The number of urgent care centers in the U.S. continues to grow as patients demand shorter wait times and more convenient care options, according to a benchmarking report from the Urgent Care Association.
Three things to know about the state of urgent care:
1. As of November 2019, the U.S. housed 9,616 urgent care centers. That's up 9.6 percent year over year.
2. Ninety-seven percent of urgent care patient encounters lasted an hour or less.
3. Thirty percent of centers that aren't offering telemedicine intend to start doing so within the next year.
"The year-over-year growth across the country shows the importance of urgent care in today's healthcare marketplace, as today's patients seek affordable healthcare options, shorter wait times and more convenient access to care," Laurel Stoimenoff, CEO of the UCA, said in a prepared statement. "To meet public demand and trends, the industry continues to innovate and expand by leveraging technology, new services and evidence-based medicine including telemedicine, physical therapy, occupational medicine and more."
Access the full report here.
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