Urgent care centers or clinics play a key role in healthcare by providing timely care for non-emergency health issues. They are essential to both patients and the healthcare system as a whole. Here is a closer look at their vital role and how patients can benefit from these healthcare facilities.
Urgent care clinics fill the gap between primary care and hospital emergency rooms. They treat non-emergency medical issues that need immediate attention. In addition, they provide a place for patients with non-emergencies who do not have a primary care doctor. Those with a primary care doctor can turn to urgent care centers when they are away from home or need care outside their doctor's business hours.
Various medical professionals staff urgent care centers, including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Their staff often include radiology and lab technicians as well. Therefore, they can diagnose and treat a wide range of medical issues.
Along with the staff, urgent care clinics usually have more advanced medical equipment than a walk-in clinic. Urgent care centers typically have a range of diagnostic lab equipment for testing blood and other bodily fluids and radiography equipment.
One of the most valuable ways urgent care clinics help the healthcare system is by reducing the workload of hospital emergency rooms. They give patients a place to go for non-emergency medical matters so ER staff can focus on life and limb emergencies.
Visits to hospital emergency rooms can be expensive, and wait times can be long. Urgent care centers offer a more economical way to deal with sudden medical issues. In addition, many centers offer patients the opportunity to reserve an appointment online, which can lead to even shorter wait times.
Most urgent care centers are open seven days a week, opening as early as 7 am and closing as late as 9 pm. Many urgent care centers are open till midnight on certain days. This availability makes them ideal for health matters that arise outside the times when one's regular doctor is typically open.
In short, urgent care is where one goes when one cannot see their regular doctor, but the medical issue is not an emergency. An emergency room is still best for cases threatening life or limb. However, here are some key examples of medical issues urgent care can diagnose and treat:
Major burns or bone fractures, including skull fractures, should be seen in an emergency room. Seizures, severe pain, head injuries, and symptoms of a heart attack are also medical emergencies.
Eldridge Family Clinic offers services that bridge the gap between primary and emergency room care. If you are dealing with a sudden injury or illness and do not have a regular doctor or your regular doctor is unavailable, we can help. Call our team today to learn more about our urgent care services, or stop by during regular business hours.
Request an appointment here: https://eldridgeclinic.com or call Eldridge Family Clinic at (281) 946-1351 for an appointment in our Houston office.
Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Urgent Care in Houston, TX.
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