Convenient Care

Person with dog resting its head on their lap using telehealth on their computer.

Objective

All citizens in South Carolina will have affordable and immediately available patient-initiated virtual urgent and other health system-entry level care from an in-state provider. Convenient Care services are designed to engage individual patients through their own available devices in order to optimize utilization and maximize healthcare engagement.

Example Services

  • Virtual Urgent Care

Description

Convenient Care was designed to give South Carolinians access to low-acuity healthcare visits at their fingertips. These virtual visits are offered 24/7, usually asynchronously (not in real-time), allowing patients to complete an online questionnaire specific to their health concern, connect with a provider, and receive a diagnosis with next steps. Convenient Care not only aims to deliver simple, accessible care but also acts as a first step in engaging in healthcare for many patients.

Callouts

  • 2021 saw a slight decrease in VUC utilization, but volumes remain elevated as compared to pre-COVID levels.

  • During COVID-19, SCTA partners leveraged their virtual urgent care platforms for COVID screenings and referrals to testing as appropriate. In 2021, fluctuations in monthly volumes tend to mirror the numerous waves and variants for this reason.

  • 76,504 virtual urgent care visits conducted in South Carolina by SCTA partners in 2021