Patient Care Access News

Patient Knowledge Impacts Use of Urgent Care, ED Services

A recent survey revealed that patients often don't know when to access urgent care or emergency department services.

urgent-care-emergency-department

Source: Thinkstock

By Sara Heath

- Patients need more education to help them determine whether to access care in urgent care centers or the emergency department, according to a survey by New York City-based urgent care provider CityMD.

Urgent care centers have come to the forefront in recent years as viable alternatives to emergency departments for certain healthcare episodes.

According to the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine, urgent care centers are “a convenient option when someone's regular physician is on vacation or unable to offer a timely appointment. Or, when illness strikes outside of regular office hours, urgent care offers an alternative to waiting for hours in a hospital Emergency Room.”