In today’s world there are many options to choose from when deciding where to go for medical assistance. Should you go to an urgent care facility or make an appointment with your neighborhood health clinic? It is even possible that you will need to see a specialist rather than your own doctor if the problem you are facing is persistent and specific to one part of your body (i.e. your brain, heart, or digestive system). With so many choices it can be hard to decide where to go.
While an urgent care facility has its benefits, one of the best choices you can make for yourself and your family is to choose a visit with your family care physician. This may not always be an option depending on the severity of the medical problem and scheduling, but it is an option you should take if you are able.
Two invaluable things that your family doctor can supply are trust and personal knowledge of you and your family. If your kids grow up seeing the same pediatrician until they are 18, that doctor will know much more about your child than what is in their computer file, because they have had years to get to know them on a personal basis. You can trust a doctor who knows your history to make decisions based both on medical expertise and knowledge of what is best for you as a person.
Something else to consider is the amount of time a scheduled physician can spend with you. Going to a walk in clinic can be handy when you need assistance that day and can’t wait for an appointment, but these places are often filled with lots of other people who have that same problem. At an urgent care facility you can end up waiting for hours and the doctors on staff are so busy that your visit might end up more rushed than you would like. Having a scheduled appointment with your personal doctor removes those issues from the equation.
At the end of the day it is up to you to decide which type of medical center meets your needs. However, even a specialist usually requires a referral from another doctor like your family practitioner. If you do not have a family doctor you can find one easily by searching primary care physician reviews in your area. This will make it easier to start deciding which doctor and clinic is right for you!