What Is Urgent Care?
Urgent care facilities are a convenient service that is offered by local physicians. Most facilities do not require an appointment prior to arrival, and are often open on weekends and after hours when most local physician's offices are closed. According to Find Urgent Care, treatment facilities are located throughout the United States, some offering a lower co-pay than that which may be typically required by your insurance plan.
Urgent or Emergency?
Although the terms urgent and emergency have similar meanings, when it comes to the administration of life saving procedures, the two are quite different. Health Net Federal Services explains that emergency care relates to a life threatening situation such as a heart attack or stroke which needs immediate attention. An urgent care case can be a situation as minor as a sore throat that is not worrisome enough to require immediate attention, but should be looked at by a doctor within 24 hours.
Licensed Professionals
Just because services are not being administered in a hospital or typical physician's office does not mean that the standards of treatment are any lower. In fact, urgent care physicians are licensed professionals that hold the same credentials as a primary care physician. The American Board of Urgent Care Medicine (ABUCM) even offers an additional licensing that is especially geared towards the urgent care professional, defining his skills as an urgent care provider.
A Shorter Wait
Urgent care clinics offer a shorter wait time than the overcrowded emergency room or physician's waiting room. Because the urgent care facility focuses on care for acute illnesses, wait times are often between 20 and 30 minutes and depending on the amount of patients already waiting, your wait time may be even shorter.
Diagnostic Testing
Urgent care facilities have an advantage over the traditional physician's office when it comes to diagnostic testing. Southwest Health Center explains that urgent care facilities are often equipped with x-ray machines to diagnose breaks and fractures.
Your Primary Care Physician
It is important to point out that an urgent care facility should not be used in place of your primary physician's office. According to Regal Medical Group (RMG), the first call that you should make for urgent care is to your primary physician who can decide the appropriate treatment for your medical situation. In most cases, your primary physician will suggest going to an urgent care facility when he is unable to see you after hours.
Tags: care facilities, care facility, physician office, primary physician, urgent care facility