Sometimes, you need a doctor immediately. However, getting an appointment with your normal primary care doctor could take several days and most emergency rooms have extremely long wait times. For this reason, an urgent care center could be the best option for you when you fall ill suddenly.
Despite what many people believe, it is to your benefit to have a regular urgent care practice that you visit when you can't get into a doctor's office on short notice. Going to the same urgent care practice allows them to have all of your information in one place and saves you time instead of being required to fill out a new form each time you visit a new center.
Advantages Of An Urgent Care Center
One major advantage of urgent care centers is that they are open beyond most regular office hours. If start to get sick later on in the day or you were unable to get off work (despite being ill), these extended hours could serve as a viable option for you to still receive a medication to help your infection improve.
Additionally, most urgent care centers offer broader services than a normal physician could, yet they hire a significant number of family physicians. What this means is that you could receive the broad scope of services that are offered at an emergency room, but you could see a family doctor that you become familiar with.
Why It Matters That Urgent Care Centers Employ Family Doctors
One main reason that people dread going to an emergency department for treatment is due to the long wait time, but it is also due to the fact that you are going to be seeing someone who is a stranger and trusting them with your health when you are feeling like you are at a lot point. Most people feel uncomfortable with this and would prefer to visit someone that they are familiar with when they are feeling extremely sick.
In the United States, it has been found that nearly more than 95 perfect of all urgent care centers have a physician on staff. Seeing the same person each time will allow you to build trust with this medical professional, and you'll be more willing to trust their diagnosis. This can be especially important with young kids since sometimes going to the doctor can be a rather scary experience in the mind of a child.
Urgent Care Centers Are More Cost-Effective Than ER
Another advantage to visiting an urgent care center is their cost-effectiveness. Understandably, urgent care centers become most busy during the winter months. This is a time when it can be extremely hard for patients to get into see their doctor and emergency room waiting times also tend to sky rocket during these months. Research has found that a visit to an urgent care center is less expensive than a visit to an emergency room.
With all of the advantages of urgent care centers, do not allow yourself to be discouraged if you cannot get into to see your normal doctor this winter! Instead, find a regular urgent care center near you.