You can’t drive down a busy street in a city or pass by a shopping center without seeing an urgent care facility these days. The need for urgent care offices continues to grow. Around 11,500 centers have popped up throughout the United States in recent years.
It can be challenging to know when to access medical urgent care or when to visit the emergency room. The term “urgent healthcare” is quite broad. How do you know when you should go to your doctor’s office, the hospital, or seek urgent care services?
This blog will discuss when you should access medical attention at an urgent care clinic. We’ll cover some of the most common medical emergencies they can assist with. Find out what types of treatments they can provide for various healthcare needs.
When Should I Go to Urgent Care?
Heading to urgent care is the best bet when dealing with an injury or ailment that’s not life-threatening. Urgent care clinics are great for when you need a same-day appointment if your normal healthcare provider can’t get you in until a later date.
Patients will typically encounter shorter wait times at urgent care clinics than they would at the emergency room. They’ll also experience cheaper copays that are around the same price as a primary care facility.
Visit an urgent care office for symptoms such as:
- Strains or sprains
- Minor first or second-degree burns
- Small cuts that require stitches
- Mild shortness of breath or wheezing
- Eye discharge
- Fever with no rash
- Painful urination
- Insect or animal bite
- Minor allergic reactions
- Flu symptoms
- Diarrhea or vomiting
What Are the Services Offered at Medical Urgent Care Offices?
Urgent care facilities offer a wide range of services for non-emergency medical conditions. This can include things like lab work and vaccinations.
Lab Services
Many urgent care offices offer lab services for accurate diagnosis and treatment. These services may be used with other procedures to get the individual the treatment they need. Urgent care offices typically offer lab services that you can find in your primary care doctor’s office or an emergency room.
The most common types of lab services offered by these medical facilities include:
- Electrolyte testing
- COVID-19 tests
- Blood tests, such as glucose, complete blood counts, etc.
- Pregnancy tests
- STD tests
- Fecal blood occult
- Flu tests
- Strep tests
- Drug screenings and tests
Urgent care offices can share the results with your primary medical provider once they’re completed.
Preventative Health Services
While it’s typically recommended to schedule routine preventative health screenings with your primary physician, urgent care facilities can do these appointments. Some of the types of services they perform include:
- Flu shots and vaccinations
- Physicals
Imaging Services
You may not realize you can have imaging done at your local urgent care clinic. Many urgent care facilities have the equipment needed to perform the following:
- X-rays
Imaging is ideal for diagnosing issues, such as broken bones, appendicitis, gallstones, and internal injuries. The results from these tests help the urgent care staff know if they need to refer the patient to the emergency room.
Benefits of Medical Urgent Care Clinics
Urgent care facilities don’t just benefit the patients – they play an important role in the entire healthcare system. Going into urgent care instead of the ER ensures hospitals have the bandwidth and space to take care of serious emergencies.
Accessible Medical Care
Have you ever tried to make an appointment with your primary physician, but aren’t able to get in for a few weeks? Maybe you need to visit the doctor on a holiday or after hours. This is where an urgent care or a late-night clinic comes in.
Many urgent care offices have extended hours on weekends and evenings. You also don’t need to make an appointment to seek care. You can just walk in.
These facilities make it easy to get the prescriptions you need to remedy your condition. They’ll prescribe you antibiotics on the spot and send the prescription over to your preferred pharmacy. Some facilities have pharmacies on site that you can access.
Affordable Services
Going to an urgent care clinic is more cost-effective than paying a visit to the emergency room. The last thing you want to get is a massive ER bill for an issue that turned out to be minor.
Most health insurance plans cover urgent care visits. The co-pay you’d spend is typically far less than an ER bill would be. Your out-of-pocket costs would still be less for urgent care, even if you don’t have insurance.
Some patients experience unnecessary tests and treatments when they go to the ER. This can cause your bill to increase. You don’t have to worry about that when you go to urgent care.
Efficient Service and Quick Wait Times
Urgent care centers strive to help their patients as quickly as possible. You can get in, get out, and move on with your day in a fraction of the amount of time you’d spend in the emergency room.
Urgent care workers are trained to do the following:
- Quickly assess what the patient needs
- Prioritize their treatments
- Providing medical attention
These medical professionals are well-equipped to address a wide range of medical issues with speed and precision. This quick turnaround is helpful for those who need to get back home or to their other responsibilities.
Know When to Access Medical Urgent Care
It’s important to understand when to access medical urgent care or seek other medical attention. Not only do you want to ensure you receive care as soon as possible, but you want to ensure the place you’re going to has the capabilities to service your needs. Urgent care clinics are a great option for non-life-threatening medical emergencies.
MedNow Urgent Care is here to help treat mild or moderate illnesses and injuries. We have eight locations scattered throughout the August, GA, area, making it convenient for you to make an appointment at one of our clinics. Check out our website to see which location is closest to you, and fill out our express check-in form.
