Social Media Vital Signs: How Urgent Care Centers Can Connect, Interact and Build Relationships with Patients Urgent message: Social media such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube can help urgent care operators better understand patients’ needs and communicate the value of urgent care medicine―ultimately driving more visits to their centers. Author: Caroline Ryan and Jan Sisko Author Information: This article was presented as a white paper at the 2012 Urgent Care Association Conference. Caroline Ryan …
Read MoreJUCM Digital Edition Has a New Look
We’ve upgraded the digital edition of JUCM to give you a better reading experience! We think you’re going to like it. Check out the features below and let us know by writing to [email protected] Beautiful reading experience, wherever you are – a beautiful digital edition that looks and feels like a real book, on whichever device you choose. Searchable and zoomable content – You can use the search function to locate relevant key words or …
Read MoreAtypical Appendicitis in the Older Patient
Urgent message: Consider the possibility of appendicitis in the elderly even in the absence of typical/classic symptoms. Acute appendicitis in this population is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Author: Alona Dalusung-Angosta, PhD, APN, NP-C and Bryan Holmes, NREMTP Introduction Acute appendicitis is one of the most common causes of abdominal pain, affecting 7% of the general population. The majority of cases occur in patients ages 10 to 30, and the risk of mortality …
Read MoreWhat To Look for in a Medical Transcriptionist
Urgent message: Sending your dictation to India or the Philippines may save you money, but do you really want a transcriptionist whose first language isn’t English? Author: Mary Goehring Author Credit: Mary Goehring is CEO of Transcription Plus, LLC (www.transcriptionplus.net) in Bristol, Connecticut. She can be reached at (860) 583-2818 or [email protected] Introduction No one will disagree that errors cost money–in any business. Medical errors account for more deaths in America than breast cancer, AIDS, …
Read MoreThe Missing Key: Enhancing Care by Understanding Patients’ Emotions
Urgent message: Even with the utmost attention to proper protocols, current data, and vast clinical experience, patient emotions are the unforeseeable x factor in a positive encounter (and, sometimes, even positive outcomes). Author: Bob Stuart, MD and Bob Bichler, RN As providers, we have been trying to understand how we can be more helpful and effective with the patients to which we provide care. How can I best provide care which will feel most satisfying …
Read MoreTuberculosis: Post-Exposure Testing and Management
Urgent message: Patients who present after exposure to tuberculosis test the clinician’s ability to assimilate broad and generalized information, including a unique set of historical, clinical, and laboratory data required to customize appropriate, patient-specific assessment and treatment plans. By Jacqualine Dancy, PA-C, MPAS Not long after I contributed the article Tuberculosis Screening in Urgent Care Medicine (JUCM, July/August 2010), our urgent care clinic was faced with the exposure to tuberculosis of numerous employees at a …
Read MoreECG Challenge: A 73-year-old Male with Concerns About His Pacemaker
Urgent message: Identifying the most likely cause of a 73-year-old male’s sensation that his heart is “missing beats” — while being mindful of the most potentially serious sources—will guide decisions on the right course of action. The ECG you order will offer invaluable clues as to the appropriate steps to take. By John F. O’Brien, MD The patient is a 73-year-old male who presents with a primary complaint that it occasionally feels as if his heart is “missing …
Read MoreGetting Paid: Ten Steps to Reducing Accounts Receivable
Urgent message: Unlike businesses that expect—and receive—full payment at the time services or goods are secured, urgent care centers often wait for full payment from third-party payors. Efficient management of accounts receivable is crucial to the center’s financial viability. By Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity Urgent care centers—which appeal to consumers on the basis of high-visibility locations, extended hours, and walk-in convenience—are often compared to “retail” businesses. Unlike stores, restaurants, and other “retailers” …
Read MoreCase Report: Stye or Chalazion?
Urgent message: Patient discomfort, inconvenience, and concerns—warranted or not—over possible vision loss make it essential for the urgent care clinician to quickly distinguish between benign conditions and those requiring referral, and to be able communicate clearly with the patient. By Eric Langerman, medical student, Colleen Czerniak, pharmacy student, Mikayla Spangler PharmD, Shailendra Saxena, MD, PhDAny ocular pathology can be distressing to the patient, as such conditions can often disrupt activity and even provoke concern about …
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Practice Management: Keys to a Financially Healthy Urgent Care Center: Patient and Payor Mix
Urgent message: The right mix of payors and patients might make the difference between profitability and the poorhouse. Apply the basic principles to your situation, and adjust accordingly. By Stacy Calvaruso Many factors contribute to the ultimate success or failure of an urgent care center. Some are beyond your control, but there are others on which you can exert a good deal of influence — with the right approach. Two such factors that have an …
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