Practice Management
At this time last year, COVID-19 vaccines were still months off and many Americans were grappling with the headaches of remote work and school, social distancing, and acute awareness of their own hygiene practices. One of the few upsides to that was reduction of exposure to seasonal influenza. Consequently, we had a relatively light flu season. Now, however, with several COVID-19 vaccines available and caseloads and hospitalizations slowly coming down, people are getting together in …
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A mom brings her son to an urgent care center because she’s concerned he could have a sinus infection. It would be the quintessential urgent care presentation that resolved successfully in minutes—if it didn’t become a public relations nightmare for the operator and staff instead. The problem began with what one of the nurses referred to as the facility’s “policy” to not treat patients who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the fact that …
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Federal government-imposed travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are getting both looser and tighter at the same time. Gone is the ban on incoming travelers from 33 other countries—provided those visitors are fully vaccinated. At the same time, however, the new regulations make it harder for unvaccinated American citizens to reenter the country. Whereas previously they could get on a U.S.-bound plane if they could show proof of a negative test within 3 days …
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The good news that COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are on the decline among the general population is being tempered by the fact that cases among children are creeping up, as well as foreboding messages from federal and state health officials. The increase in pediatric infections was not unexpected, given that kids now have a couple of months of in-person school under their belts, and the trend could reverse itself once younger children are able …
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The Food and Drug Administration approved booster doses for COVID-19 vaccines from both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, while also noting that the boosters can be given interchangeably with any of the other vaccines. There are still conditions regarding who is eligible to receive a booster, however. Patients who got two doses of the Moderna vaccine are eligible for a third dose of any COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after they received their second …
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Despite beating the drum for several weeks, the Urgent Care Association reports that it has seen low response to an advocacy alert regarding imminent Medicare payment cuts to physicians. The Association is pleading with urgent care professionals to ask their senators and representatives to fight a nearly 10% reduction likely to occur by the end of this year. A bipartisan effort to discourage the reduction is being led by Congresswoman Ami Bera, MD (D-CA) and …
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While COVID-19 vaccination mandates are the raging debate of the moment, something more fundamental but equally fraught with the potential for danger has gone largely unnoticed. Many medical practices—including pediatric offices—discouraged or outright ceased visits for routine care at times during the pandemic. Consequently, according to new research published by JAMA Pediatrics, the proportion of children who are up to date on their childhood vaccinations has suffered. Based on review of vaccination rates in 2019 …
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With no one being infallible, mistakes are going to happen. While some that occur in the field of medicine have lifelong consequences, most are minor, easily fixed, and soon forgotten. Unless they’re so colossal that they make national headlines, like the case of a Texas man who went to the wrong freestanding emergency room for a test after being exposed to COVID-19 and wound up getting socked with a bill for $56,384. As reported by …
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People who are opposed to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine often list unknown risks as their rationale for declining. Once you’ve pointed out the known risks of the virus, there’s not much else you can say to convince them. People who cite misinformation in decrying the value of the vacciune are another story however—and each week seems to bring more clinical evidence that could help you answer their concerns. The latest, called out in an article …
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Hard evidence is catching up with anecdote when it comes to assessing the prospects for long-lasting effects of COVID-19. A new article based on review of 57 studies and published by JAMA Network Open reveals that mental health, pulmonary, and neurologic effects are the most likely to prevail in people who have survived SARS-CoV-2. This led the authors to conclude that long-term persistent acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) “must be factored into existing healthcare systems,” …
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