If someone requires medical attention, there are a few different options; a visit to your doctor, a visit to the local hospital, or a walk-in medical center. Determining when an immediate care facility is needed can save time and money in terms of time spent in an emergency room and copays or out-of-pocket costs in the hospital without an admission.
Urgent care settings are designed to treat medical problems that are not life threatening. These can treat cuts and bruises, stitches and even broken limbs, and physical exams at school or work. Because emergency rooms are often crowded with extremely long wait times, walk-in centers provide an alternative place to seek treatment in less than half the time.
Most walk-in centers are satellite branches of major hospitals, although there are some that are independently owned. When a patient needs medical care, the decision to choose an outpatient facility over a hospital will be determined by a few things: Is the injury life-threatening? Are the symptoms contagious? How long have the symptoms been present?
Many people will visit a walk-in facility to seek treatment for prolonged colds and / or fevers, sprains and fractures of limbs, earaches, abdominal pain, diarrhea, cough, mild asthma attacks, burns, sexually transmitted diseases and, in some centers, physical exams for work or school. They treat adults and children of all ages.
If necessary, they can be vaccinated and prescribed without waiting for your GP. Of course, this will depend on the diagnosis and / or prescription. Narcotics are often checked before a prescription is written due to the widespread problem of addiction.
There are other types of facilities, such as occupational medical teams, that focus on treating workers injured on the job. This is the same concept and they also do pre-employment physicals and random and pre-employment drug tests. Most occupational health facilities have physical therapists on staff to assist with therapeutic measures for injured workers. Companies hire this type of caregiver to help defray the cost of going to an emergency room or hospital in the event of an accident.
In general, non-emergency medical facilities help keep medical costs low as well as a fast process. Most centers are open seven days a week and no appointment is necessary. Check with your insurance plan to see if these types of facilities are covered so you know where to go the next time you have a non-emergency medical problem that cannot wait until the doctor’s office opens.
