Comparison of utilization of urgent care and primary care 2011-2015

Abstract

IntroductionThis study reviewed the patterns of utilization of urgent care services across recent years and compared those trends to that of primary care utilization. We wanted to explore whether urgent care centers are beginning to serve the population for primary care needs, primarily due to convenience issues related to days and times of availability. Additionally, we wanted to explore the relationship between urgent care services and pre or post primary-care treatment. Costs of services between the two settings was also compared.The researchers reviewed national claims data for patients presenting to urgent care providers across five years: 2011-2015. Rates of utilization across geographic locations and age and gender groups are compared to rates of the use of primary care office-based services. This serves as a descriptive study to identify the utilization patterns, payment amounts, and billed diagnoses in urgent care settings. It also provides a descriptive review of the patient characteristics and the days of presentation for service. The study attempts to identify trends and shift in the source of treatment for minor acute injuries/complaints.

Awareness of Urgent Care Services Among Primary Healthcare Center Patients in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

“…Urgent care services can play a significant role in supporting PHCs by addressing unscheduled patient appointments with the expectation that patients will subsequently follow up with their PHCs. This indicates that urgent care is fulfilling a need for convenience and may be supplanting primary care for specific acute concerns [2].…”

“…An urgent care clinic (UCC) is defined by the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM) as "the provision of immediate medical service offering outpatient care for the treatment of acute illness and injury" [1]. UCCs consider walk-in clinics, which provide healthcare services for patients without booking an appointment in advance, for a variety of diseases and injuries that are not severe enough to require ED visits [2]. In contrast, a primary healthcare center (PHC) is defined by the American Academy of Family Physicians as "the provision of integrated, accessible healthcare services by physicians and their healthcare teams who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal healthcare needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community" [3].…”

A Retrospective Cohort Study of Urgent Care Visits and Revisits for Headache/Migraine

“…All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com Pain Medicine, 21 (10), 2020, 2458-2464 doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa182 Original Research Article nonurgent ED visits without a concomitant increase in hospitalizations [9]. UC facilities may often be the most appropriate place to seek medical treatment [10].…”