Practice

Treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases may be the particular expertise of clinicians who staff sexual health clinics—but that doesn’t mean those responsibilities are their exclusive domain. Primary care and urgent care will need to step up their game if the current upswing in many STDs is to be turned around, as noted in a recent article from Kaiser Health News. Screening and treatment are both well within the expertise of urgent care providers. …

The largest generational segment in the United States today—the 83 million “Millennials” born between 1981 and 1996—are demonstrating a preference for the convenience of walk-in care facilities compared with an ongoing relationship with a traditional primary care office-based physician, according to new data released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. It’s not just the convenience, though; speed of service, price transparency, and connectivity were also mentioned as key attributes that appealed to them. Of all the …

Nearly half of the 3,500-plus emergency physicians who took part in a survey commissioned by the  American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) say they’ve been physically assaulted at work. Most deny being injured or needing to take time off as a result. Hitting/slapping, spitting, punching, kicking, scratching, and biting were all considered to be physical assault. The numbers are even worse when you consider nonphysical assaults or harassment; 96% of female physicians and 80% of …

As we first told you weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that everyone who should be vaccinated against influenza—which would include all Americans over the age of 6 months, unless they have a contraindication—do so by the end of October. The CDC says the flu will strike early this year, but as always there are more naysayers among the public than there should be. Some people just don’t think it …

Maybe all the headlines about how bad the 2017–2018 flu season was will end up having a bright side. According to a just-released survey from urgent care chain CityMD, 57% of Americans say they’ll get a flu shot this year, compared with only 51% who did so in 2016. While that reflects patients in all age groups, the best news might be that those 65 years of age and older make up the largest segment …

Physicians may be quick to admit certain symptoms of burnout—stress, decreased productivity, diminishing compassion—but are loath to consider they’re actually burned out. Call it denial or professional pride, but in truth they might be correct. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, however; a recent post on the healthcare website Stat notes an increase in “moral injury,” which is often misidentified as burnout. It’s actually akin to post-traumatic stress …

A Maryland urgent care center is feeling the sting of negative news coverage, not to mention possible loss of patients and its reputation, after a woman says her daughter was denied care because of her race—by staff members who say they thought they were following company policy. The white mother brought her adopted black daughter in to the clinic after the girl jammed her finger. Based on the racial difference, the person at the front …

There was a time when physicians dressed to the nines while on the job; you’d think they were on their way to a 19th century ball, actually, according to a recent post in Advisory Board. That was also an era of tinctures and salves that had very little to do with the science aspect of medicine, however. As times changed, so did the provider’s “uniform.” Doctors adopted the traditional white coat in order to look …

It’s been the belief of some urgent care operators and thought leaders that medical assistants are perfectly capable of handling many of the tasks registered nurses usually manage, at a lower cost to the operation’s payroll. Spectrum Health is now banking on it, as they’ve announced that RNs are being completely phased out of their clinics, with medical assistants picking up the majority of the work the RNs have been doing. The Grand Rapids, MI-based …

Labor Day weekend can signal a chaotic time of year as families scramble to squeeze in one more summertime adventure—sometimes overlooking the fact that their children have to get a check-up for fall sports or to make sure their immunization history is up to date. Promoting your capability to take care of that on shorter notice than a typical pediatric or primary care office could both help them out and land your operation more repeat …