Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Fasting Before Lab Testing Should Be More Nuanced: Study

Fasting longer than 12 hours before a lab test generally does not provide an advantage over fasting for 8–12 hours, according to new research. A large study of routine outpatient laboratory testing suggests that most tests are minimally affected by the length of time that the patient spends fasting beforehand, potentially changing perspectives on uniform fasting requirements. As published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers analyzed 9.8 million test results from 101,148 adults using laboratory data …

Cancer Incidence Inches Up, But Survival Is Improving

The latest annual report on cancer from a collaboration of cancer organizations shows a mixed picture. While incidence is edging upward overall, cancer mortality continues to decline. During 2018–2019 and 2021–2022 study periods, cancer incidence was higher among men than women (504.6 vs 443.0 cases per 100,000). For males, the top 5 types of cancer by incidence are: 1. prostate cancer; 2. lung and bronchus cancer; 3. colorectal cancer; 4. urinary bladder cancer; and 5. …

More Kids Are Using GLP-1 Drugs For Obesity

Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists among U.S. children with obesity is increasing rapidly. A national analysis from NYU Langone Health published in Pediatrics found that among children ages 8–11 with obesity and without diabetes, GLP-1 prescribing was 310 times higher in 2026 than it was in 2019 (when the drugs first began reaching the market), with 20,282 children in this age group receiving these medications during the study period. Most treated children had …

Prisma Acquires 36 Novant Health Urgent Cares

Prisma Health has announced plans to acquire 36 urgent care rooftops in South Carolina from Novant Health, which until about a year ago were branded as Doctors Care clinics. After the transaction, expected to close November 1, 2026, the centers will operate under the Prisma Health Urgent Care name. Virtual and walk-in care will continue, including respiratory testing, x-rays, and laboratory services, according to the announcement. Echoing the national trend of hospital-owned urgent cares, the …

Change of Scenery: Physicians Find Variety of Helpful Fixes For Burnout

A national study of physicians presented in JAMA Network Open found actions, such as changing schedules or taking a vacation, were associated with substantial improvements in burnout or professional fulfillment. Physicians completed a burnout/professional fulfillment survey, and 6 months later, completed the same survey again. The researchers identified 87 physicians out of the 359 participants whose scores happened to improve substantially during those 6 months (24.3%). Of those physicians, 30 agreed to follow-up interviews. During …

Is Myopia a Disease? Medical Groups Might See It That Way

The American Medical Association (AMA) recently agreed with the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) that myopia is an increasing public health concern warranting improved screening in children and prevention efforts, according to a news release from the AAO. Although myopia is not currently considered a disease by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, insurers, or public health programs, the AMA’s support is clear evidence that the disease-model view of myopia has grown beyond the …

San Diego University Offers Clinic After Mumps Outbreak

Public health officials have confirmed a mumps outbreak at San Diego State University (SDSU). Five confirmed and/or probable cases have been identified as of September 18, and all the cases are among student athletes on a single team. The students are no longer considered contagious. In response, the San Diego County Public Health Services hosted a clinic for students to screen for mumps symptoms and also to provide a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine boosters …

Connecticut Invests in Healthcare Workforce With New Housing Project

The city of Waterbury, Connecticut, and the state are partnering on a new affordable housing development designed to help attract and retain healthcare workers. The project will create 47 studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom units near Saint Mary’s Hospital and Waterbury Hospital, according to the local CT Mirror. Rents are expected to range from $1,000–$1,500 for households earning up to $80,000 annually. The $15 million development will receive about $11.6 million in state funding, some of …

Those With ADHD Often Have Gastrointestinal Symptoms Too

A meta-analysis found that people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have significantly higher statistical odds of multiple gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms (eg, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.) than those without an ADHD diagnosis. The analysis published in the Journal of Attention Disorders included 23 studies representing more than 1.9 million participants, which based findings on validated symptom instruments as well as self-reported patient symptoms. Overall, ADHD was associated with 48% higher odds of GI …

Medication Kiosks Can Lead To Better Antibiotic Stewardship

A study of urgent care centers published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases found that medication-dispensing kiosks, combined with an antimicrobial stewardship program, could be useful to support antibiotic stewardship principles. In late 2019, a Florida health system installed medication kiosks in 20 of its urgent care centers, providing prepackaged antibiotics corresponding to guideline-supported antibiotic courses. Instead of sending a patient’s prescription to a community pharmacy, for example, the urgent care clinician could send the electronic …

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