Just why do urgent care clinics matter so much in today’s healthcare system? There are definitely more than a few reasons, but here are some of the most important benefits of these medical clinics:
- Convenience is probably one of the most important advantages of an urgent care clinic — and with the number of clinics rising closer to 10,000 across the U.S. today, it isn’t hard to find local doctors who work at an urgent care center. In fact, many people already know that they live much closer to an outpatient medical clinic than a hospital or doctor’s office, so they choose to go to one of these clinics when they’re injured or sick.
- Affordability is another major benefit of urgent care clinics, especially for anyone who doesn’t have health insurance. Most doctor’s offices won’t see a patient if that person is not covered under a healthcare plan, leaving many patients with no other option than to go to the hospital emergency room. Not only does this take up valuable space for patients who are very sick, but it can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars more when you visit a hospital emergency room instead of an outpatient clinic.
- Many urgent care clinics are called “urgent care” simply because they don’t require patients to have an appointment beforehand (although many will allow patients to schedule appointments anyway) and patients don’t have to wait very long to be seen by a doctor, nurse, or professional healthcare worker.
- Now that urgent care locations are becoming more prevalent across the country, many people are getting a bit confused over what these facilities can take care of. In general, it’s a good rule of thumb that these clinics can handle any illness or injury that a general physician would be handle to handle in his or her office, and they can also take care of non-life-threatening injuries like small fractures or sprains.
Quite simply, the country’s healthcare industry wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is now if it weren’t for urgent care centers!
