As urgent care becomes more prominent in the U.S. healthcare system, health systems are faced to decide what to name their affiliated urgent care centers. The model is known by a medley of names, such convenient care, walk-in care and immediate care. But do these refer to the same type of healthcare delivery?
As it turns out, yes. In an FAQ from the Urgent Care Association of America, the organization says these names should not be inferred as differentiating for the center's scope or quality of services. The name is chosen based on the practice's preference. Regardless of the name, these centers treat minor conditions or those that require immediate medical attention, but are not medical emergencies.
Urgent care, convenient care, walk-in care and immediate care all refer to healthcare that rests on four principles:
• No appointment is necessary for a patient to see a medical provider
• The center has weekend and evening operating hours
• The center has X-ray capabilities
• The center has capabilities to perform procedures like suturing and casting
Use of the term "urgent care" is unregulated for the most part, except in Illinois and Delaware, according to the UCAA. "In those states, urgent care centers adopt alternative, interchangeable names such as 'immediate care' or 'convenient care' that connote the delivery model and scope of services in compliance with the states' marketing and signage restrictions," according to the FAQ.
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