If fresh data revealed in a new white paper from FAIR Health are any indication, patients and payers are really getting the message that urgent care is often the best alternative for immediate healthcare needs. From 2016 to 2017, overall utilization of urgent care centers grew 14%, double the increase in usage of retail clinics (7%) and sevenfold more than the growth in use of emergency rooms (2%). Retail did outpace urgent care in a couple of specific segments, however, growing at a 28% clip in urban areas (vs 15% growth for urgent care) and 3% in rural areas (where urgent care useage was flat from one year to the next) according to the FH Healthcare Indicators and FH Medical Price Index 2019. Acute respiratory infections were the most common diagnosis in both urgent care and retail among patients over the age of 22; for patients 22 and younger, digestive system issues were the most common complaint.
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New Data Show Urgent Care Usage Continues to Grow Faster Than Retail or ED