Role of Urgent Care Centers in Reducing Non-Emergent Emergency Department Visits and Healthcare Costs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65759/tzjbsy82Keywords:
Urgent care centers, emergency departments, non-emergent visits, healthcare costs, healthcare utilizationAbstract
Background and objective: Urgent care centers provide unscheduled treatment for acute conditions outside hospital emergency departments. Their contribution to reducing emergency attendance and healthcare expenditure remains disputed. Lower consultation prices do not necessarily translate into lower population spending. This review examines studies on urgent care centers, non-emergent emergency department utilization, and healthcare costs. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception through May 2026 for original comparative studies evaluating urgent care centers and their effects on emergency department utilization and healthcare costs. Two authors independently screened records, assessed full-text eligibility, extracted data, and evaluated methodological limitations, resolving disagreements through consensus. Reporting followed PRISMA guidelines. Findings were synthesized narratively because study designs, service models, populations, and outcome measures differed across studies. Results: Studies reported heterogeneous associations in healthcare systems. An analysis from six United States associated operating urgent care centers with 17.2% fewer emergency visits among local residents during opening hours. A Chilean natural experiment reported a 2.69% reduction in emergency visits alongside reduced same-day primary care attendance. English studies reported reduced minor attendance and unchanged utilization. Commercial insurance data demonstrated lower urgent care prices than emergency department prices. Another analysis associated 37 additional urgent care visits with one fewer low-acuity emergency visit, producing increased combined spending. Conclusions: Urgent care centers offer less expensive encounters and reduce selected emergency visits. Evaluation requires attention to substitution, additional demand, downstream hospital use, and equitable access.
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