Urgent care and walk-in clinic are popping up more and more all across the United States, giving Americans greater options outside of going to the emergency room (ER) or scheduling an appointment to see a primary care doctor. Statistics show that there are nearly 9,000 urgent care clinics in the U.S. today, providing care for about 89 million patients every year.
While taking care of yourself and your loved ones – taking care of family responsibilities – you catch a cold or flu or you fall and get a sprained ankle. It is the very last thing you want to deal with! Luckily, taking care of our health doesn’t have to be stressful when to visit a walk-in clinic.
Walk-in clinics can help you with a wide range of ailments, but it is important to understand the differences in severity when it comes to deciding whether to visit an urgent care or head straight to the ER instead.
Types of symptoms that can be evaluated at a walk in clinic:
- Flu symptoms
- Fevers
- Sore throat
- Earaches
- Migraines
- Minor burns
- Diarrhea
- Minor sprains or fractures
- Dehydration
- Infections
By comparison, you should use the emergency room when circumstances are much more serious, such as a life-threatening illness or injury.
Seek out your nearest ER if you are experiencing the following symptoms:
- Chest pains
- Severe burns
- Trouble breathing
- Dislocated joints or broken bones
- Contusions and cuts that require stitches
- Seizures
- Toothaches
- Eye injuries
- Severe cold or flu-like symptoms
- Head injuries
- Abdominal pains
- Injuries to the neck or spine
Other Facts:
Here are five facts about urgent care clinics that everyone should know:
Urgent Care Clinics are Fast
Convenience is king when it comes to urgent care clinics. Being seen by a doctor at the emergency room can literally take hours, as most are either “at” full capacity or even “over” full capacity. In fact, only a quarter of ER patients are served in under a two hour period.
Urgent care patients are served much, much sooner – the majority in under an hour. ER patients only have about a ten percent chance of being seen that quickly!
Extended Open Hours
Along with quicker service, urgent care clinics also offer extended hours as well. Not only are most urgent care clinics open seven days a week, but some even offer 24 hour availability!
Compare that with the office hours of your primary care doctor and there really is no comparison, since most doctors’ offices are closed on weekends and are only open during a certain window of time.
Walk-in Clinic is affordable
When it comes to saving money, urgent care can really make a difference. On average, it costs over five times more to go to the ER than it does to go to an urgent care clinic. That means that ER patients pay over $700 more on average than those who choose to go to an urgent care clinic instead.
Urgent care clinics also accept many forms of healthcare insurance, only requiring patients to pay for a co-payment or deductible. Check with their office ahead of time to be sure that your plan is covered.
Walk-in clinic don’t replace your primary physician
Urgent care clinics are fantastic options for when your regular primary doctor is booked for the day or otherwise unavailable. They are also great options if you have recently relocated and don’t have your own primary doctor yet, especially since an urgent care representative can assist you in finding one in your area.
If your illness or injury will require continuing treatment, finding a good primary doctor is your best plan moving forward. However, when urgency calls, it is good to know that you can always rely on your nearest urgent care clinic to help protect your health!