Patients Are More Likely to Trust ‘Independent’ Practices—and the Reason Is Interesting

It’s well-established that patients value urgent care because it’s typically much more expedient than the emergency room, and certainly primary care practices. Proximity and savvy marketing may help you differentiate yourself from competitors who offer those same advantages, but are there even more basic considerations that draw patients to one locations vs another? New data released by Software Advice suggest that patients who choose independent healthcare practices vs those owned by large corporations do so because they innately have a greater sense of trust in them. In fact, the research shows that 60% of patients simply have more confidence in independent healthcare facilities in general. What’s especially helpful for urgent care operators and providers to know is that 66% of the 1,000 patients surveyed said being able to secure appointments quickly is a key differentiator, as are faster exams (named by 42% of participants) and short wait times (32%).