In a recent survey conducted with the Urgent Care Association, Solv found that patients were waiting an average
of 24 days for appointments with their primary care provider. In a world of instant gratification, consumers
demand more. They demand now. If you want to watch a movie, you download it in minutes or stream it instantly.
If you need groceries, you can pick up your phone and have them delivered to you within the hour. If you need
restaurant reservations, you find one with availability, book online, walk in minutes later and sit right down.
Healthcare shouldn’t be any different.
That’s why urgent care has been growing at a faster pace than any other healthcare service in
the United States. And it is why healthcare consumers search for “urgent care” more than 5x more than “primary
care” or “family doctor,” combined. These consumers are highly actionable, searching with high intent terms like
“urgent care near me.” They want same day access to quality healthcare providers
when they are sick or injured - after hours, one weekends and on holidays - without the cost and inconvenience
of the emergency room.
Urgent care centers typically treat minor illnesses like the flu, sinus infections and strep throat, as well as
injuries like bone fractures and sprains, cuts, scrapes and burns, making these clinics ideal for diagnosing and
treating non-emergent healthcare needs. And at a growing rate urgent care clinics are offering preventative care
services including annual physicals and well visits, flu shots and other immunizations and vaccines, taking on
the role of primary care provider for the tens of millions of consumers that don’t have one.
For kids there are special pediatric urgent care centers, usually open after hours for patients between the
ages of 1 and 18.
