Five Benefits of Visiting an Urgent Care Clinic

A doctor must handle a life-threatening medical emergency at an emergency room (ER) of a hospital. Injuries or illnesses that are not life-threatening can wait until you can schedule an appointment with a regular doctor. This was your only option before, and a lot of people still stick to it. But some medical emergencies are not life-threatening and can be handled by medical experts at a Princeton urgent care facility. In this situation, you won’t want to wait until you can see your primary care provider.

Urgent care centers are walk-in clinics that treat acute illness and injuries. These injuries and illnesses do not require immediate attention. Usually, these facilities operate for longer hours than the majority of doctor’s offices. The following are the benefits of going to these facilities the next time you experience non-life-threatening medical issues:

Cost-Effectiveness

In general, urgent care is less expensive than emergency services. The majority of urgent care centers accept most kinds of health insurance. Also, they often have lower copays than what people would find in emergency rooms. With urgent care, you don’t have to deprive yourself of the medical services you need just because you cannot afford them.

Shorter Wait Times

Emergency rooms are crowded, so you can expect long wait times when seeking emergency medical services at a hospital. However, wait times at urgent care clinics are shorter. Although a facility may not handle certain situations, the shorter wait for acute illnesses or mild fractures makes them a better option.

Available Services

The majority of urgent care clinics provide a greater range of medical services than doctor’s offices. Often, they are equipped with diagnostic machines and offer laboratory testing services. Because of this, doctors are these facilities can come up with quick and accurate diagnoses of medical conditions. These clinics offer various health services such as infection diagnosis, cancer screening, immunizations, and STD testing.

Extended Hours

Usually, an urgent care facility is open past the regular hours of doctor’s offices. Although it may not be open 24/7, it is open well into the evening, and many facilities are open on weekends and holidays. Thus, they are a great option when your primary care physician is not available during certain times.

Accessibility

An urgent care center is a walk-in clinic that accommodates patients even without an appointment. Illnesses and accidents can happen at any time. Thankfully, urgent care clinics allow patients to just walk into their facilities and be checked in minutes. This makes them an excellent option for travelers who may need medical attention.

It is important to keep in mind that although there are a lot of benefits to visiting an urgent care facility, some situations call for an emergency room. Should you experience serious bleeding, chest pains, difficulty breathing, or unconsciousness, you should head to the ER or call 911. Urgent care is usually a better option for anything less serious because of its shorter wait times and smaller general liability. Urgent care facilities are anywhere, so there should be one near you.