Faster, smarter, more connected – Northern Virginia’s proactive health consumers point to healthcare’s future
The Urgent Care Pulse Check Survey – Northern Virginia
In Northern Virginia, people live active lives, and they expect healthcare to match their pace. A new study shows they’re among the most proactive health consumers in the nation, preferring connected care options that make navigating the healthcare system easier.
According to the 2025 Urgent Care Pulse Check survey, commissioned by Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care and conducted by Wakefield Research, 77% of Northern Virginia residents report that one or more people in their family visited urgent care in the past year – higher than the national average of 66%. The findings place Northern Virginia residents among the most proactive healthcare consumers in the country, second only to New York among regions surveyed.
A majority of residents are also more likely to seek care early, with 57% saying they seek medical attention at the first sign of illness. One in three whose family has visited an urgent care (33%) say a child under 18 is their household’s typical urgent care patient, emphasizing urgent care’s role in family health. 1
Hospital Connection Matters in Northern Virginia
Within this pattern of early and frequent urgent care use, 71% of Northern Virginia residents prefer hospital-affiliated urgent care – well above the national average of 59% – ranking second behind San Fracisco among regions surveyed. Top reasons include:
- Access to medical history (50%)
- Seamless connection to specialists (48%)
- Access to advanced testing and treatments (48%)
- Easy follow-up with a primary care provider (47%)
- Higher-quality providers (47%)
These preferences highlight a clear demand for connected, system-wide care that is not a standalone visit, but a gateway to a broader healthcare ecosystem. For NoVA residents, Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care meets this need by combining Inova’s trusted hospital network with on-demand urgent care access, enabling patients to move seamlessly between urgent care, primary care, and specialty services.
Active Lifestyles Shape Everyday Health Needs
Northern Virginia’s vibrant, outdoor-oriented lifestyle provides additional context for how residents live day-to-day.
- 51% enjoy regular exercise, and 43% identify as culinary explorers
- 43% appreciate the region’s parks, and 37% enjoy local attractions
- 29% are willing to take health risks for fun
These lifestyle behaviors translate into higher reported health issues:
- 26% experience stomach issues, such as food-related illness (vs. 16% nationally)
- 47% report seasonal allergies, far above the national average (31%)
From weekend hikes and food festivals to youth sports and cultural outings, NoVA residents need flexible, accessible care that fits their active lives, making urgent care a critical part of staying healthy and on the move. Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care meets this demand through a tech-enabled care experience, offering digital check-in, virtual urgent care options, and seamless data sharing across the Inova health system.
As healthcare continues to evolve, urgent care has become a front door to the healthcare system. In Northern Virginia, hospital-affiliated, connected care is leading the way.
Data Source & Methods:
The Urgent Care Pulse Check Survey was commissioned by Inova-GoHealth Urgent Care and conducted by Wakefield Research among 2,000 nationally representative U.S. adults and 100 interviews in the DC DMA, between August 29th and September 8th, 2025, using an email invitation and an online survey. The data has been weighted.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 2.2 percentage points for the national sample, and 9.8 percentage points for the DC DMA, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
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