(WXYZ) — Do you go to urgent care or your primary care doctor? With access getting tighter and urgent care clinics popping up in more neighborhoods, more patients are choosing between fast care now or continuing care that may come with a wait. And doctors say it's a choice that can have real consequences.
Watch Keenan Smith's report below
"It's a lot more convenient to get into my urgent care office compared to my doctors," said Amanda Crabtree, a Wayne State University.
That convenience is fueling a major shift in how Americans get care.
New data from the Health Care Cost Institute shows urgent care use is surging, with spending up more than 50 percent in just five years. For some, it's convenience, and for others, it's necessity.
"As a working parent, I don't have that choice, to you know, in that luxury to go during working hours to the pediatrician's office," said Julie Hasse from Macomb.
Dr. Chris Mann, a primary care doctor and assistant professor at Wayne State University, says we don't have enough primary care doctors.
"(We have) one primary care doc to 5,000 to 7,000 Detroiters in Southeast Michigan. That's not enough," Dr. Mann said.
For many patients, getting in to see their own doctor isn't easy, especially with the long waits and limited hours.
"I usually go on a wait list for about two weeks with my family physician," Crabtree said.
"(It's) kind of an 8-to-5, Monday through Friday situation," Hasse said.
Urgent care can fill the gaps, but at a cost.
Dr. Asha Shajahan, a primary care physician with Corewell Health East – a health care system with standalone urgent cares – says urgent care has its place, but is not for long-term needs.
"A primary doctor is someone that you can have a relationship with," said Dr. Shajahan.
This is someone with access to your medical records, and who can see trends in your health over time and intervene early if problems arise, issues that urgent care may miss.
"I'll just forget to like say things, and sometimes they don't ask a ton of questions," said Wayne State student Dakota Poljanić.
And doctors say one group is driving that shift: young adults who may lose primary care when they age out of pediatrics or when they fall off their parents' insurance in their mid-20s.
They might be like 26, 27, and they said I haven't seen a doctor since, you know, before college or my pediatrician," said Dr. Shajahan.
Dr. Shajahan says even for these young adults who may look healthy, it's important to monitor blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, in case there's a problem and you're unaware.
"Habits don't change, and then you're kind of compounding your problem. And then, suddenly at 40, you might be having a heart attack," Dr. Shajahan said.
There is also the matter of money.
"So primary care, if you are insured, is typically much cheaper than an urgent care visit," said Dr. Mann.
These primary care doctors come with lower co-pays and better coverage, according to Mann. But without insurance, the cash price for urgent care may be lower, but not for continuing care.
So when should you turn to urgent care?
"Urgent cares are a snapshot. They are a one-and-done," said Dr. Mann.
Dr. Mann and Dr. Shajahan say that you should always start with your primary care provider to ask for same-day appointments or telehealth visits. For issues that can't wait, like sprains, minor broken bones, cuts, or rashes, turn to urgent care.
And if it's severe chest pain or you have trouble breathing, head to the ER.
It's clear that urgent care plays an important role in providing care and relieving strain in the healthcare system. But of you rely on urgent care, there's a good chance you're getting an incomplete view of your health that could lead to problems down the line.
