Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Program Increases Appropriate Antibiotics for Pediatric Infections

A national quality improvement (QI) initiative resulted in increases in appropriate antibiotic prescribing for pediatric infections at 118 US hospitals, as published in Pediatrics. The QI program sought to encourage the use of appropriate antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumonia, skin and other soft-tissue infection, and urinary tract infection. Program actions included monthly feedback, education, coaching, order sets, and a mobile app with treatment recommendations. Overall, adherence to empirical antibiotic therapy was 72%; definitive antibiotic therapy …

AHA Cites Labor Costs and Administrative Burdens as Top Financial Issues

Hospitals and health systems are facing significant financial pressures that make it difficult for them to balance their budgets year after year, according to a new economic report from the American Hospital Association (AHA). Even as the pandemic eased in 2023, they dealt with rising expenses stemming from high labor, drug, and supply costs, as well as increasing administrative burdens. Meanwhile, reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid programs haven’t kept up with the rising costs, and …

Med Spa Services Require Protocols to Prevent Blood-Borne Pathogen Exposure

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the first time documents incidents of HIV transmission through cosmetic injection services known as “vampire facials,” which are treatments that inject a person’s own blood into their face for cosmetic purposes, such as skin rejuvenation. The services are usually delivered in spa-type environments and involve drawing a client’s blood, separating the plasma and cells, and using disposable or multi use sterile equipment …

Banner UC Tracks Valley Fever to Speed Diagnosis

Banner Urgent Care facilities have launched a new dashboard system aimed at enhancing disease tracking capabilities across the region for coccidioidomycosis (“San Joaquin Valley fever” or “valley fever”), according to the University of Arizona website. The dashboard aggregates real-time data from all Banner locations to determine the percentage of positive cases, report patients’ symptoms, and track the timing of infections. Banner aims to pinpoint high-risk areas where the disease is more prevalent to help speed …

Walmart Gives Up on Health Clinics and Virtual Care

In a somewhat surprising move, Walmart announced this week that it will close all 51 of its health centers as well as its telehealth business after a 5 year go at the market. The Walmart Health arm of the retail giant’s strategy was on track to expand beyond its initial 5 states (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Texas) but has abandoned the model because of a “challenging reimbursement environment,” the company said in a press …

New Antibiotic Approved for UTIs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of the oral antibiotic pivmecillinam for treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women over age 18. Marketed as Pivya, pivmecillinam has a unique mechanism of action to treat UTIs caused by susceptible isolates of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus saprophyticus. It’s been in use outside of the United States for decades, but it’s the first antibiotic for UTIs approved by FDA in 20 years. …

Optum Set to Close Down Virtual Care

On a recent conference call, Optum notified some employees that its virtual care division will cease operations in July, according to Becker’s Health IT. Optum Virtual Care launched in 2021 and covers all 50 states. At UnitedHealth’s investor conference in November, Optum’s CEO implied that virtual care is a crowded market, and more recently, employees on social media have reported a significant workforce reduction at Optum, ranging from nurse case managers to senior director and …

Nurses Protest Use of Artificial Intelligence

Hundreds of nurses in San Francisco voiced their objections to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare during a recent protest, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. For example, some criticized an AI feature within the Epic EHR that determines nurse staffing based on real-time charting. They argued that this method may not accurately or fairly account for their work. Additionally, some nurses raised objections to AI chatbots that interact with patients, which could create …

Challenges Predicted For FTC Noncompete Ban

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule that would ban nearly all noncompete agreements among for-profit employers and a small subset of nonprofits as well. In healthcare, it represents a significant shift in employment and contractual agreements, allowing clinicians to switch jobs and work for rival providers without limitations. Rules are set to take effect in 4 months. The American Medical Association estimates as many as 45% of physicians work under …

Providers Still Not Back to Normal After Change Cyberattack

Two months after the Change Healthcare cyberattack upended payments to a large percentage of the nation’s healthcare providers, organizations say they’re still suffering from the fallout, both financially and logistically, according to Kaiser Health News. Change parent company UnitedHealth Group indicated during a shareholder call on Tuesday, however, that business is largely back to normal, and its chief financial officer said that the company expects full operations to resume next year. The hacking has cost …