Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Will AI Discharge Summaries Help To Reduce Burnout?

AI-generated reports using large language models (LLMs) seem inevitable in healthcare, especially when it comes to the time-consuming task of writing up patient discharge summaries, a commentary post in JAMA Internal Medicine states. Right now, the responsibility of compiling summaries is one of the many administrative burdens leading to burnout among clinicians, and leveraging LLM tools could reduce that burden if done thoughtfully and with appropriate data integration. In a related article, researchers found no …

While Healthcare Spending Will Slow Slightly, Ranks Of The Uninsured Will Grow

Healthcare spending may show signs of moderating starting next year, but the trendline will continue its sharp upward climb nonetheless, according to new numbers released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Health Affairs. Overall, expect annual spending to reach $5.6 trillion this year, eventually climbing to $8.6 trillion by 2033. Health spending will likely consume 20.3% of GDP by 2033. Growth in 2024 is projected at 8.2%, followed by 7.1% growth …

Two-Dose Shingles Vaccine Shows Long-Term Effectiveness

A real-world study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases found that two doses of the adjuvanted recombinant shingles vaccine was estimated to be 74% effective at preventing herpes zoster (HZ) and 84% effective at preventing postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in U.S. adults aged 50 years and older. The study, conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) in collaboration with the vaccine’s manufacturer GSK, evaluated the long-term effectiveness of the recombinant zoster vaccine. Researchers followed participants …

COVID’s Sore Throat Symptoms Mimic Strep Pharyngitis

Urgent care visit volumes continue at a predictable summer pace, but certain states have seen a rise in COVID-19 diagnoses, according to exclusive data from Experity. In fact, patients with COVID are presenting with symptoms that mirror strep pharyngitis, making it harder to tell the difference without testing. Arizona has the top positivity rate in the country at 24.2%, as of July 6, 2025. From mid-May through the beginning of July, the positivity rate has …

ADHD Stimulants Present Risk of Weight Loss in Young Children

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced updates to the labeling of all extended-release stimulant medications indicated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because of a known risk of significant weight loss in children under 6 years of age. Clinically significant weight loss (at least a 10% decrease in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weight percentile) was observed in both short- and long-term studies with extended-release stimulants. The revised labeling will apply to extended-release …

Student Athletes in Florida Must Have ECG Before Playing Sports

A new Florida law now requires that all high school student-athletes receive an electrocardiogram (ECG) before they can participate in school sports programs. Florida is the only state with an ECG requirement as part of sports physicals for students, but others may follow if more high-profile young athletes are treated for sudden cardiac arrest on the sidelines—such as basketball player Bronny James and football player Damar Hamlin. In Florida, youth athletes must be tested in …

Shocking Number of Rural Hospitals At Risk of Imminent Closure

Nearly 800 rural hospitals across the United States are struggling financially with as many as 40% facing the immediate threat of closure, according to an analysis by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, which reviewed the most recent hospital cost reports submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through June 2025. The center’s report categorizes rural hospitals into 2 levels of financial risk: those generally at risk; and those in immediate …

Two States Have Now Adopted ‘Physician Associate’ Title

Maine this month enacted legislation to change the professional title typically known as “physician assistant” (PA) to “physician associate.” It is the second state to do so; Oregon adopted the physician associate designation in April 2024. A 2-year advocacy campaign led by the Maine Academy of Physician Associates helped to influence the change, according to a press release. Nationally, the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) voted in 2021 to adopt “physician associate” as the …

Vaccinate Mom During Pregnancy To Reduce The Risk Of Infant Influenza

A retrospective cohort study of 245,498 infants born within the Kaiser Permanente system in Northern California between 2011 and 2022 found that maternal influenza vaccination during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of infant influenza in the first 6 months of life, as published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Overall, maternal vaccination was associated with a 44.4% reduction in influenza incidence among infants (95% confidence interval, 31.4–54.9%). Effectiveness varied by timing of the vaccine. Vaccination during the …

New Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis For HIV Offers Twice-Yearly Dosing Regimen

The Food and Drug Administration last week approved lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg. The product is the first twice-a-year PrEP option available in the United States, according to a press release from manufacturer Gilead. It offers an advantage over daily oral PrEP because it requires less frequent dosing, which could lead to better adherence. Clinical trials published in The New …

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