We have all been in unfortunate situations that required us to go to the doctor right away. Maybe we broke a bone playing in a recreational sports league, maybe we cut ourselves preparing dinner, or maybe we just woke up feeling awful and didn’t know why. Whatever the reason may be, not everyone wants to go to their local hospital or emergency room for this kind of immediate treatment. For some, it is much easier to go to a nearby urgent care clinic and that is okay! Below are just three of the reasons that patients love visiting their local doctors in an urgent care setting:
Number of Physicians Present – In the United States alone there are over 20,000 physicians practicing in urgent care clinics. What that means for patients is that more than likely there are several doctors in the office at one time. Sure, in smaller towns this may not be the case, but in many urgent care clinics it is. By having more than one doctor present, patients are seen faster and waiting rooms do not fill up quite as much as you would typically see in an emergency room or hospital setting.
Flexibility of Hours – Another reason that so many people love choosing urgent care over hospitals or private practices is that they have flexible hours. Nearly 90 percent of urgent care facilities in America are open seven days a week and typically one or two days a week they are open past 5pm so that those working full-time jobs can still get in to see a doctor. Although emergency rooms are open 24 hours a day, visiting them at certain hours can cost more than if you were to visit during a regular hour of the day.
Variety of Services Provided – Although the most common diagnosis in urgent care clinics is typically something like sinusitis or upper respiratory conditions, they can offer much more than just that. For some reason people get the idea that urgent cares can only help out with things like sore throats and ear aches, but in reality most urgent care centers can provide help with much larger issues like fractures, kidney infections and even abscesses.
The three reasons above are just a few out of the long list of reasons people choose to visit their local urgent care. Even if you typically visit a primary care physician at their private practice it can still be beneficial to know where your nearby urgent care centers are located just in case something happens when your PCP’s office is closed for the day. The last thing you want to be doing when someone gets suddenly injured or ill is searching the internet for the address of an urgent care. Be prepared ahead of time and you’ll be thanking yourself for it later.