In the past two years, 60% of people ages 50 to 80 have visited an urgent care clinic or a clinic based in a retail store, workplace or vehicle, according to findings from the latest University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. Urgent care clinics were the most common alternative source of care, with 47% of adults ages 50-80 visiting one at least once, and 23% going more than once.

Many of those who went to an alternative site said they did so to avoid going to the emergency room (44%) or to get a vaccine, a test or an exam (35%). Furthermore, 75% of those who have gone to such a site recently said they’re likely to go again in the next two years.

But even as they sought care at these sites, most older adults who also have a primary care provider preferred the quality of care and sense of connection at their regular clinic. Among those who said they’re not likely to go to an alternative site for care in the future, 74% said it’s because they prefer to go to their regular provider.

Other key findings from the poll:

• The percentage of older adults who had gone to a retail clinic was half that of the proportion who had gone to an urgent care center, at 28% vs 47%. Only 9% had gone to a clinic at their worksite, and 5% had received care from a traveling provider based in a bus or van.
• Those in their 50s and early 60s were more likely than those age 65 to 80 to have sought care from one of these types of alternative care sites, at 64% vs. 55%.
• Older adults who live in urban or suburban areas with populations over 50,000 were more likely than those in less populated areas to have gone to an alternative site for care, at 62% vs 52%
• 61% of those who said they have a primary care provider said they visited an urgent care clinic, retail clinic or other alternative site in the past two years. The majority (64%) had let that regular provider know they had gone to an alternative site.
• Asked to compare the two, 43% of those who had gone to an alternative site for care said the alternative site was more convenient than their usual provider. But 52% said the quality of care was better at their usual provider’s clinic, and 67% said they felt more connection to their provider at their usual clinic.

To learn more, download the full report by clicking here