Urgent care centers prove their worth in wake of long ER lines
Lengthy wait times at emergency rooms (ER) around the country have given way to “urgent care centers,” alternatives to the ER for less severe ailments, reports the Los Angeles Times. In 2006, patients waited an average of 3.3 hours to be seen at the ER, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Urgent care centers offer those patients who do not have life threatening problems a chance to escape these long wait times and be treated medically faster than they would be by waiting to see a primary care physician.
The Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) reports that 8,000 urgent care centers existed as of 2008. However, these somewhat new options for care are for the most part unregulated. The UCAOA is drafting a list of what patients can expect at urgent care centers (hours, medical professionals who could work there, procedures that can be performed).
Insurers like the idea of urgent care centers because when patients visit urgent care centers, it often means insurers will not have to pay for what most likely would have been more costly ER visits. Many hospitals are scrambling to find ways to lessen ER wait-times for both patient satisfaction and patient safety needs. However, the LA Times article raises an important question—what if patients are unable to appropriately decide on the severity their symptoms?
Do you have any experience with urgent care centers in your community?
About the Author: Heather Comak is a Managing Editor at HCPro, Inc., where she is the editor of the monthly publication Briefings on Patient Safety, as well as patient safety-related books and audio conferences. She is also is the Assistant Director of the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals.
Contact Heather by e-mailing hcomak@hcpro.com