What is urgent care?
The American Board of Physician Specialties defines urgent care as medical institutions that provide affordable and convenient care for conditions other than medical emergencies. This way, urgent care centers are a vital link between your primary care physician and the emergency room. They provide efficient, cheap, and accessible care for acute illnesses — without the hassle of long wait times or needless paperwork.
Urgent care centers are open all year, sometimes even around the clock. Most centers offer services at least until 9:00 p.m. Therefore, patients who fall sick during the holiday season — or those who do not wish to miss out on work or study — can instantly book an appointment at the local urgent care clinic. Unlike a primary care physician's office, these clinics always accept new patients. So, if you have been traveling to a new city and fall sick, you do not need to wait to see your family doctor. Book an appointment with Zocdoc and see a doctor in no time!
Urgent care clinics also offer diagnostic services. They usually have an on-site X-ray machine and offer laboratory tests. In addition, you can also get stitches, bandages, splinters, and casts at the center. Most urgent care sites also provide services related to STD tests and immunizations (such as the flu shot or a Covid-19 vaccine).
A team of medical practitioners at the urgent care center will look after you. The team comprises physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, and specialists. Although the staff can treat most patients, sometimes they make a referral to a specialist elsewhere — for instance, at the local emergency department. For example, you will be treated at the center if you need sutures. However, they may refer you to emergency services in case of major surgery. It is because urgent care professionals do not conduct significant operations, and, as a rule of thumb, they do not treat inpatients or provide long-term care.
Urgent care versus emergency rooms
Urgent care centers and emergency rooms (ERs) offer different patient services, and it is sometimes confusing to decide where to go based on symptoms and conditions. It's crucial to understand whether a situation warrants an urgent care center or ER visit, a call to your family doctor, or if it can be managed at home.
Home management is often sufficient for minor symptoms like coughs, fevers, and aches. This includes resting, staying hydrated, and using over-the-counter medications, which may suffice for conditions like the flu. If symptoms persist or worsen, consulting your primary care physician is advisable. However, seeking care at an urgent care center or an emergency room may be necessary if symptoms worsen.
Urgent care centers
These facilities are typically less expensive and have shorter wait times than ERs. You can visit a center offering urgent care near you for non-life-threatening conditions, such as infections, mild injuries, fevers, and other ailments. Urgent care centers staff board-certified physicians who can offer treatment and assess if specialized care is needed, directing patients to appropriate healthcare providers when necessary.
Consider urgent care for symptoms needing prompt attention but not emergency care. Some of these symptoms are as follows:
- Sore throats
- Animal bites
- Minor cuts
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Ear pain/infection
- Nose bleeds
- Rashes
- Minor burns
- Small fractures
- Strains
- Sprains
Emergency rooms
If you encounter sudden, severe symptoms and are uncertain of their severity, it's critical to call 911 immediately. ERs are equipped to handle life-threatening situations with an urgent need for medical intervention, such as difficulties in moving or breathing. ERs have the necessary resources to address such emergencies promptly.
Therefore, it's imperative to go to an ER if you or someone nearby experiences any of the following conditions, as they may indicate a serious health issue:
- Severe allergic reactions or significant injuries
- Loss of consciousness
- Inability to move, either emotionally or physically
- Sudden changes in vision
- Severe pain
- Coughing or vomiting blood
- Open fractures
- Head injuries
- Disorientation or confusion in the mental state
- Chest or upper abdominal pain
- Stroke symptoms
Specialists who work with urgent care centers
In addition to urgent care practitioners, an urgent care center may staff other medical specialists, including -
Family doctors are qualified to treat various disorders, including sore throats, ear infections, and urinary tract infections. They play an essential role at an urgent care center, especially because many patients visit the clinic as they cannot find a same-day appointment with their primary care physician. Moreover, family physicians can perform thorough health checks and care for patients from all spheres of life, from newborns to the elderly.
- Sports medicine specialists
Sports medicine doctors have specialized training in restoring function among injured patients so they can return to routine, day-to-day activities as quickly and painlessly as possible. If the urgent care physician realizes you've fractured a bone, they can immediately put you in a cast or splinter and have you return many weeks later to remove it.
Registered nurses, abbreviated as RNs, are in charge of providing and coordinating patient care. They also educate patients regarding their ailments, diseases, health issues, and treatment plans. Registered nurses are licensed medical professionals who collaborate with patients, doctors, and other healthcare providers. Licensed practical nurses are generally more involved with assisting registered nurses and doctors; in comparison, registered nurses can provide direct patient care.
- X-ray and laboratory technicians
These centers offer a range of diagnostic services, including pathology testing. The centers have dedicated staff with a background in radiology or pathology to perform these tests. The X-ray and laboratory technicians evaluate the tests; their inputs are essential in the ultimate diagnosis and treatment. While these professionals are not directly involved in patient care, they are vital to the operation of an urgent care clinic.
- Internal medicine specialists or general internists
Internal medicine physicians (internists) are trained experts who provide comprehensive care. They typically treat adult patients. Internists are skilled at identifying and treating complex medical conditions like multimorbidity. They may also be involved in illness prevention and health promotion.
Common reasons to seek urgent care services
You should visit urgent care near you if you are suffering from the following conditions:
Your body's immune system may sometimes produce an exaggerated reaction to external stimuli, called an allergic reaction. Common allergens are foods like peanuts, insect stings, pollen, etc. Urgent care specialists can handle a variety of allergies, including allergic reactions due to contact dermatitis, food, medication, latex, or mold. However, a fatal allergic reaction called anaphylaxis warrants emergency medical care; hence, patients should be taken to the ER.
- Nausea and constant vomiting
Nausea is when you feel ill in your stomach or feel like vomiting. It might indicate an underlying condition such as appendicitis, migraines, food poisoning, motion sickness, or an infection (such as the "stomach flu"). Continuous vomiting and nausea may also indicate a more severe problem, such as a gastric volvulus or obstruction.
- Sprains or muscle strains
Your bones are connected at the joints by connective tissues called "ligaments." A sprain occurs when these ligaments are strained or torn. It could happen if you go on a trip while playing sports. Tendons, in contrast, are the connective tissues connecting the muscles to bones. When these tendons are ripped or stretched beyond their limit, you experience a strain (strained muscle or strained tendon).
Acute conjunctivitis, sometimes called pink eye, affects almost 6 million Americans annually. A pink eye develops when the transparent outer membrane of the eyeball (the conjunctiva) becomes inflamed or swollen. The white part of your eyes seems red or pink due to the increased visibility of tiny blood vessels in the conjunctiva.
A viral, fungal, or bacterial infection of one or both lungs is known as pneumonia. In this infection, there is significant inflammation in the lungs. The air sacs may swell or fill with fluid or pus (purulent material), causing phlegm-filled cough, fever, cold, and breathing difficulty.
The importance of pediatric urgent care
Pediatric urgent care ensures children receive immediate medical attention for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries. These facilities offer expert care when a child's health concerns cannot wait for a scheduled appointment.
There are many benefits of seeking pediatric urgent care services, some of which include the following:
- Convenient access to emergency pediatricians: Urgent care centers ensure children receive timely medical attention, even during after-hours or weekends when primary care offices may be closed. By visiting a pediatric urgent care center, parents can avoid long wait times at the ER while ensuring their child gets the care they need.
- Specialized pediatric care: Staff at pediatric urgent care centers are highly trained in treating children, making them well-equipped to manage pediatric medical emergencies with expertise and compassion.
- Quick and efficient medical care: Emergency pediatricians at these centers provide prompt, efficient care, enabling parents and children to address health concerns and quickly return to their daily routines.
- Lower costs compared to ER visits: Pediatric urgent care services are significantly more affordable than emergency room visits. With most centers accepting insurance, out-of-pocket expenses become more manageable for families.
- Reduced exposure to ER germs: Families can avoid exposure to contagious illnesses often present in emergency rooms by addressing non-life-threatening conditions at a pediatric urgent care center.
Choose a top-rated urgent care center near you in Baltimore, MD
For decades, people faced a two-fold choice for healthcare: they could wait several days before seeing their general practitioner or head straight to the emergency room. In either case, they would miss days at work (or school) and, worse, end up with expensive medical bills. But thanks to urgent care clinics, patients receive healthcare in a timely, cost-effective, and convenient way.
According to a 2015 Urgent Care Association of America survey, 92% of urgent care clinics reported that their patients experienced wait times of less than 30 minutes. However, such metrics seldom include the time spent searching for a reliable urgent care clinic. With Zocdoc, you can find the top-rated urgent care near you quickly!
When you search for an urgent care physician "near me" — or add the name of your insurance carrier — Zocdoc's powerful search system displays the best providers that match your criteria. In-network providers can significantly cut down on out-of-pocket costs. You can manually enter your insurance plan on the website/app and filter your search results. If this does not help you find your particular health plan, you can upload a photo of your insurance card.
Once you upload a photo, Zocdoc will scan the image of your card and show you a plan that best matches your card. Note that this option is available for medical insurance cards only. Dental and vision are excluded. If you need help uploading your insurance card, contact Zocdoc's service team, available 365 days a year to answer all your queries. You can also visit Zocdoc's patient help center for answers to other insurance-related questions.
Patients can also choose a convenient time for their appointment. You can also look at the physician's profile, including their professional background and top clinical interests. Our verified customer reviews can also prove helpful in making the right choice.
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Urgent care — Baltimore and Maryland
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2016, Americans visited one of the country's roughly 5,000 emergency rooms around 145 million times. Ambulances carried almost 23 million of them.
Approximately 43% of all hospital admissions begin in the emergency room. Depending on the treatment, an emergency room visit might have a substantial cost; however, according to a 2017 Health Care Cost Institute report, the average price was about $1,389. People with "avoidable" or "non-urgent" medical issues might save more than $18 billion annually if they opt for primary or preventive healthcare rather than going to ERs for their medical needs.
According to a data report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Maryland has the country's most prolonged ER wait times. In Maryland, patients waited an average of 53 minutes to be seen by a healthcare practitioner. In contrast, the average wait time in the United States is 22 minutes.
Sources
American College of Physicians
American Board of Physician Specialists
Debt.org
American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine
WMAR2 News
Cleveland Clinic
MedlinePlus[1]
MedlinePlus[2]
Mayo Clinic
UChicago Medicine
University of California San Francisco
Care+ Pediatrics Urgent Care
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