Practice Management
Long COVID is possibly more prevalent than what might be recorded in electronic health record (EHR) diagnostic or referral codes, according to a descriptive study in eClinicalMedicine. Researchers analyzed clinical data from more than 19 million adults in England from November 2020 to January 2023. A total of 55,465 patients were identified with long COVID, based on 20,025 diagnostic codes and 35,440 referral codes. Median follow-up was 2.2 years, and the rate of long COVID …
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A pediatrician hit the road recently with Incredicare, a mobile pediatric urgent care that serves 4 communities in the Las Vegas area. Incredicare was founded by Robert Wilkinson, MD, a dual-boarded physician in general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine who serves as the medical director of the pediatric emergency department at Summerlin Hospital. Four nurse practitioners also see patients in the colorful mobile clinic vehicle that’s decorated with a cartoon bear. Services include the typical …
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Maryland has finalized licensure-exception legislation to create a limited-scope x-ray technologist role that urgent care centers can now leverage to help extend the services their staff can provide. No license is required, but there are some criteria techs must meet, such as clinical experience, hours of training, and supervision by a licensed physician or radiologic technologist. The good news is that the staff who qualify can capture x-rays for almost any common concern, including spine, …
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Ascension Healthcare, with 140 hospitals and more than 50 urgent cares in 19 states, was impacted by a cyberattack earlier this month, forcing ambulances to divert and pharmacies to shut down. The system disconnected from its Epic EHR, which caused long emergency department wait times and care delays. Ascension has not given a timeline for when its systems will be fully restored, according to Healthcare Dive on its cyberattack state-by-state tracker. How much: When Change …
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The North East Regional Urgent Care Association (NERUCA) Governmental Affairs Committee recently notified members via email about a freshly minted New York budget rule that includes provisions that effectively prohibit urgent care (UC) operators from requiring patients to leave credit card information on file for payment. Most UCs require a card on file so they can collect the appropriate out-of-pocket responsibility after claims adjudication. However, the new law, General Business Law 519-a, essentially eliminates any …
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A randomized controlled trial conducted in Europe found that dequalinium chloride has good efficacy for treating bacterial vaginosis (BV) in women without the use of antibiotics. When compared with the antibiotic metronidazole, dequalinium chloride was not only noninferior, it also had better tolerability and fewer adverse events, as published in JAMA Network Open. Study authors believe dequalinium chloride could help reduce antibiotic consumption and could be considered as first-line treatment for bacterial vaginosis with less …
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The Joint Commission recently announced a new telehealth accreditation program (TEL) applicable to eligible hospitals and ambulatory care providers, including urgent cares. The TEL program requirements will be released this month with formal applications opening on July 1, 2024. New telehealth-specific requirements include: streamlined emergency management to address remote care rather than in a physical building; new standards for telehealth provider and patient education about the use of telehealth platforms and devices; and new standards …
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Last summer was the hottest on record in the United States, accompanied by an increase in heat-related health issues. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that during the warm months of 2023 (May through September), heat-related health issues contributed to a significantly larger proportion of emergency department (ED) visits when compared to the previous 5 years. Specifically, there were 119,605 heat-related ED visits in 2023, with 92% occurring between May …
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The Urgent Care Association (UCA) is promoting Urgent Care Awareness Month to call attention to the important role urgent care has as a valuable segment in the healthcare ecosystem. Legislators, community leaders, and consumers need to know everything UC contributes, especially the widespread access issues that UC can help resolve. UCA has a collection of Awareness Month resources that any UC organization can use. What’s in the bag? Download a sample news release, 3 choices …
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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 …
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