3 Reasons Urgent Care Facilities are Much Better Options Than the ER

Pain and illness know no schedule, so it’s important to have a plan in place when someone in your family begins to experience discomfort outside of normal office hours. Emergency rooms are notorious for being expensive and making you wait for hours, so it’s best to avoid them when possible.

Thankfully, there are urgent care facilities all across the country that offer premium medical services in a friendly, professional environment. A walk in health clinic knows that you’re in desperate need of attention if you’re seeking their services, so there’s no long waits or price-gouging. Here are three of the many reasons to visit urgent care facilities when emergencies arise and your normal doctor isn’t available:

Don’t waste away in the ER waiting room. From 2003 to 2009, it was reported that the average wait time in American emergency departments grew from 46.5 minutes to 58.1 minutes, representing a whopping 25% increase. It kind of defeats the whole purpose of an emergency room. In contrast, about 60% of after hours urgent care facilities have a wait time of less than 15 minutes. This is valuable time saved in diagnosing and treating your critical medical problems.

Save your hard-earned money. You know emergency rooms need to be reformed when people second-guess seeking treatment for serious ailments because they just can’t afford it. In 2009, the average expense for someone who went to the ER at least once was over $1,300. Urgent care facilities provide equal or better medical treatment at just a fraction of the cost.

Talk to a real, trusted physician. Many times, emergency rooms will leave you in the hands of nurses who dilly-dally until the doctor comes in to the room for five minutes, only to leave and never be seen again. A family health clinic prides itself on delivering personalized service from a real, qualified physician. In fact, a physician or group of physicians own about half of all urgent care facilities, and 65% have a physician on-site at all times.

Find a neighborhood health clinic near you and take advantage of everything urgent care facilities have to offer. It’s fast, affordable, and most importantly, it’s trustworthy. You can be sure that you or your loved one will be in the best hands possible, no matter what time of day or night it is.