Practice Management
Although the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains high, the epidemic could be slowing, according to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 2.4 million cases of STIs were reported in 2023 with syphilis cases increasing by just 1% after years of double-digit increases. There was a downward trend in congenital syphilis with just a 3% increase for the year, compared with 30% annual increases in recent …
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According to new research from the American Heart Association, heart disease deaths related to obesity increased by 180% in the U.S. between 1999 and 2020. Findings were especially concerning among men (increased 243%) and more specifically, middle-aged men (increased 165%). Also, Black adults exhibited heart disease death rates related to obesity of 3.93 deaths per 100,000 people. Researchers measured age-adjusted mortality rates and found a 5.03 annual percentage increase in the overall rate of obesity-related …
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Attempts to disrupt or supplant primary care haven’t gone as planned for a number of ambitious start-ups. After raising more than $600 million and reaching a valuation of $1 billion, Forward has abruptly canceled already-scheduled patient visits, disabled its app, and began shutting down its clinic locations last week. The Forward model was based on cash payment for direct primary care backed by tech-enabled care automation. Reportedly, the company had technical issues with its automated …
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that respiratory virus activity remains low nationally, while also confirming the first pediatric flu death of the 2024-2025 season, recorded in the middle of October. Overall, 201 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported between October 1 and November 2, 2024. Weekly trend lines show an increase of 2.4% in terms of outpatient visits to healthcare providers for respiratory illnesses for the week ending November 2. Separately, the …
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Caffeinated drinks seem to have become a lifestyle for American teens and tweens. A recent study from Epic Research showed that emergency department (ED) visits connected to consuming excessive amounts of caffeine nearly doubled among some age groups from 2017 to 2023. For kids ages 15 to 18, the rate increased from 7.4 per 100,000 visits in 2017 to 13.6 per 100,000 visits in 2023. But for kids ages 11 to 14, visits related to …
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Breaking a 10-month stalemate, WellNow Urgent Care and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) have at last executed a new contract agreement, putting WellNow back in-network as of November 15, 2024, according to an email from WellNow. Excellus insurance plans covered about 300,000 WellNow visits in New York last year. At least 40 centers are located in Central New York where hospital closures in recent years have provided WellNow opportunities to fill gaps in access. “At WellNow …
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking to remove oral phenylephrine from its list of approved over-the-counter ingredients. After a committee review, the oral decongestant was unanimously determined to be ineffective, according to FDA. However, removal from store shelves would occur no earlier than 2026, and the agency emphasizes that its proposed ban is based on effectiveness concerns, not on safety concerns. Over-the-counter oral phenylephrine has been on the market for 30 years. Chime …
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Just as urgent care centers across the nation prepare for peak flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also taking note of a rise in Mycoplasma pneumonia cases that’s been going on for the past 6 months. The analysis is based on data from patients discharged from emergency departments with a diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumonia-associated pneumonia or acute bronchitis. According to the agency, there was a peak in August of this …
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In a sobering cross-sectional study, researchers found that healthcare workers in emergency departments (EDs) experience workplace violence at a rate of once every 3.7 shifts. Even worse, in the large urban ED study site, 25% of the incidents involved physical violence, as published in JAMA Network Open. The odds of experiencing violence increased for those in a nursing role and workers of a younger age. Those who experienced violence reported they were moderately or severely …
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Preventing recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI) in children usually involves antibiotic prophylaxis. A new meta-analysis in Pediatrics of 23 randomized controlled trials found that for children with a history of RUTI, the antibiotic nitrofurantoin and cranberry products— both cranberry juice and tablets as supplementation—appeared to decrease the incidence of symptomatic episodes. Nitrofurantoin significantly lowering odds of symptomatic UTI episodes during prophylaxis, whether compared with controls (odds ratio [OR] 0.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.07-0.65, P=0.007) …
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