Where Did You Go the Last Time That You Needed Care for Your Child?
When it comes to your children, you always want the best.
In fact, you want the best things to happen your children, and you are almost always willing to wish that anything bad would come your way, instead of inflicting your son or daughter. The reality is, however, no matter how much you love your children, you are not always able to protect them when it comes to injury or illness.
Anytime that you are concerned that your child is either sick or injured, it is only natural that you want to find the closest, most reliable, and fastest pediatric locations. And while you may sometimes find yourself wishing for an emergency room or the family doctor, most parents understand that the local urgent care facility is often the best choice.
Urgent Care Facilities Offer Convenience, Value, and Quality Care
Pediatric locations around the country offer many families the care that they need when they have a young child who is ill or injured. Few things are more frustrating and worrisome than a young child who is in need of medical attention. And while many families would love to get the care that a child needs from a family pediatrician, these appointments are not always available. When a child becomes ill or injured during the evening or on the weekend, for example, family pediatric offices are typically closed.
Convenience. When it comes to urgent care hours, many pediatric locations are open long after the typical hours of a family physician or pediatrician. In fact, while only 29% of primary care doctors offer after-hours appointments, this is not the case with most urgent care settings. Did you know, for instance, that nearly 66% of these centers employ a mix of physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants during their evening and weekend hours.
In fact, 65% of centers have at least one physician on-site at all times. Furthermore, these pediatric locations that offer these convenient hours also provide the convenience of short wait times. According to a survey by The Urgent Care Association of America, 57% of patients wait 15 minutes or less to be seen, and 80% of all visits are only 60 minutes or less in length.
Value. Not surprising, in addition to being convenient, urgent care pediatric locations are also less expensive than emergency room visits. With the typical emergency department visit costing an average of $1,500, the typical treatment at an urgent care center cost of less than $150 represents a significant savings. With convenient and affordable pharmacies located in some locations, the healthcare savings can extend beyond the cost of the visit to the prescriptions as well.
Unfortunately, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, 48% of adult emergency room patients, who were not sick enough to be admitted to the hospital, indicated that they sought out health care at the ER because their physicians? offices were closed. The same may be true for parents seeking pediatric care for their son or daughter. A 2010 study by the Rand Corporation also confirmed that not all patients understand the affordable options that are available. In fact, nearly 20% of ER hospital could have been successfully treated at urgent care centers. This 20% represents a potential annual savings of $4.4 billion a year in healthcare costs.
Quality Care. For the parents of the average child that catches between six and 10 colds a year, finding quality care is important. For although not all colds will lead to bigger problems, when lingering conditions like fevers and breathing continue, knowing that you will have access to a qualified physician or pediatrician can be very comforting. With as many as 6.8 million broken bones in the U.S. every year knowing that the majority of urgent care facilities have scanning and x-ray technologies is also comforting.
The next time you find yourself looking for medical care for your son or daughter, make sure that you consider walk in health care clinics that provide value, convenience, and quality care. Even when you care about the immediate care of your young child, it does not make sense to pay the expensive fees associated with a hospital emergency room or wait to see if you can get in to see a family physician
