Learn what sets primary care and urgent care apart so you can make a better decision when it comes to your health. You’ll find everything you need to know about those differences in this article, along with what sets AFC Urgent Care apart from the other urgent care clinics available to you. Take better control of your health today.

The Ins and Outs of Primary Care

Primary care means you have a long-term relationship with a single doctor whom you visit annually or on an as-needed basis. Health care providers in this setting are typically family medicine doctors, internists, pediatricians, counselors, etc. A primary care setting is where you will schedule routine doctor visits for annual physicals and to maintain your overall health.

While annual visits with your primary care provider are encouraged, you can see your doctor between annual visits for minor injuries and illnesses. The goal for these providers is to create a complete picture of your past and current health to help guide you to a healthier future. These offices are usually only open from Monday to Friday during regular business hours.

The Ins and Outs of Urgent Care

In urgent care, you have a short-term relationship with a health care professional and may see somebody new with each visit. As you could guess from the name, these clinics are for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries that are urgent and need immediate medical attention. Generally, urgent care clinics can cover various health conditions, and you can walk into the clinic the same day without having an appointment.

These offices are open on weekends and holidays, along with some extended weekly hours to accommodate any individual schedules. To keep a clear picture of your health, you should still seek a primary care provider because your visits to the urgent care clinic will be sporadic and inconsistent.

What Makes AFC Urgent Care Different?

At AFC Urgent Care, our mission is to establish a deeper relationship with our patients to serve their needs better. While we are a walk-in clinic, we encourage our patients to schedule primary visits during our slower months if they need a primary care provider and have minimal, non-complex health concerns. We have our own lab in the facility, so we can do STD testing in Raleigh in our labs and give you the results within a few days—a lot faster than at a primary care clinic where they need to outsource for labs.

However, if you have more than one health complication, you should speak with a doctor at a primary clinic who is well versed in serving your specific health conditions. The following is a list of conditions we can treat on a primary basis, but if you have more than one on the list, it is best to find a primary care provider.

• Annual Physicals
• Hypertension
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Hyperlipidemia
• Vitamin D Deficiency
• GERD
• Asthma
• Hyper-Thyroid Conditions

Now that you have everything you need to know about primary care and urgent care, you can make a sound decision for yourself and your family. Use urgent care for cases where you cannot wait to see your regular doctor. And if you have one of the above health conditions, consider AFC Urgent Care for your primary care.