Urgent Care vs Walk-in Clinics: A Comparison of On-demand Healthcare

With the boom of on-demand healthcare, many types of immediate care are now available to patients. However, the patient can be confused by which place of treatment they should seek. And it’s not surprising, given the similar-sounding names for varying care. How do you help patients understand the difference between walk-in retail clinics and urgent care clinics?

To help patients choose the correct care, it’s your job as an urgent care clinic to educate patients about the differences between urgent care vs walk-in clinics and other alternatives. This starts with the description of healthcare services on your website and marketing materials. Consider adding a services checklist that distinguishes between what your clinic offers vs. others like retail walk-in clinics for quick comparison.

Here’s a quick overview you can share with patients about the differences between retail walk-in clinics and urgent care clinics.

What is a Retail Clinic?

Both retail health clinics and urgent cares are “walk-in” or “no appointment needed.” However, retail clinics have fewer clinical capabilities and generally offer lower acuity visit types than urgent care clinics. Retail clinics fill the need for quick, less complex health needs that can be served outside the doctor’s office or urgent care.

• Services include treatment of uncomplicated illnesses, such as a sore throat or earache, or preventative care like vaccines or physical exams.
• In addition, retail clinics are generally a clinic-within-a-store model with limited space, and are staffed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants.
• Prices and co-pays for treatments in retail clinics are typically lower than an urgent care visit.
• Some screening and testing equipment may be available, but retail clinics are not equipped to handle urgent health needs, such as broken bones or lacerations.

What is an Urgent Care Clinic?

Urgent care or acute care clinics are also walk-in clinics but are designed for after-hours ambulatory care. Patients are served on a first-come, first-served basis (scheduled same-day visits may be offered). Urgent care clinics fill patient needs when the doctor’s offices are closed or booked out—or for urgent health needs that do not require an emergency room visit.

• Urgent care clinics serve more pressing injuries or illnesses that are not life-threatening.
• Services include radiology, splinting and casting for broken bones, lacerations, wound or burn repair, and asthma or bronchitis treatment. Additional services may include occupational medicine and workers’ compensation services.
• Urgent cares have multiple exam rooms and are staffed by nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and medical assistants. Most urgent cares have a full-time, on-site licensed physician, who often serves as a medical director.
• Payments and co-pays for treatments at urgent cares are lower than those at the emergency room.
• Urgent cares also offer higher-level diagnostic equipment such as x-rays and phlebotomy, but urgent cares are not equipped to do invasive surgical procedures, or procedures requiring anesthesia and an operating room.

H2: ER vs. Urgent Care

Emergency rooms (ERs) are hospital-based departments designed to handle life-threatening emergencies and severe medical conditions that require immediate attention. They operate 24/7 and are equipped with comprehensive medical resources and specialists.

• ERs are staffed by emergency medicine physicians, trauma surgeons, specialists, and emergency-trained nurses who can handle critical conditions and complex medical emergencies.
• Services include treatment for severe trauma, heart attacks, strokes, severe burns, poisoning, and other life-threatening conditions that require immediate intervention.
• ER visits typically have the highest cost of all immediate care options, with significantly higher co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses compared to urgent care.
• Wait times can be extensive as patients are seen based on medical severity rather than arrival order.

About Urgent Care

Educating patients about healthcare services will improve their choices, and ensuring correct care is given at each location. While relatively new to the healthcare scene, urgent care clinics are continuing to evolve in definition to fit patient needs. The best advice for patients is never to let them assume all urgent care clinics are created equal.

Encourage patients to research urgent care clinics and services, check insurance acceptance, read doctor reviews, and understand available diagnostic equipment options before making their choice on which clinic to visit. Additionally, patients can review if urgent care clinics are accredited or certified by the Urgent Care Association.

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