Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Be Prepared: Patients Can Be ‘Over’ COVID-19 But Not Over the Symptoms—for a Long Time

So many patients have lingering symptoms after the SARS-CoV-2 virus has actually resolved that distinctive names have emerged: long-haul COVID-19, or post-COVID condition. Complaints can include those associated directly with the virus—eg, shortness of breath, body aches, fatigue—or an entirely new set that could include twitching muscles, racing heart, and various gastrointestinal problems. Be prepared to administer COVID-19 tests or antibody tests to rule out true infection. In addition, according to the Centers for Disease …

Update: A Deeper Dive Confirms Telemedicine Use Waxes and Wanes Along with COVID-19

Recently, we shared data indicating that use of telemedicine appears to be on the decline following a brief period of increased utilization. Now an article published by JAMA Network confirms that those fluctuations tracked along with the COVID-19 pandemic, while also shedding light on who was drawn to virtual visits when in-person care seemed too daunting to some patients. Specifically, data from the IQVIA National Disease and Therapeutic Index showed that 77% of telehealth “visits” …

Peer Pressure May Actually Be a Good Way of Discouraging Inappropriate Prescriptions

Despite great strides in urgent care, overprescribing of antibiotics and related resistance to potentially lifesaving medications continues to be a concern across multiple practice settings. Sometimes it’s easier to write that prescription than it is to resist the urge to please patients and rack up high satisfaction scores. What if we found out that prescribers are equally swayed by the opinion of a respected colleague? That could be the case, it turns out, according to …

Operators May Not Be to Blame When a Physician Assaults a Patient—but They’re Sure to Pay the Price

An urgent care physician in the San Francisco Bay area was arrested recently on suspicion of sexual battery. A patient charged that he made repeated, unwanted sexual advances and even forced himself on her three times. Local media reports raise the specter that there could be other victims yet to come forward. There’s no indication that his employer had any idea about his alleged predatory behavior, and at this point there’s no indication that they’ll …

Is the Pandemic Telehealth Boom About to Go Bust?

It’s always been hard to get a good read on how telehealth would ultimately fare in the urgent care industry. There have been proponents who argued that anything that increases access to medical care—which telehealth does, undeniably—would ultimately be good for the patient and any operator smart enough to seize the opportunity. Others have argued (also logically) that a virtual visit can lack some of the nuances that are so essential in making the right …

Once a Possible Competitor, Could Apple Now Be a Conduit to Urgent Care Utilization?

Just a few short years ago, it appeared that tech innovator Apple had plans to veer away from its expertise by entering the brick-and-mortar healthcare marketplace. As JUCM News reported at the time, it started by hiring more than 40 physicians to provide on-site care for employees—but also to advise the company on future healthcare strategies. The idea was that they would ultimately launch primary care locations for the general public. Now it appears the …

Déjà Vu All Over Again? COVID-19 Cases Are Mounting in Most States

While people continue to celebrate a return to “normal” and what they see as the demise of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unfortunate truth is that 46 states are reporting at least a 10% increase in the number of confirmed cases. Thirty-six of those states say new cases have gone up at least 50%, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. While largely vaccine-hesitant states like Arkansas and Louisiana are seeing their numbers …

Some Urgent Care Operators Are Betting That Focusing on Allergy Care Could Be Lucrative

It’s not unusual for patients experiencing an allergy attack to seek relief at an urgent care center. On the other hand, it is somewhat unusual for an urgent care operator to promote their services with an emphasis on allergy care. The facts are, though, that respiratory complaints drive a large proportion of urgent care visits, and that seasonal allergies are the biggest non-influenza cause. WellNow Urgent Care seems to think it’s time to leverage these …

When an FDA Warning Comes Down—Especially Related to COVID-19—Perspective Matters

With just 55% of the U.S. population at least partially vaccinated and 48% fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as of July 13, we have a ways to go before achieving adequate protection as a nation. Too many people are already skittish about receiving the vaccine. So it’s alarming any time there’s news of bad reactions among people who’ve gotten a shot. Such is the case today, as the Food and Drug Administration is expected …

Many Summer Camps Require Masks; Schools May Follow Suit in the Fall. Is This Safe for Kids?

One condition of children attending summer camps across the country is often that they wear masks to inhibit possible spread of the COVID-19 virus. Some school districts have already said they plan to do the same when the next academic year begins. At the same time, some parents claim that forcing their kids to wear masks is not only excessive compared with the actual risk to children, but that such a practice actually puts them …