STDs or Sexually Transmitted Diseases can cause serious health concerns and cripple your lifestyle for long durations of time. To be on the safe side, it is always a better move to go in for regular STD testing. While hospital emergency rooms can be a popular choice for many, they are usually chaotic locations where you might run into a number of different problems like separate billing locations, long wait times, too many diagnostic tests and short check-up times. While emergency care is good for serious problems which need immediate attention, you can rather head for a nearby urgent care center for your regular STD testing for better results.
Urgent care centers have come up in large numbers all over America, and provide a more convenient, cost-effective and competent alternative to hospital emergency rooms. About 85% of all urgent care centers are open every day of the week, and about 95% remain open till late in the evening, making it a convenient alternative in every way.
There are three important benefits that you can take advantage of if you visit a nearby walk in clinic or urgent care center for your regular STD testing requirements, and here they are –
- Accessibility – Urgent care centers can be found across the country, and even in remote or rural areas. New clinics are also springing up on a daily basis, and it is estimated that by the year 2019, America will have approximately 15,000 urgent care clinics. This makes it an immediately accessible and convenient option. No matter where you are, you are more likely to find an urgent care center nearby that can service your medical needs.
- Cost Savings – Overall, getting treatment at an urgent care center costs much lesser than it would in a hospital ER. You can save upwards of $700 if you choose to visit an urgent care clinic instead. The lower costs are caused by the smaller scale of things, integrated operation and centralized billing for the whole of your treatment.
- Less Waiting – It has been found that you can save up to three hours of time visiting an urgent care center instead of a hospital ER to address your medical needs. Emergency rooms must prioritize high-risk patients, and the presence of different departments and sections add to the delay. Urgent care centers are more integrated efficient, and your diagnosis and treatment can commence faster. Also, most urgent care centers have ready-to-dispense prescription medication that the doctors can dispense themselves.