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If you read this month’s Urgent Perspectives column (page 1), you were treated to a dynamic conversation between two urgent care leaders about the relative merits—and potential drawbacks—of utilizing telemedicine in the urgent care setting.

The disparate opinions presented there are reflected in the larger urgent care marketplace, as well. The Urgent Care Association’s 2018 Benchmarking Report notes an interesting dichotomy: Only 1.58% of the sampling reflected in the report say they provide telemedicine—a drop from 9% in the previous report. However, 87% of respondents said they intend to offer telemedicine at some point in the future, with nearly half of those saying they’ll probably do so within a year. Take a look at the graph below for further insights.

Adapted with permission from the Urgent Care Association 2018 Benchmarking Report. ©2019 UCA.

Adapted from: FH Healthcare Indicators and FH Medical Price Index 2019. An Annual View of Place of Service Trends and Medical Pricing. FAIR Health, Inc. New York, NY; 2019.

Telemedicine in Urgent Care—Yay, Nay, or Too Soon to Say?