Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Patients Confused by ‘Urgent Care’ Label on Hospital EDs

How free-standing emergency departments (EDs) present themselves to the community continues to cause confusion for patients, ultimately leading to unexpectedly higher medical bills and negative overall experiences. Some free-standing EDs have the term “urgent care” in their name, which many believe is misleading. And now there is at least one effort to investigate a class action lawsuit for patients who accessed what they believed was urgent care—based on the facility’s sign out front—only to find …

Dealing with the Disruptive Doctor

Urgent message: When a physician is dubbed “Tom the Terror,” turning a blind eye can send patients and staff heading for the exit, wreck your reputation, and spark a lawsuit. Here’s what to do instead.LEONARD D. GOODSTEIN, PHD, ABPP, and JOHN SHUFELDT, MD, JD, MBA, FACEP Tom P. is a competent, board-certified emergency physician. He is liked and respected by his patients. But Tom‘s relationships with staffers at the urgent care center where he still …