Though rarely ill-intentioned, some people accidentally spread false information about urgent care clinics. Those who don’t know any better fall prey to these misconceptions, often affecting the quality of health they seek. This guide outlines four urgent care myths you should stop believing.
Myth #1: Urgent Care Clinics Only Treat Critical Patients
According to The Washington Post, the average ER wait time in the U.S. is about 40 minutes, with more than 16% of visits involving more than an hour of waiting. This is because health practitioners in the ER usually follow a triage protocol in prioritizing patients’ care depending on criticality. Illnesses such as internal bleeding, heart attack, and strokes are usually high on this list. However, urgent care clinics also take patients suffering from severe but non-life-threatening conditions, such as sprains, fractures, and cuts that require stitches, in a timely manner. They also attend to patients suffering from lower back and joint pain.
Myth #2: Urgent Care Clinics Have Unstandardized Treatment
Choosing the right place to go for treatment is an integral part of receiving sufficient care. Urgent care clinics are staffed with registered nurses, physician assistants, and licensed health practitioners. These experts follow standard medical protocol and procedures to handle many health problems. Additionally, most urgent care clinics offer additional on-site diagnostic services, such as x-rays and laboratory services.
Myth #3: Urgent Care Clinics Are Only Appointment-Based
Besides preventing diseases, scheduled medical checkups help manage ongoing health conditions like diabetes. While one can call ahead and book an appointment with a health expert, people often suddenly feel unwell. Urgent care clinics cater to all patients and provide quality care. The clinics have a short wait time and are open for extended hours, all days of the week!
Myth #4: Urgent Care Clinics Are Hard to Find
Urgent care centers can be a significant health care resource while at the same time helping reduce your health insurance costs! Seeking timely treatment can save a life and affect one’s quality of life past treatment. Yet some people are of the notion that these centers are hard to find. Well, these beliefs are far from the truth. There are various online resources to find urgent care clinics including doing a simple Google search.
As you can see, there are many common notions about urgent care clinics that simply are not true! Now that you know the truth, you can make an informed decision about your health care. To avoid lengthy hospital wait times and bills, stop in or call to schedule an appointment with us today at 1st Choice Urgent Care Center.