Urgent Care Clinics 101 Everything You Need to Know

If you’re sick, you may find yourself deciding what to do. Should you stay home and tough it out? Make an appointment with your doctor to figure out what’s wrong, despite the long wait? We all know that an emergency room visit should always be a last resort. Well, what about urgent care centers? An urgent care health clinic can be a great way to handle all varieties of injuries and illnesses, from bone fractures to strep throat and more.

So long as you don’t live in an extremely remote area, there is most likely an urgent care clinic within reasonable driving distance of you. If you live in the suburbs or a metropolitan area, there most definitely should be one close. Take advantage of that! Over 80% of all clinics are open 7 days a week, and many 24 hours a day. If you’re hurt or sick and need some care, but don’t think it warrants a trip to the emergency room, a trip to the clinic should be just what the doctor ordered.

If you’re dealing with long-term pain or a nagging injury that won’t go away, a trip to the clinic may be able to help you find a solution. Afraid you’ve sprained or maybe even fractured a bone? The clinic can help! Really, it’s a wonder how many people aren’t aware of the things they can get taken care of at urgent care.

From my experience, the wait times are often less than the doctor’s office, even when I have made an appointment! The staff should be kind and courteous, providing help and understanding to patients. And the doctors will work to figure out what is bothering you and help it get taken care of!

From my experience, it’s important to find an urgent care clinic that is the right fit for you. From your personality to your health background, making sure you find a clinic that will work with you is the best thing you can do for your health. The clinic, like a hospital or doctor, is a resource that you should not hesitate to use!

One of the biggest benefits of urgent care is affordability. While a trip to the emergency room can land you in a massive pile of debt, you may be able to get the same treatment at an urgent care clinic for a fraction of the cost, and likely in more of a hurry.

Emergency rooms are naturally chaotic, while urgent care centers are so often quiet and calm. It can be a more pleasant experience for sick children, so that should be an option to remember moving forward! Kids can often be upset by experiences in stressful situations such as sickness and injury, so adding to that stress is never good! If a trip to the E.R. is not necessary, always side with urgent care first. And I promise you, hospital workers agree.

If you’re unsure whether an illness calls for a trip to the hospital or an urgent care clinic, find out which center is closest to you and give them a call. While most urgent care centers will do work on fractures, not all do, and the same may apply for a number of other of other instances. If you call your local urgent care, they’ll be able to instruct you on whether or not they can help you, or if you’ll need a hospital trip.

So that’s that! The basics of urgent care. Have you had an experience at urgent care that you want to share? Or any thoughts on the matter? Share them with us in the comments below, and have a great day!

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