The Patient Benefits of Visiting an Urgent Care Facility
Did you know that more than 89 million people in the United States of America seek care from an urgent care facility each year? Urgent care is an amazing alternative to visiting the ER for senior care and other issues within the healthcare industry. It provides many of the same functions but with even more patient benefits than a hospital can provide.
It is natural to think of going to the ER when an emergency or medical issue occurs but that isn’t always the best decision for your health or for your bank account. There are many benefits that you need to learn about when it comes to the medical industry and urgent care facilities.
The good news is that you’ve come to the right place to learn about those great patient benefits. Continue reading to learn all about why you should go to an urgent care facility the next time that an accident happens.
What Is an Urgent Care Facility?
Urgent care facilities are similar to a mix between a doctor’s office and a hospital. They’re able to help with a wide range of different injuries and ailments as well as with senior care. They specialize in illnesses, allergic reactions, and injuries that need to be addressed within a 24 hour time period.
The practitioners that work in an urgent care facility need to be well-rounded and have knowledge in a number of different areas within the healthcare industry. It is important to remember that urgent care isn’t a replacement for having a primary care physician. It is meant to work as an option when your physician is out of the office or it is past work hours.
An urgent care facility is also a much faster and cheaper alternative to going to the hospital or the emergency room. This is especially true if your injury or illness isn’t a life-threatening one.
Patient Benefits of Going to an Urgent Care Facility
There are a ton of benefits that you’ll gain as a patient for going to an urgent care facility for help with your illness or injury. There are more than 8,000 urgent care facilities across the country and going to one is a much more affordable option than going to the nearest ER.
Here is a closer look at all of the benefits that you’ll gain by choosing to go to an urgent care facility for your next big health issue.
They’re More Accessible
Urgent care facilities are much more accessible for many people than going to an emergency room or a hospital when an accident happens. In addition to there being more than 8,000 Urgent Care facilities, there are almost 500 new facilities getting built each year.
This means that no matter where you live in the United States, an urgent care facility should be within driving distance. This will save you hundreds and possibly thousands of dollars when compared to going to the emergency room for help. You should have no issues getting there in a timely manner to get the medical attention you need.
Convenient Hours of Operation
Another big benefit of going with an urgent care facility over the emergency room or your primary care physician is how convenient the hours are. Your primary care physician likely works normal office hours like a 9-to-5. That means that if something happens outside of those hours you’ll be stuck waiting at least one day to schedule an appointment and get a diagnosis.
Things get even worse if your primary care physician has a tight schedule. This could result in days before you get in to get diagnosed and treated by your doctor.
Urgent care facilities are open for much longer than your doctor’s office and the best part is that you don’t need an appointment. Most urgent care facilities are open every day and even offer night hours Monday through Friday. You can walk in and start getting the treatment you need without an appointment or a long wait time like you’d face at the emergency room.
Timely Experience
One of the big drawbacks of visiting the emergency room (besides the cost) is the long wait times that you’ll face there. Anyone that has ever been to the emergency room knows that even with severe injuries or circumstances you could be stuck waiting there for hours.
Going to an urgent care facility is a much better option because the wait times are much shorter. The average urgent care facility has a wait time of 20 minutes before a practitioner starts diagnosing and treating your injury or illness. This is much faster than what a visit to the ER can offer.
Cost-Effective
A huge reason why people don’t want to go to the emergency room is the cost associated with it. Visiting the urgent care facility near you is a much better option. This is especially true if you’re on a tight budget. Most visits to an urgent care facility will cost you a few hundred dollars at the most.
Meanwhile, a visit to the ER could leave you with bills costing thousands of dollars. Even better when it comes to urgent care is that they accept Medicare and Medicaid. This makes them a perfect solution for aging adults that need medical attention. This is especially true for aging adults that don’t have a ton of money to spend.
Range of Services
Urgent care facilities are equipped to help with a wide range of illnesses, injuries, and other health issues. Everything from fractured bones and allergic reactions to upper respiratory infections and insect bites. They’re ready and able to help with almost anything you’re facing.
Give Your Local Urgent Care Facility a Try
The next time you’re injured or ill you owe it to yourself to give your local urgent care facility a go. They offer much cheaper healthcare when compared to visiting the emergency room and they are much more accessible and convenient compared to your primary care physician. They can help with almost anything you’re facing.
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