StuWilli, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

HIPAA for Urgent Care Centers: A Primer

Urgent message: This article discusses potential penalties for violations of HIPAA and key steps urgent care centers should take in order to avoid such penalties. BART WALKER and MEGGAN BUSHEE Complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can be a daunting challenge for smaller providers. As the urgent care industry grows, its providers will become much more visible targets for scrutiny by the federal government with respect to HIPAA compliance. In addition, …

Evaluation of Headaches in Urgent Care Part 1: Emergent Headaches

Urgent message: Identifying potentially life-threatening or emergent causes of headaches can be challenging in urgent care. Emergent headaches are the focus of the first of a two-part series, aimed at aiding practitioners in appropriate evaluation and management. JACQUALINE DANCY, PA-C, MPAS Introduction The presentation of headaches in the urgent care setting often elicits some healthy angst. Differentiating between potentially life-threatening headaches and more benign varieties can be challenging, especially when the signs and symptoms are …

Risk Mitigation in Urgent Care: Part 2

Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP My previous column presented the building blocks of a risk mitigation framework for your practice. This column specifies high-risk areas of urgent care practice that create exposure for both owner and clinicians and suggests ways to mitigate that risk. Charting / Documentation: Your best defense when there is a bad outcome is documentation. The chart should clearly communicate your decision-making. The “standard of care” is not a guarantee against harm. …

May 2014

X-ray of man with a crush injury to hand

This x-ray was taken on a man with a crush injury to his hand. View the image taken (Figure 1) and consider what your diagnosis would be.

What Percentage of Patients Do Urgent Care Centers Send Elsewhere for Diagnostic Tests?

These data from the 2012 Urgent Care Industry Benchmarking Study are based on a sample of 1,732 urgent care centers; 95.2% of the respondents were UCA members. Among other criteria, the study was limited to centers that have a licensed provider onsite at all times; have two or more exam rooms; typically are open 7 days/week, 4 hours/day, at least 3,000 hours/year; and treat patients of all ages (unless specifically a pediatric urgent care).

MDM, E/M Code with Injection Codes

Q. I was approached by a member of the hospital billing department who does urgent care (office based practice) and emergency department billing about a coding question. As the medical director, they asked for my thoughts and support. It’s nice to work at a place that includes the docs! The question revolves around prescription drug management within the management options under the medical decision making (MDM) section pertaining to E/M calculation. We currently do not …

Abstracts in Urgent Care: April, 2014

Prompt Treatment of Pediatric UTI Prevents Renal Scarring Key point: To avoid renal scarring, don’t wait for urine culture in pediatric patients. Treat within 3 days. Citation: Coulthard MG, Lambert HJ, Vernon SJ, et al. Does prompt treatment of urinary tract infection in preschool children prevent renal scarring: Mixed retrospective and prospective audits. Arch Dis Child. 2013 Dec 18; [e-pub ahead of print]. Investigators in England looked at the relationship between time to treatment and …

Clinical Challenge – April 2014

THE CASE This patient presented with a painless mass in the leg. View the image taken (Figure 1) and consider what your diagnosis would be.

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