With over 160 million visits annually, urgent care centers have become the solution to doctors’ offices with limited hours. After hours urgent care centers are popping up all over the country, with over 9,000 branches looking towards expanding within the U.S., alone. The increasing popularity of urgent care centers has to do with not only their flexible availability, but also their capacities to treat numerous varieties of medical problems.
Urgent care centers often feature top doctors, with over 20,000 of U.S. doctors practicing specifically for urgent care facilities. They also offer shorter wait times and cheaper payments than emergency room visits. Whether you’re new to urgent care or not, here are a few facts you might not be aware of.
Specialized Services
Many urgent care centers (well over 80%) offer specialized services, such as splinting and treatment for fractured bones. If you or your child ever suffers from a sprain or fracture, particularly after normal business hours, you can take advantage of after hours urgent care facilities and receive top care, for a fraction of the cost.
An Array of Testing
From drug testing to allergy and STD testing, urgent care centers can take care of a wide variety of lab-related needs. If your company drug tests upon hiring, be sure to take advantage of urgent care’s services, while also saving some money.
Shots and Treatments
Many urgent care clinics can give patients flu shots and other popular treatments. While it may seem easy enough to wait for a standard doctor’s appointment to receive these shots, after hours urgent cares offer the convenience of getting these treatments when you’re free, rather than forcing you to block out time during your busy day.
EKG’s and X-rays
Did you know that you can go to an urgent care if you think something might be wrong that warrants scans, such as EKG’s or x-rays? Urgent care centers can provide this type of testing, while saving you money on the typical costs of these scans in hospitals.
Urgent cares and after hours urgent care clinics are helping people receive fast, effective treatment for a variety of ailments. Because of their convenient schedules, more and more people are utilizing urgent cares for simple issues, such as colds or coughs, while taking advantage of more specialized features, such as lab work, x-rays, and drug testing.
