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Urgent care centers have been a part of the US health care system for three decades. There are an estimated 4,000 to 9,000 urgent care facilities operating nationally and together they see between approximately 71 and 160 million patients annually.
Yet many people are still unfamiliar with urgent care centers and how they work. The first thing you should know is that anyone can access an urgent care center. You do not need an appointment nor do you need a referral from your primary care physician. Your health insurance information will be collected and in most cases your insurer will be billed about the cost of an office visit.
An urgent care center is a great resource for treatment of any non-life threatening health care need. Examples of the services available include treatment for:
- Sprains and fractures
- Minor burns
- Minor cuts or scrapes
- Neck and back pain
- Splinters
- Colds
- Diarrhea
- Flu
- Headaches including migraines
- Kidney stones
- Mononucleosis
- Pink eye
- Asthma attacks
- Sinusitis
- Strep throat/sore throat
- Upper respiratory infection
- Urinary tract infections
- Vomiting
- Yeast infections
- Abcess/MRSA abcess
- Earaches/ear wax removal
- Gastritius and GERD
- Gout
- In-grown toenails
You can also receive routine physicals, vaccinations, and job-related medical exams or tests at an urgent care center.
If you need care but your doctor is unable to see you the same day, an urgent care center is a reliable option. If you require care during evening or weekend hours when your doctors’ office is likely to be closed, an urgent care center can be a more appealing option than an emergency department. Urgent care centers like CareWell will also communicate the details of your visit, with your permission, with your primary care physician and help arrange details for follow up care, if needed.
Last fall, the New York Times wrote about how urgent care centers were helping to fill the health care void in after the closure of a hospital in Greenwich Village. And this week, a contributor to Yahoo First Person wrote about her positive experiences with an urgent care center for treatment of a broken finger. Quality, convenience, and cost of care were all mentioned as reasons why patients are drawn to urgent care centers.
What do you think of urgent care? Please let us know on our Facebook pages for Warwick, Rhode Island or S. Dennis, Massachusetts.
Until next week, Stay Well!
