Urgent care centers are vital healthcare access points, and understanding their operational trends is crucial for sustained success. Since 2008, the Urgent Care Association (UCA) has provided valuable benchmarking through surveys and reports, offering insights to help urgent care teams prepare for the evolving healthcare landscape. Analyzing quarterly data, particularly around visit volume and diagnosis coding, is essential for strategic planning and operational efficiency. This analysis is especially relevant when considering tools like Docutap, which aims to streamline urgent care operations, including coding processes. Let’s delve into key trends from recent years, focusing on quarter three (July-September) to understand these dynamics better.
Analyzing Visit Volume Trends
Visit volume serves as a primary indicator of urgent care center performance. Examining trends over time helps centers benchmark their performance and identify opportunities for growth. Looking at the averages from July, August, and September in 2018, 2019, and 2020 provides a comparative perspective. In both 2018 and 2019, the average visit volume per clinic per day consistently hovered around 32 visits. These figures represent a pre-pandemic baseline, reflecting typical urgent care utilization.
However, 2020 presented an unprecedented shift due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Quarter three of 2020 marked a turning point for urgent care. After experiencing the most challenging period in history during the initial pandemic surge, urgent care centers began to see a resurgence. Notably, on Monday, July 6, 2020, Experity customers reported a nationwide total of 105,639 visits, exceeding the busiest flu day earlier that year (February 3, 2020). This surge highlights the critical role urgent care played in responding to immediate healthcare needs during the pandemic.
The data from Q3 2020 reveals a significant increase in average daily visits per clinic, reaching nearly 40. This rise was largely attributed to the demand for COVID-19 testing, which continued to escalate throughout the latter part of the year. This “visit volume rollercoaster” of 2020 initiated a new phase for urgent care, pushing centers to enhance efficiency and adapt to fluctuating demands. While 2021 saw visit volumes returning to levels more akin to 2018 and 2019, maintaining operational agility remains crucial for urgent care facilities.
Decoding Diagnosis Trends and Coding Challenges
Urgent care traditionally focused on treating acute illnesses. UCA reports analyzing the top primary diagnoses from July to September over the past three years offer valuable benchmarking data. In 2018 and 2019, diagnosis codes were consistent with typical urgent care patterns, with upper respiratory infections, sore throats, and sinusitis consistently ranking as the most common. These trends aligned with expected seasonal illnesses during these months.
However, as with visit volumes, 2020 introduced a dramatic change in diagnosis trends. The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency fundamentally altered the landscape. Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 related visits became the most frequent type of urgent care visit in quarter three of 2020. This shift not only impacted patient care but also presented significant challenges in documentation and billing.
Comparison table of top three primary diagnoses in urgent care centers from Q3 2018, Q3 2019, and Q3 2020, showing a shift to COVID-19 related diagnoses in 2020.
The “coding dilemma” that emerged in 2020 underscores the complexities urgent care faced in accurately documenting and billing for COVID-19 related services. This situation emphasizes the importance of robust and adaptable coding practices within urgent care settings. Solutions like Docutap, designed to optimize urgent care workflows, can play a crucial role in navigating these coding complexities and ensuring accurate revenue cycle management, particularly when dealing with rapidly evolving healthcare scenarios like pandemics or public health emergencies. Understanding these quarterly coding and diagnosis trends is not just about historical analysis; it’s about preparing for future challenges and optimizing urgent care operations for sustained success.
For further details on UCA benchmarking reports, you can explore here. To discover more about solutions tailored for urgent care, visit the Experity solutions homepage.
