Report: Most Urgent Care Visitors Also Have a Regular Physician

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The overwhelming amount of urgent care center visitors have a regular physician that they have seen in the past year, according to Kalorama Information in the report The U.S. Market for Urgent Care Centers.  The healthcare market research publisher completed a study of the industry and a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults adjusted for population and demographics in regards to urgent care use and other questions.  Ninety percent of those who had visited an urgent care center said they had a regular physician that they had seen in the past year. 

"What you are seeing so far is urgent care as supplemental care for patients who otherwise are seeing a physician," said Bruce Carlson, Publisher of Kalorama Information.  "They are going to both, at least at present.  That means that physicians and urgent care centers should look to cooperation and strategies where they share information."

Urgent care centers provide walk-in, extended hour access for acute illness and injury care.  Centers are usually located in freestanding buildings, though they can be located in strip malls and in some cases they may be within a hospital complex but with a separate entrance. Convenient hours are a key strength of urgent care centers. that is either beyond the scope or availability of the typical primary care practice. They usually have imaging equipment and in some cases lab and pharmacy services.   

The 90% of urgent care physicians who have a regular physician they had seen in the last year is actually higher than the general population according to Kalorama.  It is a higher result than all adults who were surveyed (80%), including non-urgent care visitors.  The result is also higher the CDC's survey of adults which indicated 82% have seen a physician in the past year. 

However, Kalorama thinks the physician-urgent care relationship is unresolved and there could still be competitive factors to be aware of.

"The numbers for instance on people going to urgent care for physicals for instance, might suggest that UCCs are moving a little bit into physician bread and butter," said Carlson.  "There's also high satisfaction and repeat visits."

The report finds that urgent care centers are well-utilized and once patients go, they return. Seventy Percent of urgent care center visitors surveyed as part of Kalorama Information's report went there more than once in the past year.

The U.S. Market for Urgent Care Centers from Kalorama information contains more information on this industry including expanded market estimates and forecasts, estimates of supplier sales to centers including IVD and pharmaceutical, key players in the industry and current trends. The report can be found at Kalorama Information at http://www.kaloramainformation.com/Urgent-Care-Centers-8430284/.

About Kalorama Information -- Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog.

Contact:
Bruce Carlson
(212) 807-2622
[email protected]
www.KaloramaInformation.com

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SOURCE Kalorama Information

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