You can save time and money by visiting Urgent Care centers, but follow these tips to make sure you’re choosing correctly.
Urgent Care centers are staffed with doctors and nurses that can give you the same care and treatment that an Emergency Room can provide. It can also save you thousands of dollars and hours of waiting. However, always make sure that you or a loved one are not in a life-threatening situation. Here are some more tips to follow when deciding which one you should go to:
Definition of Emergency vs Urgent:
Emergency – Life-threatening illness/accident that could cause death or disability if not treated immediately.
Urgent – Illness or injury that needs to be addressed today, but is not an immediate danger to health and safety.
Based on the above definitions, if your situation is urgent, here are some perks for Urgent Care:
- No appointments necessary
- Shorter wait time
- Less money per visit
- Many centers have full lab capabilities (blood, urine, x-ray)
Here are some conditions that can be treated at an Urgent Care facility:
- Allergic reaction (minor)
- Burns (minor)
- Lacerations and cuts (minor)
- Sinus/skin/bladder infections
- Suspected broken bone
- Sore throat
- Pinkeye
- Flu symptoms