Urgent Care Telehealth Protocol for Telehealth-Telemedicine Providers

Expert Author
Dr. Natasha E. Kelly Surgeon Ansonia, CT

Dr. Natasha Kelly is a general surgeon/general practitioner practicing in Ansonia, CT. Dr. Kelly specializes in providing general practice medical care focusing on urgent care, MAT/Opioid/alcohol use disorder management, pain management, migraine management, orthotic devices/occupational health/rehab medicine, cancer screening,... more

Urgent Care Telehealth Protocol for Beginners: High Quality Documentation: No Representation Without Documentation

Do’s: Verify, Don’t TRUST

  • Always document allergies
  • Check HT/WT, if BMI is greater than 26, refer to Obesity Medicine, Nutrition and Integrative/Functional Medicine
  • Prescribe Augmentin 875 mg BID for 7 days, Zithromax 500 mg QD for 3 or 5 days, and Nitrofurantoin 100 mg BID for 7 days for Sx UTI. Hydrate with 2,000 ml distilled water/Pedialyte for 10 days or daily.
  • Tamiflu protocol: up to 4 days of symptoms 75 mg BID for 5 days, by 5 days of symptoms Rx patient with Abx (aforementioned)
  •  Always inform the patient that they must go to ER/urgent care center if Sx persist/worsen/wax-wane in 24-48 hours.
  • UTI protocol: check for CVA tenderness and pink/red urine in toilet/gross hematuria
  • For ICD 10, always additionally code for SIRS/Sepsis when appropriate
  • Sinusitis/Pharyngitis/Otitis Media protocol: Check for anterior/posterior cervical adenopathy/muscle tenderness/pain. Place the chin on chest to evaluate for nuchal rigidity/neck suppleness, if positive increased risk for meningitis
  • Bronchitis/Pneumonia protocol: make sure to check for productive cough and pleuritic chest pain
  • Have a low threshold to send patient to ER/urgent care center

Don’ts: Must Send to Urgent Care Center/ER

  • Rx chest pain, send for cardiac enzymes/PA-lateral CXR
  • Rx failure of Abx Rx
  • Rx tooth abscess, send to dentist or above, need X-ray
  • Rx arrhythmia, evaluated by wearable or if the blood pressure cuff says it can’t read the rhythm
  • Rx abdominal pain, only if absolutely sure that it is gastroenteritis and inform about visiting ER/urgent care center in 24-48 hours
  • Rx possible Fx, send for X-rays
  • Rx digit/hand or foot/toe infection that covers several joints with the inability to flex or extend. Again, if need X-ray sent to urgent care/ER
  • Refills only give 15-30 days supply, insist they see PCP/PMD
  • Don’t Rx chronic Dz, send to PMD/PCP and appropriate specialist (neurology, endocrinology, cardiology, pulmonology, allergy-immunology, gyn-urology, endometriosis specialist-reproductive endocrinology, and rheumatology), document clearly in chart