In each issue on this page, we report on research from or relevant to the emerging urgent care marketplace. This month, we present data that shed light on reasons parents may be taking their children to the emergency room instead of to their pediatricians, even for non-urgent care.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City report that between 1997 and 2006, there’s been a shift in those reasons; where perceived need for immediate care used to be the most likely reason, today’s most prevalent rationale is perceived limited access to the pediatrician. More patients in 2006 also reported that they think clinicians in the ED have more expertise than those in the pediatrician’s office.
Interestingly, the percentage of uninsured children has remained essentially unchanged (roughly 5%, according to the researchers).
Source: Columbia University Medical Center. Parents increasingly choose ER over pediatrician for children’s non-urgent care. July 26, 2010. Available at http://cumc.columbia.edu.
Clearly, the data indicate that many parents are not fully satisfied with the care their children are getting in the pediatrician’s office. Might those parents be inclined to take them to an urgent care center, where they’re likely to spend less time and money, next time?
Perhaps more to the point, are your marketing message and initiatives reaching them so they can make an informed choice?
If you are aware of new data that you’ve found useful in your practice, let us know via e-mail to [email protected]. We’ll share your discovery with your colleagues in an upcoming issue of JUCM.