Minor injuries and illnesses shouldn’t send you into a fretful tailspin.
A massive bill isn’t going to help you recover from an accident. Worrying about whether or not to visit the emergency room will only make your mental health worse. The average American today has a difficult time managing medical resources, due in no small part to how scattered the medical field can be. This is just one reason why the urgent care center has risen to the forefront as a beacon of hope. Designed as an affordable and convenient model, the urgent care center can provide you the care you need when your options seem their lowest.
A convenient quality and cost is just the beginning of today’s urgent care benefits. Here are the issues they can treat with just a visit.
The Growing Appeal Of The Urgent Care Center
It’s no mystery why more Americans are turning to the benefits of the urgent care center. Medical costs are only getting higher and people need options that care just as much about their health as they do about their wallet. According to HealthCare Appraisers the urgent care market is highly fragmented, with operators owning fewer than three centers and still struggling for a dominant market presence. Despite this, over 20,000 physicians work in urgent care health today. A recent survey revealed more than one quarter of American patients have visited an urgent care center in the last few years.
Why Emergency Rooms Are Often Too Expensive
Emergency rooms are an important element of the healthcare field. They provide life-saving measures at the drop of a hat…but this convenience often comes at a price. Between 45% to 65% of all emergency room episodes could have been treated at an urgent care location, according to a recent study. This can easily put individuals out of pocket when you combine lab fees and ambulance fees. Less than 3% of patients who visit an urgent care center need to be diverted to an emergency department.
Treating Minor Injuries And Illnesses On The Spot
A reliable resource you can turn to for minor injuries and illnesses is the urgent care center. They can provide you advanced diagnostic and laboratory services for symptoms you can’t quite name, be they breathing difficulties or an infection that’s getting worse. Back in 2015 urgent care centers reported an average of nearly 12,000 patients — that’s as many as 30 patients a day or three patients per hour. Burns, cuts, fractures, sprains, and rashes can be treated immediately upon arrival. Likewise, a high fever or migraine can be given pain relief or an alternate diagnosis.
Providing Preventative Care Measures And Referrals
You don’t have to visit your board-certified urgent care center just for minor injuries and illnesses. Preventative care puts you in a better spot to approach medical care down the road. Vaccinations, for starters, can be updated on a rolling basis (particularly the flu vaccine). STD testing can be provided to get you caught up on anything beneath the surface. Physicals, mental health resources, or basic check-ups are all part of the convenient medical care package.
Important Steps To Take Today To Enjoy Urgent Care Benefits
When you’re struggling with minor injuries and illnesses, the last thing you need is to stress out. Urgent care centers provide a diverse array of skills and resources at a fraction of the cost, which means it’s time to locate one in your area and get accustomed to their schedule. Urgent care even boasts benefits your regular doctor can’t provide. You don’t have to call for an appointment or wait too long to be seen — according to the Urgent Care Association Of America’s 2016 Benchmarking Report, 90% of urgent care centers have wait times of 30 minutes or less. One way or another, your needs will be met and in fine form.
Minor injuries and illnesses should be just that. Minor. Look up the schedule of your local urgent care clinic this week and be comfortable in the fact you have help just around the corner.
