Clinical Challenge: October, 2006
The Evolution of a Specialty
Lee A. Resnick, MD, FAAFP Evolution, by definition, is a process in which something passes by degrees to a more advanced stage. This inaugural issue of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine (JUCM) represents an important milestone in the evolution of urgent care medicine as a discipline.
Read MoreOn Croup, Wet Sutures, Fast Tracking the ED, Acetaminophen and ALT, and Stone Formation
NAHUM KOVALSKI, BSc, MDCM
Read MoreOcc Med Programs Need Business Plans, Too
In all likelihood, you wouldn’t dream of opening a new urgent care clinic without first putting together a business plan. Doesn’t it make sense that key aspects of your overall business would benefit from the same careful planning? Data from the Urgent Care Association of America indicate that over 60% of urgent care companies offer at least some occupational medicine services; nearly 5% of locations offer occ med exclusively. Putting a business plan for your …
Read MoreProtecting Yourself Against Medical Malpractice Claims
We live and practice medicine in a litigious society. How, then, can providers protect themselves against the threat of financial ruin due to malpractice payouts? The first and most obvious answer is to not commit malpractice; more about that in a moment. The next most likely answer is for providers to purchase malpractice insurance with limits set high enough to protect their personal assets. The median medical malpractice award tripled between 1997 and 2004. By …
Read MoreA 3-year-old Boy Falls 1.5 Feet
A 3-year-old boy presents to your urgent care center two hours after taking a fall of approximately 1.5 feet. He is experiencing pain in his elbow, which is swollen. Distal pulses and sensation and grip strength are normal. View the x-ray taken (Figure 1) and consider what your next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.
Read MoreUrgent Care Services Rendered
UCA’S SURVEY COMMITTEE drew two important conclusions from its first industry-wide survey: urgent care is a growing industry nationwide, and those within the industry are hungry for benchmarking data. In each issue of JUCM, Developing Data will seek to fulfill that need. In this issue, a look at the breadth of services offered by respondents to the survey:
Read MoreUpper Right Back Pain
A 36-year-old obese woman presents with upper right back pain 10 days after a normal child birth. Pain is worse on coughing. Otherwise, she is fit and well. No shortness of breath Normal oxygen saturation Patient is afebrile Auscultation: Reduced breathing sounds in right base, fine crackles on right View Figure 1, take these findings into account, and consider what your next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.
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