The way people seek medical care has evolved over time. From the doctor who does house calls to the current urgent care franchise model, the landscape has changed drastically. The convenience of the urgent care franchise has revolutionized the way patients seek and receive medical treatment for minor injuries and ailments.
Starting in the 1970s when the first locations opened, urgent care facilities have been providing patients with an alternative to emergency room visits for minor health care needs. Many of the original urgent care centers were, in fact, opened by emergency room doctors who saw a need for an interim level of care. Emergency rooms were overrun with those who did not have a primary care physician but fell ill, resulting in longer wait times and higher costs for all.
When patients visit an urgent care franchise location, they’ll find shorter wait times and can almost certainly save money over the typical emergency room visit. Urgent care facilities treat anything from a cold to simple sprain and can provide care for any age.
Urgent care centers not only provide excellent care and cut costs for those needing minor medical treatment, but they’re an excellent business investment as well. As a result of these benefits, business owners have been investing in the urgent care franchise model at a rapid pace. What started as a small, unique service has grown to a flourishing industry, with nearly 10,000 urgent care clinics nationwide today.
In addition to being able to provide excellent medical care at reasonable costs, the urgent care franchise model offers built-in support. When a business owner opts to open an urgent care franchise, they immediately receive a support system to help get through the headaches of insurance and billing to provide a quality service to the consumer.
Besides relieving accounting headaches, the urgent care franchise model also exhibits significant investor and consumer growth. According to the Urgent Care Association of America, 87% of urgent-care-center operators acquired or built a new location in 2014, and 89% of those operators said patient visits increased in 2014 from the previous year.
The modern-day medical landscape is set to serve patients in the ways they want. At an urgent care franchise, a patient can be seen at a convenient time, without a long wait, and for a reasonable cost. Less people are opting to keep a long-term relationship with a primary care physician. Consumers want medical care that is mobile and readily available. Urgent care franchises are satisfying those needs without sacrificing quality.
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