Emergency Department Visit-Severity Algorithm for Immediate Care Clinic Visits

These results demonstrate that immediate care clinics deliver predominantly non-emergent care as intended (81% vs 45% in the ED), potentially reducing ED crowding and validating current clinician- and patient-initiated referral practices. High rates of repeat ICC visits (47%) and follow-up with primary care physicians (41%) within the same healthcare system suggest these facilities foster care continuity while providing accessible, non-emergent care alternatives. However, user disparities persist as self-pay and uninsured patients show lower overall ICC use, while uninsured and publicly insured individuals present with emergent conditions more frequently than privately insured patients. These findings inform care-seeking education and health service delivery while highlighting the need to improve ICC accessibility across insurance types to optimize efficiency and patient outcomes.