When a situation arises in which you cannot wait and want to have preliminary aid from the doctors, you should go for urgent care center near you. Such centers are usually open 24 hours and 7 days a week.
If someone faces a life-threatening illness or injury or have an accident then they go to the urgent care center because they need immediate care and every single second is valuable for them at that moment. If your family doctor is not available and you have an emergency then you can consult urgent care centers. You can have quality healthcare facilities on an urgent basis. They are approved by government institutions and they provide authentic medicines and services.
What is Urgent Care Exactly?
It is a service that is provided by urgent care centers. If you meet an accident that is not life-threatening or in case of any injury that needs urgent care like blood loss, deep cut to your body, ailments or sickness, etc. For example, you are playing outside and you have injured yourself by any means then you need urgent care to remedy the situation. You will be taken care of with first aid and every possible facility will be provided in the meantime. The situations in which your family consultant or physician is not available then you can have the services of urgent care centers. Below is the list of problems for which urgent care could be suitable:
- Any type of allergy
- All types of infections
- Rashes on your skin
- Small surgeries
- Common fever
- X-Ray [i]services
- Injuries during sports
- Bad stomach conditions
Considerations Before Going to Urgent Care Centers
You have to look for these things that are given below before considering urgent care centers:
- First of all, if a situation arises you need medical assistance, then handle the situation if you can on your own for minor problems. If the situation is beyond your control and time is short then do not waste it by applying your efficiencies. Immediately call an urgent care center or check online if it is open and all the staff is present or not. Also, check if a specialist is available or not.
- You should check whether the center is near you or not otherwise don’t waste the time to find it. Go to the hospital or contact medical services centers.
- Make sure that you can have an appointment booked with the specialist so you can save your time.
- It is very important that you find a right urgent care center according to the situation you are going through so that you can have the appropriate services given to you.
- Before going to the center, make sure if they cover your health insurance or not.
- Before leaving, make sure that you have all the necessary documents of the person who needs urgent care. Do not forget to bring the medical certificates of the patient because they keep the record of the patients on high priority.
- Make sure you have all the necessary medical documents of the patient to save time in case doctors want complete medical history.
- If you have previously suffered from any ailment or injury then you have to keep a record of it for your comfort.
- If you are bringing any minor with you then keep the parental authorization form of your child in order to avoid any discrepancies.
- Make sure you are not going to these centers during busy hours. Although they are open 24 hours and 7 days a week and meeting a large number of patients on daily basis but keep track of busy hours to avoid the rush and save your time.
- Make sure you do not have to take urgent care on holidays, weekends, and other events because most of the medical staff is not available during the holidays.
- When you leave your home then call the centers and ask for the waiting time to save your time and you do not have to wait for your number.
- The most important thing you should keep in mind is that at urgent care centers, doctors may not be well-reputed or experienced but they can help you on an urgent basis and can even save a life if to do so.
Always remember that in a situation of life and death you should always go to the emergency do not go for urgent care because at that moment you need extensive medical attention.
Difference between urgent care and emergency
The main difference between them is urgent care centers provide you preliminary care on an urgent basis while emergency centers are made for life-threatening problems like a heart attack. The urgent care centers are always open while emergency rooms are not on holiday. You have to call 911 for the emergency on the other hand for urgent care you can visit the center for yourself at any time. There are some of the chronic problems in which Emergency is the best given below:
- Severe weakness or numbness in the body.
- There is a problem when you speak.
- You could not handle yourself on your own.
- Severe trauma or serious injury to your head.
- Asthma[ii] problems or an attack.
- Medicine overdose on purpose or not
- Vision problems or instant blindness.
- Severe cuts and burns on your body.
- Blood loss or bleeding that is not controllable for a person.
- Major heart attacks
There are many factors that are very attractive in case you consider urgent care if there is no need for emergency rooms. These days people prefer to have urgent care because they provide convenience to every type of person on daily basis. The biggest fact is that you do not have to book an appointment with the doctor. You just have to visit the center and have the services of medical staff.
[i] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray
[ii] https://www.webmd.com/asthma/what-is-asthma
