A comparison of family practice clinics and free-standing emergency centers: organizational characteristics, process of care, and patient satisfaction.

Because of the increasing popularity of free-standing emergency care centers as a source of primary care services, this cross-sectional study was conducted to compare four of them with two family practice centers that provided extended hours. A total of 2,339 patient encounters were examined with data obtained from both physicians and patients. The factors that were found to be a basis for discrimination between the two types of practice were the cost of care and the patient's satisfaction with convenience and personal attention from the physicians. The overall average costs were significantly higher for the free-standing centers ($45) as compared with the family practice clinics ($27). Convenience and time factors, including waiting time, time spent with the physician, time to get an appointment, clinic location, and out-of-pocket cost, all produced a higher level of satisfaction for the free-standing clinic patients. Conversely, the personal concern of the physician and the ability to see the same physician brought higher levels of satisfaction for the family practice clinic patients. The free-standing emergency center is clearly becoming a significant factor in the delivery of primary care with evidence to suggest that patients are willing to pay a premium for convenience.