6 Reasons To Consider Going To An Urgent Care Clinic Instead Of The Emergency Room

Health & Medical Articles

You have undoubtedly heard horror stories from friends, relatives, or acquaintances who have spent many agonizing hours waiting to be seen in local emergency rooms. Naturally, you shouldn't wait until a health emergency arises before making the decision of where to go for treatment, particularly if you've got children or elderly people in your home for whom you are responsible.

Deciding on a top-quality urgent care center before accidents or illness occur is an excellent way to plan ahead for unexpected instances where you or a loved one needs medical attention fast. Keep in mind, however, that life-threatening emergencies should always be dealt with by the personnel on duty at your local hospital emergency room. Following are  six advantages to using the services of an urgent care clinic rather than a local emergency room for injuries and illnesses that are not potentially life-threatening.

Wait Times Are Relatively Short

The average wait time in an urgent care clinic is less than 20 minutes, making it a far preferable choice than most emergency rooms. Only three percent of urgent care clinics have reported wait times of over 40 minutes, and even that is preferable to spending hours in the waiting area of the local emergency room.

Costs Are Less Than Local Emergency Rooms

Emergency room care is notoriously expensive. Fortunately, urgent care clinics can save you substantial sums on medical costs. Also, most health insurance coverage will not pay for visits to emergency rooms that are not deemed to be true emergencies, yet these same plans will cover visits to urgent care clinics. Even if you're paying out of pocket, you'll save significantly by choosing an urgent care clinic over a hospital emergency room for non life-threatening care.

The Service is Friendlier

The front desk staff in the majority of hospital emergency rooms is understandably stressed, rushed, and overworked. Consequently, they aren't often the friendliest bunch, and while that's understandable, one of the last things you need or want when trying to get medical care for you or a loved one is to be snapped at by the person behind the desk. Front desk personnel at urgent care clinics may also be less likely to make paperwork errors

There is Less Exposure to Illnesses

Face it, emergency rooms are full of sick people, many of whom are contagious. Because patients in urgent care clinics are seen relatively quickly rather than forced to spend hours in an emergency room waiting zone, visitors are significantly less exposed to contagious illnesses.

They Are Plentiful and Convenient

The chances are really good that there is an urgent care clinic located within close driving distance of your home. There are over 9,000 urgent care centers in the U.S., with many of them located in suburban neighborhoods where families tend to reside. Conversely, there are less than 5,000 community hospitals in the country.

Eight-five percent of the urgent care clinics in the U.S. provide added convenience by being open seven days per week. However, it should be noted that the majority of them close at or before 7 p.m. Before you decide to add an urgent care clinic to your game plan in the event of illness or injury, make certain that you investigate details such as hours of operation.

No Appointment is Needed

Getting in to see your primary physician is a difficult-to-impossible task in the majority of medical offices. Urgent care clinics are an excellent alternative to waiting weeks for an appointment with your regular doctor, especially for conditions that will worsen if not treated within a specific period of time.

Although it cannot be stressed enough that urgent care clinics should never be used as substitutes for hospital emergency rooms in authentic emergencies, they're excellent choices for non life-threatening medical issues that nonetheless require fast attention. For more information, contact a local urgent care center like 24 Hour Urgent Care of the Desert. 

16 March 2015