"Urgency" is not the reason why most of the people choose urgent care.
A graphic used in the study shows the reasons patients chose to seek care in the urgent care setting.
A study by BMC Health Services Research shows that inappropriate use of urgent care for non-urgent patients is a "growing problem with significant economic and healthcare consequences".
The purpose of this study was to determine the motivation behind, and characteristics of, adult patients who choose to access health care in our urgent care clinic. A total of 1,006 patients were randomly surveyed. According to the study, approximately 50% were Hispanic, and over 20% of adults presenting for care spoke only Spanish, while 25% of patients identified Spanish as their preferred language.
Despite a common belief that patients seek care in the urgent care setting primarily for economic reasons, this study suggests that patients choose the urgent care setting based largely on convenience and more timely care. This information is especially applicable to the potential increase in urgent care volume in a universal healthcare system.
Check the complete study here.
Source: BMC Health Service Research
