Practice Management
Recently, we shared data indicating that use of telemedicine appears to be on the decline following a brief period of increased utilization. Now an article published by JAMA Network confirms that those fluctuations tracked along with the COVID-19 pandemic, while also shedding light on who was drawn to virtual visits when in-person care seemed too daunting to some patients. Specifically, data from the IQVIA National Disease and Therapeutic Index showed that 77% of telehealth “visits” …
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Despite great strides in urgent care, overprescribing of antibiotics and related resistance to potentially lifesaving medications continues to be a concern across multiple practice settings. Sometimes it’s easier to write that prescription than it is to resist the urge to please patients and rack up high satisfaction scores. What if we found out that prescribers are equally swayed by the opinion of a respected colleague? That could be the case, it turns out, according to …
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An urgent care physician in the San Francisco Bay area was arrested recently on suspicion of sexual battery. A patient charged that he made repeated, unwanted sexual advances and even forced himself on her three times. Local media reports raise the specter that there could be other victims yet to come forward. There’s no indication that his employer had any idea about his alleged predatory behavior, and at this point there’s no indication that they’ll …
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It’s always been hard to get a good read on how telehealth would ultimately fare in the urgent care industry. There have been proponents who argued that anything that increases access to medical care—which telehealth does, undeniably—would ultimately be good for the patient and any operator smart enough to seize the opportunity. Others have argued (also logically) that a virtual visit can lack some of the nuances that are so essential in making the right …
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Just a few short years ago, it appeared that tech innovator Apple had plans to veer away from its expertise by entering the brick-and-mortar healthcare marketplace. As JUCM News reported at the time, it started by hiring more than 40 physicians to provide on-site care for employees—but also to advise the company on future healthcare strategies. The idea was that they would ultimately launch primary care locations for the general public. Now it appears the …
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While people continue to celebrate a return to “normal” and what they see as the demise of the COVID-19 pandemic, an unfortunate truth is that 46 states are reporting at least a 10% increase in the number of confirmed cases. Thirty-six of those states say new cases have gone up at least 50%, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. While largely vaccine-hesitant states like Arkansas and Louisiana are seeing their numbers …
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It’s not unusual for patients experiencing an allergy attack to seek relief at an urgent care center. On the other hand, it is somewhat unusual for an urgent care operator to promote their services with an emphasis on allergy care. The facts are, though, that respiratory complaints drive a large proportion of urgent care visits, and that seasonal allergies are the biggest non-influenza cause. WellNow Urgent Care seems to think it’s time to leverage these …
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With just 55% of the U.S. population at least partially vaccinated and 48% fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as of July 13, we have a ways to go before achieving adequate protection as a nation. Too many people are already skittish about receiving the vaccine. So it’s alarming any time there’s news of bad reactions among people who’ve gotten a shot. Such is the case today, as the Food and Drug Administration is expected …
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One condition of children attending summer camps across the country is often that they wear masks to inhibit possible spread of the COVID-19 virus. Some school districts have already said they plan to do the same when the next academic year begins. At the same time, some parents claim that forcing their kids to wear masks is not only excessive compared with the actual risk to children, but that such a practice actually puts them …
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It’s become something of a good-natured joke that the COVID-19 pandemic normalized day drinking and virtual happy hours among coworkers and “mommy groups.” The consequences of increased alcohol consumption during lockdowns are just becoming known, however, and they’re no laughing matter. Authors of an article just published by JAMA Network collected data from more than a dozen studies, arriving at the conclusion that between 20% and 40% of individuals acknowledged consuming more alcohol during the …
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