The demand for urgent healthcare services has been on an increase as a result of several actors. Some of these factors include; pressure on existing health facilities, overcrowding in ER, increased cost and waiting time. There are also other factors such as the increase in number of people suffering from chronic diseases, behavioral changes, an increase in the aging population and poor access to quality care services. When you unexpectedly fall in, the first recourse is to seek urgent healthcare service. You can find 24 hour emergency care services near you for common health complications such as breathing difficulties or chest pain. Emergency care clinics also offer advanced diagnostic and laboratory services and common pediatric care. When confronted with an emergency health situation, most people are confused or unaware of what to do. This is what you should know about urgent healthcare services and what to do when seeking emergency services.
What to Expect
If it is your first time seeking urgent healthcare service, you probably don’t know much about what goes on. For starters, you don’t require prior appointment for you to access care services. All you have to do is visit the nearest 24 hour walk in clinic where you will immediately be attended to by a qualified emergency medical physician. In most cases, the process of accessing urgent healthcare service is quite seamless in an urgent care clinic compared to standard healthcare facilities. Since there is low traffic in these facilities, there is hardly any queuing and the nature of services is instant. Some of the details you might be asked for in an urgent care facility are your identification details, insurance information and contact information. The contact information should include your personal contact information as well that of your healthcare providers. In some instances, some additional paperwork might be requested where you will provide details on past medications, if you have undergone any surgery in the past and whether you have an existing medical condition.
Treatment
Ideally, urgent care centers provide treatment for serious health complications that should however not be life threatening. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, only 3% of patients seeking services from urgent care centers need to be referred to the emergency department. This means that when you visit an urgent care center, the nature of the illness should require instant treatment but not be too complex for a standard urgent care clinic. Some of the most common illnesses and injuries that are treated in urgent care centers include cuts, bruises, sore throats, coughing, chest pain and breathing problems. Others include allergies, back pain, broken bones, mild asthma, sprains and pneumonia. A typical urgent healthcare service will offer services such as X-ray services, urinalysis, Flu shots, stitches, PPD and Rapid Strep Test.
Walk Out
An urgent care center is a walk-in-walk-out kind of facility. Just as the name suggest, this is an indication of the promptness of services in these facilities. When you are feeling unwell, you can access convenient care services at the nearest urgent healthcare service.It is recommended that you take advantage of the immense benefits that come with using urgent care facilities. The cost of treatment in emergency centers is also lower compared to the charges in standard healthcare facilities. This is because, an urgent care facility is at liberty to revise their prices while the same freedom cannot be exercised by mainstream hospitals.
