Urgent care facilities provide a new medical option for millions of patients. Urgent care clinics have become an alternative option for primary care offices. It is important to note that urgent care is not a replacement for the emergency department, and any life-threatening injury should be treated at the ED of your local hospital. For all other health concerns, urgent care centers provide a few benefits over primary care offices.

Accessibility and Convenience

Many urgent care facilities can be found in shopping centers and other high traffic locations in the city. Unlike primary care offices, it is very convenient for patients looking for a quick treatment to fit an appointment between other errands by utilizing an urgent care facility. Urgent care facilities also often provide more flexible hours than their primary care counterparts that allow patients to use their services easier. Overall it is often more convenient for patients to use an urgent care clinic in their local area than to visit a primary care physician.

Pricing and Transparency

Urgent care facilities often offer lower rates than primary care offices and urgent care is definitely cheaper than using the emergency room. Often emergency departments see a lot of patients with non-life threatening injuries. Urgent care facilities help unclog the emergency room and provide the benefit of cost-effective treatment relative to hospital visits. Urgent care facilities are also known for having transparent pricing to keep patients from being surprised by their bill. Some facilities even have menu pricing for common treatments so a patient can know upfront what they will be expected to pay.

Speed and Triage

Urgent care facilities have an average of visits that last less than an hour, whereas emergency departments usually have averages higher than an hour. Due to the severity of the injuries faced in the emergency department, many doctors have to prioritize focusing on the life-threatening injuries first. Patients facing non-life threatening injuries often stay in the emergency room longer than those with life-threatening injuries. By choosing to use an urgent care facility patients help people in the ER as well as lower their visit time because of urgent care’s ability to treat people quickly.
When it comes to choosing between healthcare facilities, urgent care provides many benefits from convenience to price point. Although a patient should always choose to use emergency services when they are facing a life-threatening injury or are pregnant, in other circumstances going to an urgent care clinic doesn’t just benefit the patient but it also benefits doctors and patients in hospitals by keeping rooms available in the hospital emergency department. You can schedule an appointment at AFC Urgent Care and know that you are receiving quality affordable and convenient treatment.