Patients are looking for more convenient and affordable healthcare options without the wait at the doctor’s office or emergency room. However, it is important for patients 1 year or older to understand affordable medical options that also provide the quality of care they need.
Common retail clinics like the ones seen in big box stores and pharmacy retailers, like Walgreens or CVS, try to provide convenience for patients. But it is important to know that urgent care centers provide a greater variety of high-quality medical services than retail clinics.
At AFC Urgent Care Watertown, we’ll help break down some of the key differences between urgent care centers and retail clinics so you can make the best possible healthcare decision:
What are some differences between urgent care and retail clinics?
For patients, the main differences between urgent care and a retail clinic include the quality, capability, and access of medical services for patients. Urgent care centers can provide more critical healthcare services and patient benefits/advantages than retail clinics:
- Injury treatment: Retail clinics can perform acute injury treatment just like an urgent care center. However, most urgent care centers have x-rays and staff to help triage moderate injuries like bone breaks, sprains, and lacerations.
- STD testing, blood work, and lab testing: An urgent care center allows patients to get private and same-day testing for a variety of diagnoses. For example, urgent care has lab technician as well as providers to set up STD testing and blood exams.
- Preventive exams and multiple exam rooms: Unlike a retail clinic, urgent care centers can provide several exam rooms so more than one patient can be seen at a time. Conversely, a retail clinic usually has a single nurse to administer care.
Whenever you need urgent care don’t hesitate to contact AFC Urgent Care in Watertown! We can be reached at 617.923.2273 or in person at 376 Arsenal Street!
