There are always reasons to go to the emergency room. Maybe you’ve been dealing with stomach pain for quite a few days now, or have experienced difficulty breathing and fever. Maybe you are in need of flu treatment because you have had the fever and vomiting for several days, and aren’t sure where to turn because your doctor said that it could be several days until they can see you. As you can see, there are many reasons to go to the emergency room, but when nobody else can listen or care for you, urgent care services are there.
Urgent Care Services: The Chosen Method of Care By a Physician
Why do we need urgent care? According to a study, 44-65% of all ER episodes could have been treated by simply going to urgent care. With AD visits increasing by 22% over the past decade, it is common knowledge that Americans are starting to rely heavily on the 24-hour access to care that is provided to them by urgent care settings. Emergency room visits as it stands have averaged out at about 110 million annually.
Urgent care is there for you every time of the day, in most cases. In 2014, almost every urgent care center (at an astounding 97%) operated 7 days a week. And, 99% were open at least 4 hours a day, making it easy to see somebody for a variety of ailments. Urgent care clinics are also very spacious, with each center having an average of 7 exam and treatment rooms. This makes it easier to be seen by a doctor without waiting out in the waiting room for hours on end.
Today, physicians who give urgent care treatment understand that their duties are helping families of all shapes and sizes. There are close to 20,000 physicians who practice Urgent Care Medicine to this very day, and the number continues to grow. Eventually, many more physicians will be integrated into a system that is becoming at the forefront of most medical care in America. Almost everyone you know has probably visited one of the many urgent care centers out there. These physicians care about your care and the treatment you receive. Go where it counts, and receive the care that is meant for you.