These data from the 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Survey are based on responses of 1,691 US urgent care centers; 32% were UCA members. The survey was limited to “full-fledged care centers” accepting walk-ins during all hours of operation; having a licensed provider and x-ray and lab equipment onsite; the ability to administer IV fluids and perform minor procedures; and having minimal business hours of seven days per week, four hours per day.
The 2010 survey looked more closely at patient volume than the 2008 survey. In 2008, the “mean number of patient visits during the last week” was 314 visits. In the 2010 survey, the comparative number of average visits per week had increased to 342 visits. The visits flow over the months of the year as shown below:
As established in the 2008 survey data, most urgent care centers are open at least 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Using that as the shift basis for per-day visit questions, information was gathered on the 2010 survey on the flow of patient volume, as shown in the table at bottom here. In general, visits are regularly spaced out throughout the weekday in most centers. On weekends, earlier visits are slightly the norm.
Acknowledgement: The 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Study was funded by the Urgent Care Association and administered by Professional Research Associates, based in Omaha, NE. The full 40-page report can be purchased at www.ucaoa.org/benchmarking.