Urgent care centers: what does "urgent" really mean?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Experience
• Healthcare Access

Background:

• Patient decisions on seeking medical care are complex.
• Understanding patient perception of symptom urgency is crucial for healthcare utilization.
• Variations exist in how patients choose between urgent care centers, family physicians, and emergency rooms for similar symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how patient perceptions of symptom urgency affect healthcare seeking behavior.
• To compare patient choices for urgent care centers, family doctors, and emergency rooms.
• To identify patient profiles utilizing urgent care centers and inform family physician practice.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed three patient groups: family practice patients (no urgent care visit), family practice patients (with urgent care visit), and urgent care center patients.
• Analyzed patient perceptions of symptom urgency and appropriateness for different care settings.
• Collected data from 144, 220, and 180 patients across the respective groups.

Main Results:

• Significant variation exists in patient perception of urgency for identical symptoms.
• Discrepancies were observed in patient beliefs regarding appropriate conditions for urgent care centers.
• Patient profiles using urgent care centers were identified.

Conclusions:

• Physicians should consider patient-perceived urgency when scheduling appointments and managing clinic hours.
• Addressing patient discrepancies in understanding urgent care appropriateness can improve healthcare navigation.
• Family practice physicians can adapt services to better meet patient needs and reduce unnecessary emergency room or urgent care visits.