A Decline in Primary Care Visits

• According to a recent JAMA Pediatrics study, "overall visits to the pediatrician declined by 14% — a number that reflects a 10% increase in pediatric check-ups and a 24% decrease in sick or injured visits."

• That Pediatrics study wasn't intended to uncover the reasons for the decline in pediatrician visits but it did discover that visits in acute care settings such as urgent care centers and emergency rooms "account for about half of the lost primary care visits."

Urgent Care

• In the last five years, there has been a steady decline in primary care office visits "as the growth in urgent care has risen." It has been observed that "patients are looking for convenience, better value, and time-saving options."
• Patients who are younger and often healthier "aren’t looking for long-term relationships with care providers or the benefits that go along with a primary care doctor that understand their lifelong medical journey. These patients "want to feel better fast and pay less."
• Although "these preferences don’t always hold true, this is the trend we’re seeing now, causing primary care providers to reassess their business model to offer more opportunities for on-demand care."