You may be wondering what keeps urgent care centers in the US operational and why they are popping up in every city. Well, urgent care is the healthcare discipline that provides outpatient medical care to treat acute and chronic illnesses and injuries that require urgent care. As such urgent care practitioners need to have an extensive knowledge base to handle widespread types of urgent medical care.

According to the Urgent Care Association reports, urgent care centers handle more than a 90million visits every year, which makes 20% of primary care medical visits. They provide a combination of healthcare services that emergency rooms and primary care doctors cannot match. Here are the immense advantages urgent care centers offer.

They offer more convenient hours.

Urgent care centers offer more convenient hours than your primary care doctor’s office. Medical emergencies occur anytime, and nothing is as frustrating as not receiving medical care outside business hours or days. Getting sick does not always happen during business hours. But thankfully, most urgent care centers are accessible even during weekends and non-business hours.

No appointments necessary

The most incredible perk of urgent care centers compared to the standard health facilities or hospitals is that you don’t need an appointment in advance to get treatment. You can visit an urgent care center whenever you are ready or need medical attention.

Treats a wide range of illnesses

Although an urgent care center may not be your best option when facing a life-threatening emergency, it deals with a broad range of medical services, including:

• Sprains, strains, and fractures.
• Common colds and flu.
• Lacerations, burns, and minor wounds.
• Fever and sore throat.
• Allergic reactions and insect bites.
• Asthma attacks and upper respiratory infections.
• Headache, knee, shoulder, and back pain.
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Sinus and ear infections.
• Pneumonia etc.

Others provide more advanced medical services on site such as lab services, x-ray services, STDs testing, physical exams, antibiotics, prescription care, medical refills, etc. You may access added benefits if your urgent care doctor is your primary physician.

Cost-efficient

Urgent care centers are usually more cost-efficient than hospital emergency rooms. It may be more affordable to seek treatment in an urgent care center than your primary care doctor. According to a study, nearly half of all urgent care visits have an average charge of less than $150 compared to primary care hospitals.

Accessible

Urgent care centers are widely accessible to everyone all over the united states.  Despite where you live, there is probably an urgent care center within the proximity of your home. Plus, you don’t need insurance to access urgent care centers.

Offer quicker services

Urgent care centers offer quicker services than ER and maybe faster compared to visiting your primary care doctor. You have to wait when you get there late, but it is almost always less than the time spent in a primary care doctor’s office or emergency room.

The bottom line

Urgent care centers provide the benefits of primary care hospitals without the accompanying hassles. They handle medical emergencies that are not life-threatening in a timely and convenient manner.