More Data Show Younger Patients Are Drawn to Urgent Care over ‘Traditional’ Healthcare

Millennials and “Gen Zers” are more likely than Baby Boomers and Gen Xers to shun traditional primary care offices in favor of urgent care and other walk-in options, according to a newly released report from Accenture. Lack of convenience and responsiveness are among top reasons cited. It’s not just an American phenomenon, either; the nearly 8,000 consumers who took part in the research chimed in not only from the U.S. but also from Australia, England, Finland, Norway, Singapore, and Spain. The research showed only 55% of Generation Z participants (those born after 1995) and 67% of Millennials (born between 1980 and 1995) have a primary care physician, compared with 76% of Generation X (born 1965–1979) and 84% of the Baby Boom generation (born 1946–1974), respectively. Some members of the younger groups said they would like to have a go-to PCP, but haven’t found one who is both affordable and convenient. Seeing as how cost and convenience are identifying characteristics of the urgent care experience, it’s no surprise the authors called out urgent care as one of the options that appeals to those demographic groups. They also want to be able to reach their providers beyond the office encounter; 24% of Gen Zers said they were “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with providers’ responsiveness to follow-up questions outside the appointment. Both Gen Z and Millennials also said they appreciate being able to schedule an appointment online, and access test results and medical records remotely.