Considering Urgent Care Patients Guests Is The Best Medicine

Guests want the best – especially when they feel at their worst. This is equally true for patients seeking medical care.

Rising revenue proves these medical marvels aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Last year, the average annual growth rate for US urgent care centers was over 3%, and the market is expected to grow by another 11% in the next eight years.

Urgent care centers started popping up in the 1970s. Although they’ve been around for more than 50 years, their presence grew as they became a speedier – and often cheaper – choice than heading into the emergency room. This is especially the case for treating less severe issues that don’t necessarily need a hospital visit but can’t wait for an appointment with your primary.

Since the pandemic, the strain on healthcare systems has been significant. Demand for places like urgent care to ease the burden on hospitals has significantly grown. So now, seeing them around town is as common as coming across any popular fast food chain.

Although urgent care centers are nearly everywhere, they are not all the same.

Patients have more choices than ever when it comes to private medical care. They seek urgent care centers that not only make them feel better physically, but also make them feel like they’re receiving a quality service for the money they spend.

My experience at an exceptional facility

An urgent care center I went to recently confirms it: The small things make the biggest difference in patient care. A lot of the time, they don’t have anything to do with the actual practice of medicine, but more to do with atmosphere and interaction.

When my husband woke up with terrible stomach pain, we decided to try out a new urgent care. It opened up about two years ago, and although we frequented a different one, this facility was closer so we decided to try it out.

From the moment we walked in, it was a lovely experience. (Well, as lovely as one can hope for while feeling physically terrible.)

A receptionist greeted us immediately, and she helped fill out the forms while I comforted my partner as best as I could. Because of his condition, we were immediately taken to a private room where he got into a hospital bed. Within minutes one of the nurses greeted us inside the room and covered him in warm blankets. She even offered me one!

As we waited for the doctor, the nurse gathered information. She was kind and reassuring. Then the doctor came, quickly advised us on a course of action, and before we knew it the nurse was back and inserting an IV.

While my husband received fluids, we were checked on multiple times. The nurse dimmed the lights and closed the door so he could rest, and there was zero rush to push us out. I was offered drinks and snacks and given a cozy chair to sit in. They even asked what kind of music he liked, and they switched the radio to an accommodating station.

Although the circumstances were unfortunate, I felt like I never wanted to leave.

The other side of patient care

Because of our lovely experience at an urgent care we will surely return to in the future, I’ve devised this list of suggestions that have nothing to do with medicine and everything to do with comfort.

1. Immediate assistance – Facilities should make sure to greet patients right away. Most will struggle to fill out paperwork, so even if it’s electronic, staff should lend a hand (especially when patients are alone).
2. Isolation when necessary – Those that have severe and visible symptoms should be taken to a holding area. Whether it’s a reserved room for those needing timely attention or a separate area of the lobby, this will help the patient and those around them feel safer and more comfortable.
3. Playing the right music – This is key. I never knew how important soundscapes were until I heard music during my husband’s visit. Relaxing music is known to calm and soothe, and the right sound selection can improve a patient’s patience.
4. Assisting caregivers – Staff should tend not only to the patient but those accompanying them. Offer family members a warm blanket or bottle of water. If a visit turns lengthy, suggest they take a walk or run an errand and send a text when the patient is ready for discharge.
5. Smooth exits – The final impression is just as important as the first one. Once a patient is discharged, the last thing they want to do is wait on permission to leave or go through more paperwork. Have medicines or prescriptions ready to go, and keep the checkout process as succinct and polite as possible.

By making a tough situation a little easier, urgent care brands can encourage repeat business.

Patients now have their choice in care. The more memorable that centers can make their experience, the less likely patients will forget where their health needs will best be met.