Developing Data

JUCM has devoted a lot more space to covering aspects of providing urgent care for children. In this very issue there’s a new original research article on how long the SARS-CoV-2 virus lasts in children who may or may not be symptomatic (see page XX). And if you look at our Masthead, you’ll notice we’ve even engaged a pediatric urgent care provider to provide guidance and to help us ensure we’re conveying the right information …

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their running count of data related to COVID-19 on December 7, a couple of subtle messages highly relevant to the urgent care provider stood out. Yes, the headlines went to the dramatic spike in cases, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions. However, the data also reveal something that emerged in Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in Preoperative Patients Tested in an Urgent Care Setting, the original research articles featured on …

If you surveyed Google data for 2020, you’d probably find that some of the most oft-used terms of the year were pandemic, covid, coronavirus, or even social distancing, work from home, and new normal. Let’s just say it’s been a year of seismic cultural change not only in the United States and across the globe, but also within the urgent care industry. While, clearly, there have been many hardships and tragedies this year, urgent care …

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it appeared that children were somehow less susceptible to becoming infected and, if they did get sick, had some unexplained level of protection against becoming severely ill. Like many “facts” about the virus, however, our understanding has changed since then.             While it still appears that children are getting sick at lower rates than adults, we now know COVID-19 can have dire consequences for younger patients. In fact, …

If you worked in an urgent care center located anywhere but a major urban hotspot at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely your business suffered. You may have even seen your team diminished or your business (we hope temporarily) closed. It didn’t have to be that way. Between testing patients for COVID-19 and treating others for whom there was no room at the emergency room, it should have been a shining moment for …

Cost, convenience, and quality are features healthcare consumers cherish. The challenge for healthcare consumers is to find a facility that offers all three. While they can certainly find quality care that’s convenient in their local emergency room, the cost for that care is high. A traditional primary care practice is also a good choice for quality care, but while the cost is going to be much lower than in the ED the patient may have …

Convenience has always been the hallmark of the urgent care experience. A patient who wakes up feeling unwell doesn’t want to wait a few days to see their primary care provider—especially if they have something that requires medication. And the best way to sort that out quickly is with a rapid test. Patients certainly understand that, as the number of rapid tests performed in urgent care centers continues to grow. Interestingly, while the total keeps …

Paradoxically, some urgent care centers are struggling due to low patient volumes during the COVID-19 crisis; patients who aren’t feeling that bad are afraid to venture out to a healthcare facility, while others who fear they could have the virus are heading to the hospital (hopefully, after calling first as recommended). Some operators have chosen to close for a while or consolidate locations. On the other hand, urgent care operators in urban, heavily affected areas …