Urgent Care Clinics Treat Sports-Related Injuries, Parents Should Expect Quick Service
Are you looking for a local alternative to crowded emergency rooms? More than 3 million people visit urgent medical care walk in clinics every week, citing shorter wait times and less expensive bills. What parents should know about urgent care is that more than half of all urgent care services have an average wait time of 15 minutes or less. If you children have a medical issue that occurs outside of doctor’s hours, the chances are good that your local urgent care will be open. About two-thirds of all urgent medical care facilities open earlier than 9 a.m. from Monday through Friday, and almost half have weekend hours.
What local urgent care clinics excel at is providing a wide range of medical services. If your child has a sports-related injury that requires immediate medical attention, urgent care services are a safe bet. Local urgent care walk in clinics can treat wounds, ear infections, colds and flus, and can make referrals for follow-up visits with immunologists or neurologists. About half of all urgent care centers are owned and operated by a physician or group of physicians, and urgent care doctors routinely state that they are committed to providing personalized medical care in a timely fashion. There is usually an on-site doctor for consultation and for serious injuries.
If your child has a chronic problem with ear infections, for instance, urgent care locations can often dispense medication while you wait. There is a movement worldwide to provide better tracking information for pharmaceuticals, so that in the event of a recall your pharmacy can reach you right away. Many urgent care locations were built in the last five to 10 years, and so have access to new pharmaceutical tracking software and medication services. Doctors are committed to providing excellent care, but the bustling emergency room is not for everyone: patients would rather take children to a smaller, more comfortable location for routine and emergency services. Urgent care clinics typically take a range of insurance plans as well.
In the event of an accident, more than 70% of all urgent care walk in clinics are able to give patients IV fluids. In general, patients who go to local urgent care centers are looking for speedy treatment of their medical issues: studies consistently show that urgent care services are usually delivered in an hour or less. Parents may feel reluctant to take young children to the emergency room, and for good reason: you may be much more likely to get sick from the patients in an emergency room. You never know what the patients are in there for, and it seems like their injuries and illnesses are more serious than a young child should be exposed to. Local urgent care services offer personalized care in a calm, welcoming environment. How often are emergency rooms cleaned? Urgent care walk in clinics can be cleaned after every patient.
Parents of young children who have not visited an urgent care clinic yet should take their children in before an accident or illness, so that the children can get used to being in the urgent care facility. Take kids in for their yearly shots or for well-child checkups and let them meet with the urgent care staff. So often, small children take a few visits to warm up to staff and to feel comfortable in a new environment. Most parents feel strongly that they want another option to hectic emergency rooms, but may hesitate to visit urgent care clinics because they do not know the services they provide. From ear infections to more serious medical issues, urgent care locations are working to revolutionize health care in America. In the next several years, their number should continue to expand, as more patients seek medical care beyond traditional doctors’ office hours.
