Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Urgent Care Can Influence the Top 10 Causes of Death in the U.S.

Influenza sits alone as the only infectious disease among the top 10 causes of death in the United States, proving more work needs to be done to ensure everyone who needs a flu shot gets one. Urgent care is ideally suited to saving lives through prevention in this area, being an increasingly popular destination for people without a “medical home” and among newly insured patients. Influenza and pneumonia are listed as the seventh leading causes …

How Urgent Care Providers Can Help Prevent Flu Deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to stress that immunization—plus everyday hygiene—is the best way to avoid potentially deadly flu. Urgent care providers are in an especially good position to try to influence patients, as anyone feeling bad enough to seek immediate care may be susceptible to suggestions on how to avoid feeling even worse down the road. The CDC recommends six steps providers can take to encourage even reluctant patients to …

History Points to a Tough Flu Season This Year

Last year’s relatively mild flu season is likely indicative of two things: The vaccine produced was a good match for the prevalent strains of influenza, and this year’s season could be a doozy. The latter point would be borne out by history, which shows that “good” flu seasons are most often followed by “bad” flu seasons. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions continues to hammer home the message that early vaccination is …

Flu as a percentage of total visits

The following chart, based on a study of over 20,000,000 patients’ records in Practice Velocity’s database of patient visits across the United States, illustrates the frequency of influenza diagnoses between January 2010 and October 2016 relative to total urgent care visits that carried an evaluation and management (E/M) code. The period of December through January is the typical peak of the flu season, although in some years flu outbreaks occur somewhat earlier or later. In …

Pediatric Oral Lesions in the Urgent Care Setting

Urgent message: Being able to recognize the distinct oral lesions of common illnesses in children is essential, but it can be difficult to conduct an oral examination in frightened young children. Introduction Inspecting intraoral lesions in children will often confirm a diagnosis, but getting uncooperative patients to let the clinician visualize such lesions is challenging. Here we provide helpful examination tips and review common pediatric infectious and allergic oral lesions and their treatment. Techniques for …

To Boost Flu Shot Rates—and Revenue—Go Where the Patients Are

It’s been well documented that higher flu shot rates equate to lower incidence of potentially deadly seasonal influenza cases. It’s also been shown that some patients are less likely than others to get a flu shot. Some think they don’t need it or can’t afford it. However, you can reach those who claim it’s too inconvenient to get a shot, or that they simply don’t have the time, by setting up shop wherever people congregate. …

States Report First Flu Cases—and Multiple Deaths

The flu season has barely begun, with the peak not expected for at least 2 months, but there’s already an uptick in reported cases—and multiple deaths—around the country. Just last week, Nevada reported three fatalities and North Carolina reported its first of the 2016–2017 season. The grim news is an opportunity to stress to patients the importance of getting their annual flu shot early, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ask …

Millennials Not Alone in Dodging Flu Shots

We told you recently that fewer than half the patients in the “millennials” age group (roughly, those born between 1982 and 2004) are planning to get a flu shot this year—in spite of the fact that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging patients in general to get vaccinated earlier than ever. Now a study by UPI indicates that U.S. parents who don’t get their kids immunized make that choice because they simply …

Start Priming the Pump for Flu Shot Programs

It may seem early, but September is actually the ideal time to start promoting influenza immunization programs in your urgent care center. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all patients 6-months-old and above receive a flu shot by the end of October. In addition to traditional promotional channels like local advertising and social media, don’t forget the value of good old-fashioned human contact; let patients who come in for everyday complaints that …

Free Urgent Care Webinar Explores Deadly Combination

With preparations already underway for the 2016–2017 flu season, this is an ideal time to look further into the correlation between pneumonia and influenza—especially in urgent care, where respiratory illness is the number-one diagnosis code recorded. Pneumonia is the most common complication of influenza, and leads to significant morbidity and mortality, with the elderly and patients with comorbid conditions being most at risk. Glenn Harnett, MD will lead a discussion of this deadly combination in …

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