This observational cohort pre-post study evaluates the impact of Urgent Care Centers (UCCs) on reducing non-urgent Emergency Department (ED) visits and improving patient flow in Al Madina Al Munawara. Data from 198,050 ED visits to King Fahad Hospital between June 2021 and May 2023 were analyzed, comparing metrics before and after the implementation of four UCCs. Findings revealed a decrease in door-to-doctor time post-UCC implementation, although not statistically significant. However, a significant reduction was observed in doctor-to-decision and door-to-disposition times specifically among CTAS 3 patients. Conversely, there was a notable increase in the number of patients waiting more than 4 hours in the ED, and a rise in the proportion of urgent cases (CTAS 2 and 3), suggesting that the overall ED burden was not substantially alleviated. Despite improvements for specific patient categories, the study highlights key barriers such as seasonal fluctuations, limited public awareness, and the need for systemic integration between UCCs and EDs. The results suggest that while UCCs have potential to enhance efficiency, especially for moderate-acuity cases, broader strategies including public education, extended UCC hours, and data integration are required to fully realize their intended impact.

Ahlam AlJohani is a Family Medicine Consultant affiliated with the Madinah Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. She holds a postgraduate certification in Family Medicine, a Master's degree in Health Administration, and a specialization in Health Strategy from Harvard University. She has a particular interest in healthcare systems improvement, urgent care development, and emergency medicine integration. AlJohani has played an instrumental role in research and service planning for urgent care in Al Madinah region, including collaborative projects with the Directorate of Health Affairs and various primary care networks. Her work focuses on data-driven healthcare improvement, particularly in reducing emergency department overcrowding and enhancing patient flow through innovative urgent care models.