Health Care Options Continue to Expand in America
You really mean it. You really do not have time to be sick.
And while health customers in the past had to wait in a doctor’s office for a long time to get into an appointment, this is no longer the case. With the services that are available today at after hours urgent care settings, for example, today’s patient has more choices about where they go for treatment and how much they are willing to pay.
Whether you are looking for a whooping cough vaccine or you are trying to figure out if you have the latest flu virus, there are a number of urgent care locations available. Finding the right health care clinic can, in fact, help you get the affordable, reliable, and convenient care that you need. When you feel like you do not have time to be sick, the closest after hours urgent care may be the perfect solution. And while these locations offer convenient and affordable care, it is also important to realize that they are also reliable. In fact, the latest research shows that a physician, or a group of physicians, owns approximately 50% of urgent care centers. Run by doctors, the majority of these clinics are a perfect solution to the health care needs of many consumers.
Consider some of these other facts and figures about the health care clinic industry and the impact that it has on patients, as well as the nation’s economy:
- Hospital emergency rooms come with expensive price tags and long waits.
- Everyone does not need to go to the emergency room of a hospital. Finding the right level of care is an important task for every consumer.
- Approximately one in five urgent care centers report that they have more than 450 patient visits a week.
- Local urgent cares are often conveniently placed in many spots throughout many metropolitan areas.
- The reason that it is important to get the help that you need when you are not feeling well is that it is important to deal with your symptoms sooner rather than later.
- Half of all adult ER patients who were not sick enough to be admitted to the hospital sought treatment at the ER because their physicians’ offices were closed, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A far better option would be to visit an urgent care clinic.
- Care from after hours urgent care clinics is reliable and is far more affordable than hospital emergency rooms.
- As many as 40% of urgent care centers use electronic prescription ordering systems. An even higher percentage of families select health care centers that have substantially larger proportions using computerized systems for viewing lab and imaging results, collecting patient demographics, billing, condition and procedure coding, as well as clinical notes.
- Research indicates that 80% of urgent care centers provide fracture care.
- Every time that you are sick or injured you have an option to make sure that you are selecting the right place for the health care needs that you have.
- No one wants to wait until morning to get the care that you need when you are feeling your worst when you are getting ready for bed.
- Estimates indicate that 90.6% of urgent care centers remain open until 7:00 pm or later on weeknights
- Estimates also indicate that 40% of these centers remain open until 9:00 pm or later.
- Did you know that 70% of urgent care centers provide intravenous fluids when they are needed?
- Statistics from the Urgent Care Association of America indicate that 57% of patients wait 15 minutes or less to be seen, and about 80% of all visits are 60 minutes or less.
Everyone has HEALTH CARE NEEDS, but everyone finds their solutions in different locations. While some families may have the time to wait weeks for an appointment at a family pediatrician’s office, other consumers need to find a way to get a fast answer to a health concern. And while some health conditions and injuries warrant a trip to the hospital emergency room, many others do not. Understanding that you have options like after hours urgent care clinics when it comes to getting the health services that you need can help you be the best kind of consumer, even if you are not feeling well.