotic prescriptions filled at U.S. outpatient pharmacies declined by 13%. The number of prescriptions dropped from 877 per 1,000 people in 2011 to 765 per 1,000 people in 2018 and 2019. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a total of 2.4 billion oral antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed over this time period. The most significant reduction (-25%) …
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Patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs like semaglutide for diabetes may have a lower risk of opioid drug overdose, according to a new study led by National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow, MD, published in JAMA Network Open. Previous empirical studies and anecdotal reports of fewer drug cravings among individuals with type 2 diabetes and comorbid opioid use disorder who use semaglutide inspired the study. Because the GLP-1 drugs are relatively new, there …
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is offering accelerated and advance Medicare payments for providers affected by Hurricane Helene. Those in disaster zones may request the payments individually with their unique National Provider Identifier to improve cash flow issues resulting from impaired operations that might be preventing providers from submitting claims and receiving Medicare payments. CMS notes Medicare providers that need assistance should contact their assigned Medicare Administrative Contractor. It’s …
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A cross-sectional study of data from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey from 2017 to 2020 of 8,021 adults found that 14% of U.S. adults experience absolute iron deficiency (defined as serum ferritin less than 30 ng/mL regardless of transferrin saturation), while 15% have functional iron deficiency (defined as serum ferritin greater than or equal to 30 ng/mL with transferrin saturation less than 20%). Absolute iron deficiency is more prevalent among younger women, however, …
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A new UPMC joint venture with GoHealth Urgent Care announced plans to acquire a number of MedExpress urgent care locations in 2025. The organizations state that new branding will rename UPMC urgent and express care locations as UPMC-GoHealth Urgent Care, and the partners will operate MedExpress locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. New locations are also on the drawing board, they say, however, the number of new, jointly operated centers was not disclosed. Some …
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