People often make the mistake of assuming that emergency rooms and 24 hour urgent care locations are the same exact thing. However, not only is this not true, there are some people who would probably find themselves preferring to visit an urgent care center when they have a health problem as opposed to an emergency center.
In the year of 2015, urgent care centers across the United States saw an average of nearly 12,000 patients. This means that an average of three patient care visit happens each hour, this also equates to 32 visits every single day. What this stat represents is a growing level of trust when it comes to the services provided by urgent care clinics.
In a report from 2016, just about 27% of all United States patients stated that they had visited an urgent care center recently. So as more people trust their local 24 hour urgent care locations with effective treatment, it is important to know what value thee facilities have. Here are the facts on your closest urgent care location and the benefits they provide:
24 Hour Urgent Care Locations Can Treat All Kinds Of Problems
For the most part, when people visit an urgent care center they get all of the treatment that they need. this means that they do not need to be moved to emergency centers for emergency care. As a matter of fact, only 3% of patients who come to an urgent care center need to be diverted to an emergency department, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.
The Urgent Care Association of America’s 2016 Benchmarking Report found that the most common illnesses diagnosed at urgent care centers in 2015 were an acute upper respiratory infection, acute sinusitis, acute pharyngitis, cough, and acute bronchitis. While these are serious problems that need swift treatment, they are not viewed as dangerous as heart transplants and blood transfusion. Thus, they are easily treatable at your 24 hour urgent care locations.
While 44% to 65% of all ER episodes could have been treated at urgent care locations according to a recent study, there are certain times when it’s much more appropriate to seek out medical treatment at the ER. Be sure to try and distinguish the true difference between these two situations so that you can receive the best treatment possible.
24 Hour Urgent Care Locations Are Quick With Their Treatment Process
According to the Urgent Care Association of America’s 2016 Benchmarking Report, 92% of urgent care centers maintained wait times of 30 minutes or less in 2015. Anyone that hates having to sit and wait for a long time when getting treated will surely love this short wait time. One of the reasons why this is so quick is because the market for 24 hour urgent care locations is incredibly fair.
The urgent care center market is highly fragmented, according to HealthCare Appraisers. Most operators own fewer than three centers and don’t have a dominant market presence. This allows for better competition amongst urgent care centers which then turns into the best treatment available for patients.
In Conclusion
According to Urgent Care Association of America’s 2016 Benchmarking Report, there are 7,357 urgent care centers in the United States. This marks an increase from 2015’s count of 6,707. As the years go on, this number will surely continue to increase as more and more people look to their 24 hour urgent care locations for their medical treatment!
