If you’ve ever needed immediate medical attention, then you know how difficult it can be to decipher which quick care clinic is best for you. By having the right knowledge about urgent care clinics, walk-in clinics, and emergency rooms, you can ensure you always know which option is best for you and your needs.
Although emergency rooms are great at handling patients in a relatively fast manner, they don’t always provide the best interactions and can tend to cost more than urgent care clinics. Walk-in clinics are great as well, but they have their drawbacks as well. The following are the four main reasons you should choose an urgent care clinic instead of a walk-in clinic or emergency room.
The main reason to choose an urgent care clinic is for a minor injury or illness, such as a muscle strain or the flu. Although urgent care clinics aren’t able to perform surgery for serious medical injuries such as a severely fractured leg, they are great at handling smaller injuries in a practical, fast manner without charging you a substantial amount for the services. For illnesses, an urgent care clinic can handle most situations, but they may not be able to treat life-threatening symptoms, such as the inability to breathe and severe chest pain.
In situations where the injury is very specific, such as an ear or eye injury, it may be best to visit a walk-in clinic that specializes in the particular type of injury that is the issue. Urgent care clinics can certainly handle specialized concerns, but they may refer patients to a specialist in order for an accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendation. With that said, specialized walk-in doctor’s offices aren’t always available, and an urgent care clinic may be the best option for immediate care.
On average, urgent care clinics are much cheaper than emergency rooms, especially for minor injuries and illnesses. While a simple procedure at an emergency room can cost more than $500, a simple procedure at an urgent care clinic usually only costs around $150. Since urgent care is usually much less expensive, it is a better option for individuals who don’t have insurance and plan to pay out of pocket. With that said, make sure the urgent care clinic you plan to attend accepts individuals without insurance.
Lastly, urgent care clinics tend to have doctors and nurses who are better at interacting with patients in a social manner, which makes it a much better option for children or adults who may be nervous about receiving medical care. Emergency rooms tend to stay busy and deal with a high number of serious concerns, so customer service isn’t always high on their priority list. Urgent care clinics, which usually have a more relaxed atmosphere, can be a very comfortable experience.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with Millennium Medical Care Herndon, request an appointment in our Herndon office here: https://herndon.millenniummedicalcare.com. Or call us at (703) 743-7849.
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