Many Chronically Ill Patients Are Afraid of Visiting the ED (Again). Could Urgent Care Be a Safe Haven?

Whether it’s fear of getting infected or just a refusal to wait for hours while patients who are concerned they could have COVID-19 take precedence, too many people with chronic illness are shying away from the emergency room when they are having an acute experience these days. An article published recently in Medscape Medical News detailed the story of several patients who fear that their local hospital just won’t have room for them when they need to be seen immediately. While some emergencies are truly just that—emergencies for which a community urgent care center would not be the most appropriate setting—many exacerbations of chronic illness can be managed safely and efficiently in your facility. Hypertension is a perfect example. JUCM, in fact, published an article reviewing just how essential the urgent care center can be for a patient whose previously diagnosed hypertension is out of control. You can read Managing Hypertensive Emergencies in the Urgent Care Setting in our archive right now.