Urgent care centers are becoming a more popular
alternative for patients to visit. They can be extremely convenient because
they offer high-quality healthcare. When your primary care physician’s office
is closed, or your family doctor has a full schedule for the day. Receiving
medical attention at an urgent care clinic can be helpful, especially if you
find yourself in a situation where you need medical attention outside of
business hours or on the weekend.
You should seek an urgent care facility if your
health issues require a medical assessment within 24 hours. And, your symptoms are
not life-threatening. If you are in pain but debating, if you can wait until the
tomorrow to see your doctor, you should go to an urgent care facility. A medical professional can help relieve your
pain level as well as give you a bit of professional advice according to your
condition.
However, while quick care clinics can facilitate a quick
visit a medical professional, sometimes you may find yourself in a limbo debating
if an emergency room would be a better option than an urgent care center. Below
are some of the ideal situations to visit an urgent care clinic instead of the emergency
room.
- Cuts- A cut not too deep and bloody, but requires
stitches
- Accidents – Broken bones protruding outside
the skin should be treated in the ICU room.
- Small breathing difficulties- For example, moderate
asthma patients
- Red eyes with irritation
- Small broken bones in fingers or toes
- Flu or fever
- Infections like Urinary
tract infections(UTIs)
- Dehydration caused by diarrhea, and vomiting
Please keep in mind that the emergency room is intended
for valid and severe emergencies. Emergency rooms already tend to have
extremely long wait times, so please consider visiting an urgent care clinic if
your condition does not appear to be life-threatening.
Using the same token, you can walk into an urgent care center where the medical staff will give you a
diagnosis. If your condition turns out to be worse than you thought, they will
direct you to whatever healthcare provider would be most fitting.
Advantages of Urgent Care vs. Emergency Rooms
If you’re trying to decide whether to receive treatment at
an urgent care center or if you should go to an emergency room, one thing to
keep in mind is the crucial differences in the costs. If you visit an emergency
department, even if it ends up being for a small health issue, you could end up
paying an expensive medical bill.
A majority of emergency rooms are required by
state laws to provide medical care to anyone who walks in the door. While this
can be a good thing, it can result in a higher cost for you because hospital
sponsors tend to make up for their losses by charging patients who can manage
to pay a high rate for their visit.
Since urgent care centers operate as private entities,
they can refuse to treat uninsured patients or patients who are unable to pay.
As a result, they keep their medical treatments at a rate
that’s lower than emergency rooms.
When you are researching which urgent care center you’re
going to receive medical treatment from, you should call ahead of time to check
that they’ll take your medical insurance. If they are a part of your insurance
network, you may only have to pay a small co-pay fee out of pocket for your
appointment.
Choosing Your Ideal Urgent Care Facility
Some people have a misconception that urgent care
facilities are like the walk-in centers like your local drug store. But, urgent
care clinics offer a much more comprehensive scope of services. A walk-in
clinic might only provide you with a vaccine or a specific kind of
prescription.
On the other hand, urgent care centers offer a broad scope of
medical services. Some urgent care facilities might provide more medical
services than your regular primary care physician would. This is because urgent
care facilities are intended to be one step below an emergency room.
Some urgent care facilities specialize in specific
medical conditions such as heart, lungs, or joints. If you’re looking for a
therapeutic option outside of your doctor’s regular working hours, be sure to
locate the urgent care facility that best fits your health needs.
If you have ongoing medical conditions, it should be to your advantage to be your primary
physician’s office to share your medical records with the urgent care facility of
your choice before you have a health issue and seek medical assessment the
