If you require medical attention, you may prefer to go to the hospital or to see your regular physician instead of the urgent care clinic. However, there are quite a few factors that could make the clinic the better option for you.
Convenience
Approximately 3 million patients visit urgent care clinics each week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. One reason for this is the convenience of the clinic compared to the doctor’s office.
Unlike doctor’s offices, clinics will usually see you as a walk-in without you having to make an appointment, and most are open seven days a week. This means that even if your regular doctor can’t see you on the same day, a clinic can probably find a way to work you into their schedule. And while it might not be the doctor you’re used to, you will undoubtedly be in good hands with one of the more than 20,000 physicians working in the urgent care industry today.
Trivial Complaints Won’t Cost You
Some people only agree to go to the doctor or the hospital if they’re experiencing tremendous pain or a problem that’s keeping them from doing things that they usually do. For example, dizziness is reported to be the second most common complaint heard in doctor’s offices. And approximately 65% of individuals 60 years of age or older can experience dizziness or loss of balance daily.
It is true that dizziness is a fairly common symptom of a number of problems both large and small. No one wants to go to the doctor for it unless they’re sure that it’s part of a larger problem, as that can be expensive. However, dizziness in a more elderly could cause them to fall and seriously hurt themselves if they aren’t careful. If a problem is affecting you, big or small, that should be enough to warrant a visit to the urgent care clinic. And it won’t cost you nearly as much as going to see your physician about it. And that’s not the only kind of care that urgent care clinics provide to their patients.
Various Types of Care
Some other types of care provided by clinics and their importance are as follows:
- Back pain – 70% of Americans have reported that lower back pain affects their daily lives but approximately half of them do not see a doctor about it
- Respiratory problems and wound repair – In 2012, these were the two most commonly reported problems and procedures in urgent care clinics, respectively
- Sprain and Fracture Care – Reports estimate that 25,000 Americans suffer from an ankle sprain each day, and four out of five urgent care clinics provide fracture care.
These kinds of care are all so common because they impact a large number of people on a regular basis. However, sometimes these people, such as those with back pain, choose not to seek out doctors for help. This could be for any number of reasons, such as convenience, cost, or the type of care you need, but they could be a sign you should try an urgent care clinic instead.
