Urgent Care Centers Are Ideal for Non-emergency Medical Situations
If you have a pressing medical condition that is not a matter of life or death, you would do well to consider visiting a local urgent care facility like Next Care Urgent Care, rather than going to the emergency room at a hospital. But why is this the more sensible option?
One of the factors to keep in mind is cost. According to 2010 Rand Corporation research, almost 20% of emergency room visits could have been effectively handled at urgent care facilities. Had people chosen the latter, they would save as much as $4.4 billion each year in medical costs.
Still, not nearly enough people are taking advantage of centers such as Next Care Urgent Care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly 50% of adults who were treated at emergency rooms were not ill enough to stay in the hospital, but chose to go there all the same because their doctors’ offices were closed. Had they been aware of 24 hr urgent care facilities in their area, they likely could have saved both time and money.
These urgent care centers or walk in clinics are a solid solution if the patient is experiencing food poisoning or upper respiratory illness, or has otherwise sustained a concussion, fracture or sprain. Nearly 66% of these facilities are staffed with a combination of doctors, assistants, and nurses. Sixty-five percent of these locations have at least one doctor present all the time.
With urgent care facilities bringing in $14 billion each year in America, they represent a viable option for people in need of immediate medical attention. If you have additional questions, comments, or suggestions on the subject, be sure to share them in the forum below.