No Appointment Needed: The Resurgence of Urgent Care Centers in the United States
Robin M. Weinick and Renée M. Betancourt
September 2007
As of 2007, when this article was published, there was no nationally accepted definition of what constituted an urgent care center. The scope of services these centers provide generally falls between that of a primary care doctor’s office and an emergency department. However, while they are often poorly understood even by medical professionals, urgent care centers are quietly filling a key niche in the health care system.
Fueled by consumer backlash over long waiting times to see other providers, a new growth spurt for the urgent care industry began in the mid-1990s. Many centers have attracted patients by emphasizing convenient, high-quality care, making them an attractive alternative to hospital emergency departments.
This 2007 report explains what urgent care centers are, how they operate, and the role they play in the health care delivery system. It includes specific information on urgent care centers in California and offers perspectives from urgent care center operators and other industry experts. And it explores key issues and questions related to how urgent care centers were faring in the health care system, as well as their prospects for the future.