Q.Why is the (E/M) code important in urgent care? A.Because the majority of urgent care revenue is derived from E/M codes (mostly codes 99210-99215), accurate E/M coding is the most important coding variable in urgent care revenue. Inaccurate E/M coding is, also, the number-one reason that urgent care centers run into compliance issues with payors and regulatory agencies. Q.I see that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) lists two sets of guidelines, 1995 …
Read MoreInformed Consent and Treating Minors in Urgent Care
STATES HAVE ENACTED STATUTES, and courts have proffered an abundance of case law on the treatment of minors. There have been no reports of physicians being held liable for rendering emergent or urgent care to minors prior to obtaining parental consent. Still, informed consent issues surrounding the care and treatment of minors are often a source of confusion and are, at best, problematic. Essentially, competency to give consent is determined in the same way for …
Read MoreThe Emergence of Retail Clinics
Urgent message: Retail-based healthcare clinics are a growing phenomenon. A report from the California HealthCare Foundation, excerpted here, says public perception is split, and their economic viability remains to be seen. How do their services stack up against those offered by urgent care? The first in-store clinics appeared in 2000 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) metropolitan area and were operated by QuickMedx, which later became Minute- Clinic. The company’s founder, Rick Krieger, says the business …
Read MorePneumomediastinum with No Pneumothorax
Mr. J.V. is a 28-year-old white male who presented to urgent are with a six-hour history of chest pain described as pressure in the sternal area radiating to the left shoulder; back pain was a 5/10 at time of visit, and constant with no accompanying nausea, dizziness, vomiting, or diaphoresis. The patient described an inability to breathe deeply and a sensation of water stuck in the mid esophagus when drinking. Of note, he had similar …
Read MoreAbstracts in Urgent Care October 2006
Each month, Dr. Nahum Kovalski will review a handful ofabstracts from, or relevant to, urgent care practices and practitioners. For the full reports, go to the source cited under each title. Dexamethasone Has Advantage Over Prednisolone in Children with Croup Citation: Sparrow A, Geelhoed G. Arch Dis Child. 2006;91:580-583. Children with croup who are treated with prednisolone are more likely than those treated with dexamethasone to return for additional medical care, researchers in Australia reported …
Read MoreThe Evolution of a Specialty
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. Our intent, and one of my key objectives as Editor-in-Chief, is to make JUCM a forum for the sharing of ideas, trends, clinical content, original research, and industry news unique to the practice …
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The Emergence of Retail Clinics
Urgent message: Retail-based healthcare clinics are a growing phenomenon. A report from the California HealthCare Foundation, excerpted here, says public perception is split, and their economic viability remains to be seen. How do their services stack up against those offered by urgent care? The first in-store clinics appeared in 2000 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) metropolitan area and were operated by QuickMedx, which later became Minute-Clinic. The company’s founder, Rick Krieger, says the business idea …
Read MoreDeveloping a Marketing Mindset for Occupational Medicine Services
From a business perspective, successful operation of an urgent care clinic is predicated on the owner’s ability to promote services in an aggressive and meaningful, yet cost effective, manner. This necessity is even more pronounced when occupational health services are included in the mix because such a “blended clinic” deals with two different prospect universes. The starting point in promoting an urgent care practice is to develop and commit to a forward-thinking marketing mindset.
Read MoreCOMPLICATIONS: Informed Consent and Treating Minors in Urgent Care
JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP STATES HAVE ENACTED STATUTES, and courts have proffered an abundance of case law on the treatment of minors. There have been no reports of physicians being held liable for rendering emergent or urgent care to minors prior to obtaining parental consent. Still, informed consent issues surrounding the care and treatment of minors are often a source of confusion and are, at best, problematic.
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