Descriptions
The practice recognizes that patients' care needs are not confined to normal operating hours, and therefore offers routine and urgent care appointments outside typical business hours. For example, a practice may open for appointments at 7 a.m. or remain open until 8 p.m. on certain days or open on alternating Saturdays.
A practice that cannot provide care outside regular business hours (e.g., a small practice with limited staffing) may arrange for patients to schedule appointments with other facilities or clinicians. The practice may use an urgent care center in the same health system for urgent and routine appointments outside regular business hours, or an urgent care center in the community that has access to patient records.
Providing extended access does not include:
- Offering appointments when the practice woud otherwise be closed for lunch
- Offering daytime appointments when the practice would otherwise close early (e.g., a Friday afternoon or holiday).
- Utilizing an ER or urgent care facility that is unaffiliated with the practice.