How To Choose Emergency Room, Clinic or Family Doctor

When medical situations pop up, we have a variety of avenues we can consider traveling. Some people prefer to wait for an opening at their family care provider. For those who don’t have access to family care physicians, the emergency room is a possible option. In between the emergency room and the primary care physician is an urgent care center. Urgent care centers offer expedient, immediate care like emergency rooms but they treat exclusively non-life-threatening issues.

In the United States, there are more than 6,800 urgent care centers, many of which operate as a 24 hour walk in clinic. This part of the American health system is the fastest growing because it capitalizes on a need for convenience. If users have trouble finding a primary care physician or getting in with their physician, they can likely be seen much sooner for issues like the flu or an ankle sprain.

Users may also use a 24 hour walk in clinic rather than their family health care when they need std testing centers. Although all health items are confidential, some feel more comfortable bringing stds to a doctor not connected with their primary care.

Urgent care centers are made to ease the workload for emergency rooms. That way emergency rooms can focus on life threatening issues like heart attacks or strokes but not worry about more minor issues like gastrointestinal issues like food poisoning or bone breaks and sprains.

All health concerns are important and valid but different physicians exist to address concerns across a huge spectrum. Identifying which medical center is best to field your issue is a huge part of procuring the best care for whatever health issue you may be facing. Links like this.