When your doctor's office is busy and you have a medical concern that doesn't require you to go to the emergency room, an urgent care clinic is a great option. Many primary care doctors are booked solid, and it's hard to get in to see your primary care doctor for problems such as a sprain, rash, or another urgent medical need. When you don't want to wait in the emergency room for hours getting passed over for more serious patients, a walk-in clinic can provide you with the care you need right away. You will be seen by a doctor and get treatment without having to wait hours for an emergency room to finally see you.
Your Doctor Receives Notes of Your Visit
To provide a continuity of care, any medical notes created at your walk-in clinic visit are shared with your primary care physician. You will need to provide important information, such as your medical history and any medications you take. Your urgent care clinic provider will take into consideration your medical history when assessing your current needs. If your issue requires more diagnostic services than the urgent care clinic can provide, you will be referred to your nearest emergency room.
You Don't Have to Wait for Care
If you spend hours in an emergency waiting room for a sprain, this doesn't benefit you in any way. At an urgent care clinic, they aren't dealing with serious cases and you are going to get the care you need in a reasonable amount of time. There's no reason to spend hours uncomfortable waiting to be seen by a provider when you have an urgent care clinic nearby.
When Your Doctor's Office Is Closed
Your primary care physician may have hours for urgent patients every day and might be able to squeeze you in for an appointment. While this means you will be seen the same day, you can't go when the office is closed. An urgent care clinic tends to have longer business hours, and you will get the seen right away without having to wait for your doctor's office to open again.
Urgent care clinics offer you an alternative when you can't see your primary care doctor and you don't really need the services of an emergency room. You can be prescribed medication, treated for a variety of illnesses and injuries, and your records will be shared with your primary care doctor's office.
Click here for info on walk-in clinics.
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