While Covid-19 has placed a spotlight on hospitals, the pandemic has also had sizeable impacts on the rest of the health care ecosystem. Primary care practices, urgent care clinics, retail clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers have all experienced significant changes in workflows and patient demand.
Research
How Covid-19 is impacting non-hospital sites of care
While Covid-19 has placed a spotlight on hospitals, the pandemic has also had devastating impacts on the rest of the health care ecosystem. Primary care practices, urgent care clinics, retail clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers have all experienced significant changes in workflow and volumes.
Updated -
May 4, 2020
Through a series of briefings, we are cataloging the immediate impact of Covid-19 on volumes and operations at various non-hospital sites of care and presenting projections for the future. Explore our takes for each site of care below:
Ambulatory surgery centers
State and federal guidance to halt elective procedures had an immediate and dramatic effect on ASC volumes—70% of which are considered elective. However, as providers resume these procedures, ASCs may benefit from quicker ramp-up timelines and more favorable case mix than hospitals, as well as potential accelerations in site of care shifts.
Primary care
Primary care practices of all sizes have experienced dramatic volume losses, rapid adoption of telehealth, and postponement of well care and chronic condition management services. These changes may have long-term impacts on market consolidation, patient health status, and consumer preferences regarding virtual care.
Urgent care
Many urgent care clinics have become the frontline for triage and testing, with as much as 70% of their volumes shifting to Covid-19-related concerns. However, total volumes are down and many sites are closing temporarily. Future success may be dependent on the ability to market and scale telehealth services, design attractive “return to work” offerings, and tailor care models to meet unmet market needs.