Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Urgent Care Operators Adapt to the Pandemic by Broadening Their Ability to Care for Patients

Many segments of our society have been forced to reduce services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After some initial, severe setbacks at the outset, however, urgent care has had the fortitude to consider where there could be opportunities to adapt for the mutual benefit of patients and the industry. Some locations became testing centers. Others broadened their virtual health offerings. Looking at the fast-approaching flu season and the ongoing pandemic, Cox South Hospital in Springfield, …

In Spite of Pandemic-Related Challenges, Urgent Care Patient Volume Continues to Grow—and Centers Are Ready to Pitch in on Vaccinations

For months, the Urgent Care Association has been asking its constituency to take part in surveys designed to take the industry’s temperature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Responses to the most recent queries show that UCA member organizations are still seeing patient volumes grow—albeit slowly this month (1%)—as they recover from setbacks early in the pandemic. Perhaps more importantly, the majority are looking ahead and planning to participate in immunization programs once a …

Drug Mishaps and Addiction Don’t Stop for the Pandemic; Neither Should Your Community Support Projects

The headlines, as well as the public’s and healthcare professionals’ attention, have been fixated on the COVID-19 pandemic for more than 6 months now. As urgent care provides know, however, that doesn’t stop people from needing care for “typical” complaints. It also doesn’t keep people from the dangers of medications in the home, whether that manifests as temptation to misuse opioids or taking outdated drugs that could either harm them or just not do what …

Dispose of Medical Records Properly or Face the Consequences

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure trove of personal medical information—and the failure of one walk-in clinic in North Carolina to realize that has the operation being investigated by state health officials. Discarded medical records were found in a dumpster outside the recently closed facility in Wilmington, along with hazardous materials such as hypodermic needles. Police declined to file charges, but the dumpster was hauled away and the matter is now in the hands …

The Message is Becoming Clearer: Get on the Telehealth Train or Get Left at the Station

Many employers sent workers to do their jobs at home last spring. A lot of them are finding that things are going just fine that way and considering whether to make remote work a permanent option that could save money on facilities. Similarly, many patients tried (and liked) telemedicine for the first time over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic—begging the question of whether that will become a preferred option that threatens traditional brick-and-mortar healthcare …

Flu Vaccination and Reporting Are Under Scrutiny This Year. Are You on Point with State Law?

2020 has seen a new word introduced into the lexicon of healthcare in the United States. With the COVID-19 pandemic stretching on into the foreseeable future and coinciding with the advent of influenza season, public health experts are warning about a possible twindemic—simultaneous widespread outbreaks of both COVID-19 and flu. As such, there’s a lot of emphasis pushing flu shots harder than ever, especially in healthcare settings. According to a blog post by Alan Ayers, …

As the Pandemic Stretches On, Consider Probing Patients for Alcohol Habits

There was fear in some quarters that the shutdown of many businesses and inhibited social life due to the COVID-19 pandemic would ultimately lead to increasing rates of depression, substance abuse, and suicide. For the most part, that has not come to fruition at this point. However, an article just released on JAMA Network Open indicates that alcohol consumption increased dramatically in the early months of social distancing. Quoting Nielsen data, the article reveals that …

Flu Shots Are Here, and a COVID-19 Vaccine May Not Be Far Behind. Do You Know What Your State Requires of You?

This is not going to be your typical flu season. At best, patients will flood healthcare facilities to get their flu shots early. The worst-case scenario is that they’ll shy away from immunization under the misguided assumption that it could leave them in a weakened state or expose them to people with COVID-19. Recognizing the overlap, as well as the reality that people who work in urgent care centers and other healthcare facilities are not …

Could COVID-19 Actually Be Driving Patients to Urgent Care? Some PCPs Seem to Think So

We all know urgent care took some hard knocks at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of testing supplies and patient fear added up to a serious drop in patient visits. What might not be so obvious is that other practice settings may have it even worse. A news report that aired on WTKR television in coastal Virginia/northeastern North Carolina recently revealed that some primary care practices perceive that they’re losing patients to urgent …

Miscommunication Can Be Deadly. Can Patients Understand You Through a Mask?

The nature of urgent care presents daily opportunities to provide care for patients you’ve never seen before and may never see again. The downside is there’s no history with such patients—and no chance to build rapport and establish the clear communication that comes from familiarity. Now remember that you’re speaking to each other through masks. Even if dosing is specified on that bottle of pain medication, did they hear you say it can only be …

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