Hard Data on Why Patients Keep Flocking to Urgent Care Centers

Urgent care insiders know our industry continues to grow and evolve, and understand that convenience, cost, and quality of care are what keeps patients coming back. Data from outside the industry diving a bit deeper into the “why” of patient volume has been a bit scarce, however.
A Harris Poll commissioned by Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania takes a step toward remedying that shortage, however.
Not surprisingly, a strong majority (66%) of the 1,700 U.S. adults who took part in the survey said they would seek care from an alternate source, including urgent care, if their primary care provides is not available at a time convenient to them. Their definitions of convenient—and each’s relative importance—are illustrated below.