Most of the time, making an appointment with your doctor is a simple matter, even if you have an urgent medical issue. If you have a life-threatening medical emergency and do not have time to wait for an appointment, you have the option of going to the nearest emergency room. However, when your primary care physician is not available after hours and the emergency room if overly crowded, it is necessary to look elsewhere for after hours care.
The Importance of After Hour Care
Many physicians are only available during average work day hours and many offices are not open on weekends or holidays. While emergency rooms are available for round-the-clock emergency care, they should be reserved for life-threatening medical emergencies in order to free space and allow individuals to be treated quicker. For those times when you cannot see your doctor, yet aren’t injured or ill enough to go to an emergency room, you should consider after hours care at an urgent care facility.
Countless urgent care clinics have opened up throughout the country over the last several years. Individuals who work long hours often find that they have to visit them simply because their schedules won’t allow for a proper doctor’s appointment, and young children often receive treatment at these facilities for acute injuries and illnesses that don’t require emergency care. Each of these facilities is fully-staffed and equipped, so you can be confident that you will receive high-quality care and treatment.
What is Urgent Care?
Urgent care clinics are where minor medical issues are addressed quickly and efficiently without the services of one’s primary doctor or a hospital emergency room. They are fully equipped and staffed to provide a number of healthcare services, and they can do so without an appointment. Urgent care facilities also have longer hours than most clinics, so they can deliver quality care after hours. They aren’t equipped to handle severe emergencies, but they can provide a number of other medical services and treatments.
Urgent care facilities are often equipped to treat medical conditions such as lacerations, situations that require x-rays, minor illnesses and other non-life-threatening emergencies. Vaccinations can also be received at many clinics. Find out exactly what conditions the facility is able to treat, whether your health insurance can cover their services and when they are open. In many cases, urgent care centers offer affordable care for certain services that, in many cases, patients without health insurance can afford care independently.
Individuals these days have very busy schedules, and they often struggle to find the time to see their primary doctors. Because of this, they may ignore an acute medical issue that can turn into something far more serious. Urgent care may be a relatively new concept, but it is a godsend for those who need quality medical care after hours. Familiarize yourself with urgent care facilities close to your home when you have the opportunity to do so. You will be very glad that you did.
