With the ongoing rise in diseases worldwide, investing in the medical sector is now among the most lucrative things to do. While it might seem like you will be breaking even in no time, the truth is that there are considerable competition and pressure in the sector. You thus might be stuck with a non-profitable clinic, although there are many clients in your neighborhood. A recent study, for instance, revealed an 18% reduction in medical care visits. The decline is not because people are healthier but rather because several treatment alternatives exist.
Working with a healthcare franchise is your best choice to penetrate the tough market in little time. Patients, like other customers, will form an opinion on what they can expect from your clinic on the franchise name you choose to use. Even with the best franchisor, however, you should have the right operating model for you to actualize profits.
The following are some of the emerging trends for urgent care operating models.
Merging Primary and Urgent Care
In the past, people viewed urgent care as the ’’after-hours’’ alternative to conventional primary care in those battling chronic conditions. Nowadays, however, urgent care centers are partnering with primary care physicians to guarantee continuity of care. Doing this also allows your clinic to dip into the large patient pool at traditional primary care settings. Once you get them into your clinic, you can convince them to opt for your clinic for faster and efficient ongoing care compared to the long lines in traditional hospitals.
Increased Telemedicine
Value-based care models are all the rage nowadays for centers that want to set themselves apart. People are intent on getting an urgent care center that can offer services even in times when they cannot physically get to the centers for whichever reason. Having a dedicated team to guide clients through different issues over the phone might be your best choice to expand your reach. It also allows your urgent care clinic to diversify its income base by venturing into counseling.
Development of New Service Lines
Most patients opt for urgent care because of the efficiency, convenience, and fast service it guarantees. You can expand your patient-centered care by venturing into new service lines. Most urgent care centers are now getting specialists in weight management, dermatology, and behavioral health to cater to clients. Others have gone further and included pediatric, orthopedic-specific, and maternity care into their operations.
Expanded Retail-Based Care
There are now several retail-based clinics, such as those opened in grocery and drug stores. These offer most of the services that urgent care centers provide. In most cases, however, retail-based care centers do not meet the set standards of urgent care centers. Therefore, if this is your ideal operating model, you should get advice on how to structure yours from your urgent care franchisor.
The first thing when opening an urgent care center is to pick an ideal operating model for your business. With the tidbits mentioned above, this step has been eased. You should nonetheless choose a model that matches your target market and the available budget for your investment.
