The cost and availability of quality medical care can vary greatly across the nation. Fortunately, those who need medical care can choose to visit an urgent care facility to obtain a diagnosis and care. If the problem is more complex, the patient might get a referral to a local doctor. The demand for urgent care facilities is rising across the nation, and here’s a closer look at why.
Convenient Locations
Virtually every big city and most mid-size ones have urgent care centers where people can get affordable healthcare services. Many smaller cities also have one or more. According to Consumer Reports, the United States had about 8,100 urgent care facilities in 2018, and that number has grown by about 600 or more since then.
Qualified Medical Staff
The medical staff at urgent care centers generally are highly qualified and highly experienced. You can get care for a doctor or nurse who is just as good as any that might be employed at the local emergency room. The quality of care is high while the cost is lower than if you were to go to a local emergency room for medical diagnosis and treatment.
No Appointments Needed
You don’t need an appointment to obtain care at an urgent care facility. You can just visit during office hours and be seen that same day. You also might be able to schedule an appointment online so that they are expecting you and save you some time that otherwise might be spent in the waiting room.
Expanded Service Hours
Many urgent care centers are open around the clock and will see and treat patients at any time of the day or night. Others might close for a few hours in the evening but generally are open early in the morning and stay open well into the evening. The longer hours make it easier to obtain medical care than it would be to schedule a doctor’s appointment at an office that is open for only eight hours a day during the weekdays and is closed on weekends and holidays.
Affordable Care Options
The cost of urgent care is much less than it would be to go to an emergency room. Most will charge a nominal fee to diagnose and treat you and accept health insurance. Those who don’t have health insurance or don’t want to pay a high deductible amount can choose an urgent care center and save money.
You can call to learn more about urgent care and visit us as needed at 1st Choice Urgent Care Center. We look forward to hearing from you.