Harris Fleming, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Failing to Report COVID-19 Results Could Bring the Wrong Kind of Attention—and Scrutiny from the State

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about a New York Times article that revealed compliance with guidelines on reporting COVID-19 test results in a timely manner is not as strong as it should be. While the public health implications of that are obvious, be aware that there could be serious consequences for any entity that fails to meet its reporting obligations, as well. The Connecticut Department of Public Health is investigating an urgent …

Your Clinical Team May Not Be as Healthy as You Think They Are

It would stand to reason that people who work in urgent care centers are exposed to a higher viral load of whatever’s going around at any given time—including COVID-19. The larger problem, according to a study published by JAMA Network, is that the virus goes undetected in healthcare workers too often. Conjecture is that they have mild or no symptoms, and even in a healthcare setting testing isn’t thorough enough. The study, conducted by the …

Free JUCM Webinar: Resist Demands for Antibiotics without Sacrificing Patient Satisfaction (Yes, It Can Be Done)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antibiotic-resistant infections kill 35,000 people in the United States every year. And yet, patients continue to demand a prescription even when it’s explained to them that one isn’t warranted. At the same time, patient satisfaction has never been more essential to the patient–provider relationship (and the provider’s livelihood, in some cases). What’s a doctor to do when “defensive medicine” clashes with patient safety? This critical challenge …

With News of a Possible COVID-19 Vaccine, It’s Time to Stake Urgent Care’s Seat at the Table

The news that Pfizer’s version of a COVID-19 vaccine was 90% effective in preventing infection was celebrated by many and greeted with skepticism by some, but across the board signaled a new phase of the fight against the pandemic. The question is, how can urgent care ensure it’s in the mix when it’s time to distribute a vaccine for public use? This is something you actually have the opportunity to influence in urgent care’s (and …

New Evidence on What to Tell Anxious Parents About Analgesics for Younger Children

Parents are wary of bringing their children to the emergency room, the urgent care center, or even their own pediatrician’s office these days. That doesn’t mean children have stopped getting sick, of course. The go-to recommendations for children with pain or fever have been ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but does it really make a difference which one you recommend? A new study just published by JAMA Network suggests it might, actually. A meta-analysis of 19 studies …

Warn Patients—and Prep Your Team—in Advance of a Thanksgiving Surge in COVID-19

Families around the country are deliberating whether to stick with large gatherings that have been central to Thanksgiving traditions this year, or to cut down on contact with seldom-seen relations in deference to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has officially recommended the latter, insisting that getting together with people who haven’t seen each other in months is likely to increase incidence of infection, it’s likely many of your patients …

COVID-19 Is Not Only Surging–It’s Striking More Children Than Ever

As the mainstream media remind us several times a day, the United States continues to break records for daily confirmed cases of COVID-19. What is lost in the big picture, however, is the changing breakdown of who is being infected. Early in the pandemic, there was a perception that children were somehow less susceptible to the virus. However, according to new data from the American Academy of Pediatrics, children now make up 11.3% of all …

Curb Antibiotic Prescribing for Children—Before It’s Too Late

Just recently, we told you about Intermountain Healthcare’s efforts to improve its providers’ antibiotic prescribing habits through educational initiatives—and its success in establishing better antibiotic stewardship. Now a study published in the journal Pediatrics reveals similar progress with pediatricians affiliated with NorthShore University HealthSystem and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ practice based-research network. The program that formed the basis of the study involved 19 pediatric practices and reflected 72,723 visits between November 2015 and June …

Taking Precautions Against COVID-19 at Work Is Great—but Don’t Let Your Guard Down Once You Leave

Urgent care centers have developed sound practices to ensure the safety of staff members and patients when it comes to reducing risk for exposure to COVID-19. Anecdotal evidence suggests they’ve been effective, too. However, you should be aware that a study in Minnesota found one third of COVID-19 exposures among healthcare workers can be attributed to family and community exposure. The study, conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health and published in Morbidity and Mortality …

Cannabis Toxicity Cases Are Likely to Reach New Highs. Is Your Team Prepared?

Referendums on further legalization of marijuana just passed in several states. Proponents of such measures tend to focus on the law enforcement and tax revenue aspects, but urgent care providers should keep in mind that lowering hurdles to use of any type of cannabis product is likely to also increase incidence of patients presenting with signs of toxicity. In fact, edible cannabis toxicity has been on the rise for the past 2 years, according to …