Practice Management
LinkedIn has launched new features specifically aimed at helping nursing professionals refine job search filters on the social media site so they can find jobs more specific to their licensing and clinical specialties. Nurses can also filter job postings by shift and schedule. By sifting through the many open positions more precisely, LinkedIn aims to make a better match not only for qualifications but also for the preferences of the 3 million job-hunting nurses that …
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Once a pharmacy benefit management company, Optum has now grown under the UnitedHealth Group umbrella into a multifaceted line of business that brought in $182.8 billion in revenue in 2022. Just this year alone, Optum Health—the care-delivery arm of the enterprise—has added about 20,000 physicians to its ranks, bringing its total physician force to nearly 90,000, according to officials at an investor conference, as reported by Becker’s Hospital Review. Another 40,000 advanced practice providers are …
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Researchers have uncovered evidence that bacteria can activate nerve cells in the skin and cause the itchy sensation that comes along with several common skin conditions, according to a recent study in Cell. The authors note: “Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial pathogen associated with itchy skin diseases, directly activates pruriceptor sensory neurons to drive itch.” Their findings could help optimize treatment for inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. A summary of the study in Axios also cites …
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As the flu season gains momentum in the United States, a triple threat of viruses—influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—is causing concern. Children under age 5 in particular are heavily impacted, and they made up more than 10% of visits for flu-like illnesses the week before Thanksgiving, according to federal data. Pediatric hospital beds were strained across the nation with about 75% in use. Mandy Cohen, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control …
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Amazon recently made headlines by offering One Medical 24/7 on-demand virtual care access and limited brick-and-mortar office access for Prime members for a rock-bottom price of just $9 a month. After investing $3.9 billion in the concierge platform for primary care, Amazon has yet to gain the traction it needs to realize a return, many observers believe. While urgent care operators are absorbing the chatter around Amazon and likely struggle to process the real-world threat …
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An antibiotic stewardship intervention at Mayo Clinic lowered unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory infections in outpatient settings, including urgent care centers, according to a new study in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, which posted during Antibiotic Awareness Week. Provider education, data reporting, and a red-flag notification system helped to influence prescribing patterns. The program was implemented at Mayo Clinic facilities in four states in 2020 with a goal to reduce antibiotic use for tier 3 upper respiratory infection …
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A new FDA warning is being added to prescribing information for the anti-seizure drugs levetiracetam and clobazam because the agency found they can cause a rare but serious hypersensitivity: drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Diagnosis of DRESS can be difficult because symptoms vary and may be confused with other reactions. DRESS may start as a rash and can include fever and swollen lymph nodes or injury to the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, …
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A high-level view of the urgent care landscape in the New York Times last week cited not only the urgent care market’s growth but also its benefits. The news item calls out the 60% increase in patient visits from 2019 to 2020 as well as the impressive revenue projections for this year—estimated at $48 billion. CityMD’s chief medical officer explains in the interview with NYT how patients seeking services at an urgent care center can be …
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For consumers with high deductible health plans—which have become the rule these days rather than the exception—cash-pay options have become more attractive. In some cases, cash pay is actually a better price than the insurer’s negotiated rate, so it makes sense for a consumer who is paying out-of-pocket regardless to skip their insurance altogether. The only downside would be the fact that the direct, out-of-pocket expenditure would not be applied to the threshold of the …
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Cutting even 1 teaspoon of salt from the typical American diet each day can lower blood pressure just as much as hypertension medication can, even for those who don’t have high blood pressure (BP), a new JAMA study found. Just 1 week of a low-sodium diet resulted in an average 8mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure vs a high-sodium diet. The study assigned 213 people ages 50 to 75 to either a high- or low-sodium diet. …
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