Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
About 17% of all visits to hospital emergency departments across the United States could be treated at retail medical clinics or urgent-care centers, potentially saving $4.4 billion annually in health care costs, according to a new study by RAND Corp.
Conditions that could be treated safely outside hospitals include minor infections, strains, fractures, and lacerations, according to findings published in the September edition of the journal Health Affairs.
"Patient traffic to hospital emergency departments has been growing, but a significant proportion of patients could be safely treated in these alternative settings," says Robin Weinick, the study's lead author and a senior social scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "Diverting these patients to alternatives such as retail clinics and urgent-care centers could shorten their waiting times and save money."
More Americans are using hospital emergency departments because they face long waits for appointments with their physician and limited afterhours options. Many studies have found the cost of treating of nonemergent conditions in the emergency department is significantly higher than in other settings, which can increase patients' out-of-pocket costs and add avoidable spending to the nation's health care bill.
Alternative care settings for nonemergency care such as retail medical clinics and urgent-care centers have increased over the past decade. Retail clinics, located in pharmacies or grocery stores, are typically staffed by nurse-practitioners and a treat a limited range of health conditions, such as sore throats or urinary tract infections. Urgent-care centers are freestanding physician-staffed facilities that offer extended hours, onsite X-rays and laboratory testing, and which can treat a broader range of conditions, including minor fractures and serious cuts.
Both retail clinics and urgent-care centers are open in the evenings and on weekends and allow for drop-in appointments, the study found. Prior work has also shown that they are substantially cheaper than an emergency department.
RAND researchers analyzed information about people who visited retail medical clinics and urgent-care centers and compared it to profiles of patients who visited hospital emergency departments during 2006. They examined issues such as the severity of injuries and illnesses seen in emergency departments as well as the volume and mix of cases seen when alternative care settings are open.
Based upon the comparisons, researchers estimated that 13.7% of all emergency department visits reviewed could have been treated in a retail medical clinic, although that proportion decreases to about 8% when the analysis is restricted to visits that occur when retail clinics typically are open.
An additional 13.4% of all hospital emergency department visits could be treated at an urgent-care center, although that proportion decreases to about 9% when cases are restricted to those seen when the centers typically are open.
Overall, although the researchers estimated that 27.1% of all hospital emergency department visits could be managed at a retail clinic or urgent care center, only 16.8% could be managed during the hours the emergency department alternatives typically are open.
"We've known for a long time that many people go the emergency department with problems that could be addressed elsewhere, but this is the first time we have been able to quantify how many of those visits could be addressed at these alternative locations," said study coauthor Ateev Mehrotra, a researcher at RAND and an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
While the study provides important evidence about the number of cases that could be managed outside emergency departments, the study did not evaluate whether retail clinics and urgent care centers currently have the capacity to handle substantially higher numbers of patients. Researchers note that there is only limited evidence about whether patients can safely decide when it is appropriate to use one of the lower-cost emergency treatment options.
There is some evidence that emergency departments, retail clinics and urgent-care centers provide care that is similar in quality, but more research is needed before large numbers of patients can be encouraged to seek care in alternative settings, according to the researchers.
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
California confirms first case of even more deadly mpox strain
November 18 2024 3:02 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
Decades of progress, uniting to fight HIV/AIDS
December 01 2024 12:30 PM
Hollywood must do better on HIV representation
December 01 2024 9:00 AM
Climate change is disrupting access to HIV treatment
November 25 2024 11:05 AM
Post-election blues? Some advice from mental health experts
November 08 2024 12:36 PM