What is an urgent care clinic?
There are an estimated 8,000 urgent care clinics in the USA. Urgent care clinics are distinct from emergency services and mainly cater to patients with non-life-threatening conditions. Such conditions include rashes, infections, animal bites, sprains, fractures, and earaches. As a result, urgent care clinics do not treat in-patients or conduct significant surgeries. They rarely have advanced diagnostic equipment such as Computed Tomography (CT).
Per the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), urgent care clinics are known as 'after-hours walk-in clinics,' 'quick care clinics,' or 'minor emergency centers.' Many services are offered because there are limited regulations on urgent care clinics.
Nevertheless, urgent care centers share certain standard features. Most urgent care centers:
- Are open after business hours, often up to 7 days a week
- Have essential on-site diagnostic equipment, such as X-ray machines
- Accept walk-in patients and have shorter wait times. Most urgent care clinics do not treat in-patients or offer extended care for chronic illnesses.
- Perform minor surgeries but rarely undertake major operations
- Treat low-severity injuries
What type of specialists work at an urgent care center?
The urgent care staff may include various medical professionals. They work collaboratively to deliver efficient and effective care.
When you visit a center that offers urgent care near you, you can come across these types of specialists:
- Family medicine physicians: Family medicine doctors offer comprehensive care for patients of all ages. They are skilled in diagnosing and treating various acute and chronic medical conditions, making them well-suited for urgent care settings where patients have diverse healthcare needs.
- Emergency medicine physicians: Emergency medicine physicians specialize in immediately addressing and treating medical emergencies. Many urgent care centers employ emergency medicine doctors adept at handling urgent situations, such as severe injuries, cuts that need stitches, food poisoning, and more. They also provide efficient care for less critical conditions.
- Internal medicine physicians: Internal medicine doctors, also known as internists, focus on diagnosing and managing adult health conditions, including complex medical issues and chronic diseases. Their expertise in adult healthcare makes them valuable members of urgent care teams, particularly for patients with underlying health concerns or multiple medical conditions.
- Sports medicine physicians specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries related to sports participation and physical activity. They focus on musculoskeletal injuries like sprains, strains, fractures, etc. In urgent care settings, they provide prompt treatment for acute sports injuries, helping patients recover and return to activity.
- Pediatricians: Urgent care centers that treat pediatric patients employ pediatricians who specialize in the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatricians can address the unique healthcare needs of young patients, from common childhood illnesses to minor injuries, ensuring that children receive appropriate and compassionate care.
- Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs): In addition to physicians, many urgent care centers employ physician assistants and nurse practitioners to assess, diagnose, and treat patients. You may also find X-ray technicians and certified medical assistants who offer services like lab work, x-rays, physicals, and more right on-site.
Questions to consider while choosing an urgent care clinic
It would help if you considered these questions before going to an urgent care center:
- What kind of appointments do they take?
Depending on the kind of urgent care clinics, the type of appointments they take can be different, such as walk-in, in-person, or online. Checking the clinic's webpage before leaving the house will considerably reduce the time spent there, as making a prior appointment would get the patient faster to the doctor. Besides, knowing the appointment slot also helps you plan the day better.
- What does the urgent care clinic specialize in?
Urgent care clinics differ in terms of the type of population they treat. Some might specialize in treating children, some may have experts in women's health issues, and yet others may have the right equipment to handle geriatric patients. Evaluating your requirements in alignment with the urgent care clinic's specialization will make the decision-making faster and more efficient.
- What documents should one carry to an urgent care clinic?
Although you do not need to carry documents related to your medical history to urgent care clinics, some could be crucial. The critical papers include your most recent health check-up, documents detailing the patient's vaccination history, current medical insurance policy and plan information, and contact information for your family physician.
- Which is better to visit—the emergency room or an urgent care facility?
Urgent care clinics are strictly for managing non-life-threatening conditions. They should never be confused with other types of care. Problems such as minor cuts or burns, cold or flu, simple sprains, mild forms of diarrhea, vomiting or dehydration, non-fatal allergy or asthma attacks, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections come under the jurisdiction of urgent care clinics.
However, loss of consciousness, slurred speech and drooping face, trouble swallowing, breathlessness, uncontrolled bleeding, severe burns, severe headache, vomiting that does not stop, trauma in multiple places, and any form of bleeding in pregnant women can potentially be fatal and require a visit to the emergency room.
- What is the right time to visit an urgent care clinic?
Check the regular working hours of an urgent care center before visiting. Knowing that during particular periods, such as weekends, nights, and holidays, the center may be closed helps in selecting the best time to go in. Calling the center beforehand and knowing the approximate waiting time makes choosing an urgent care center more efficient.
What are the differences between retail clinics, urgent care centers, and emergency rooms?
Retail clinics in Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart handle minor illnesses such as sore throats, ear infections, sinus infections, pinkeye, and uncomplicated respiratory issues. Staffed by nurse practitioners, these clinics can prescribe medication and are convenient for quick, basic care. There are around 1,200 locations across the U.S.
Urgent care centers provide a broader range of services, including treating wounds, fractures, asthma attacks, and mild concussions. They typically feature X-ray and lab facilities, with some adding advanced diagnostic tools. These centers, staffed by physicians, nurses, and physician assistants, have approximately 8,000 locations nationwide and bridge the gap between retail clinics and emergency rooms.
Emergency rooms cater to severe medical conditions requiring immediate, expert care, such as traumatic injuries, heart attacks, and strokes. Despite this, about 40% of ER visits involve non-emergency issues. Overcrowding often results in long waits, averaging three to four hours or more in some areas. ERs can handle life-threatening emergencies and are reserved for high-level urgent care needs.
Patient satisfaction in Texas
In 2016, National Public Radio (NPR) published a survey called "Patients' Perspectives on Healthcare in the United States." The survey found that most U.S. residents believe healthcare costs were reasonable but becoming less affordable. Notably, more than 1 in 5 (i.e., over 20%) adult respondents claimed they could not consult their regular doctor in the preceding two years on at least one occasion or more.
Around 16% of adults across the country said they had not seen a doctor or other medical professional in the preceding year, the report says. However, this was significantly more likely for adults in Texas (21%). Texas respondents differed from the national sample in many other ways:
- 31% of adults in Texas claim to not have a regular healthcare provider for their health concerns (in contrast with 25% nationwide).
- 18% of adults in Texas reported feeling that seeing doctors had become more challenging over the last two years. In contrast, only 14% of adults nationwide thought similarly.
- 18% of recent patients in Texas called the quality of care during their last visit to the ER as 'poor.' Only 10% of adult respondents across the country said so.
- 1 in 5 adults in Texas reported being currently uninsured. However, 1 in 7 adults nationwide (14%) claim not to have health insurance.
- 30% of adults in Texas said their past two years' healthcare costs posed a very or somewhat serious problem. At the national level, 26% of adults agreed with the statement.
The NPR, Harvard, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation T.H. Chan School of Public Health jointly conducted the Patients' Perspective report. The study conducted over 8,000 telephone interviews in English or Spanish, of which 1,005 were with Texas residents.
Urgent care near you in Dallas, Texas
You're not alone if you struggle to contact your doctor by phone or email. Over 35% of adult respondents from Texas rated their ability to contact a doctor outside of appointments as 'Fair' or 'Poor' in the 2016 NPR survey. The number is significantly higher than the national sample (29%).
However, illness rarely respects business hours. You or your child may be the victim of an animal bite, rashes, infection, or a minor fracture on an evening or the weekend. While these conditions do not qualify as a 'medical emergency,' they can lead to pain, discomfort, and lost hours at school or the office.
Urgent care clinics play an essential role in addressing these pain points. With Zocdoc, you can book an appointment at your neighborhood's leading urgent care clinic. There is no need to spend hours in the waiting room or rely on dangerous and unverified online advice. There are physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners in urgent care clinics with decades of experience. Moreover, urgent care clinics have shorter waiting times and longer business hours than your regular family physician's office.
At Zocdoc, you will find verified reviews by past patients for our listed providers. Provider profiles include the most relevant details, such as past education, clinical experience, board certifications, and top clinical interests. Booking is free, safe, and secure.
Our online patient support center is here to help you locate urgent care centers that accept your insurance. Using Zocdoc, you can link your medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your account; however, you can use only one plan per appointment.
If you have multiple insurance plans, you can add details of your secondary insurance in the appointment notes. Alternatively, if your healthcare provider uses Zocdoc’s intake forms, you can submit your secondary insurance information through them.
If you need a hassle-free and timely appointment, find the center that offers the best urgent care near you now. Search for your condition on Zocdoc and include 'urgent care' in your search query.
Booking in-person or online appointments on Zocdoc is simple, safe, and 100% cost-free!
Urgent care statistics
Today, urgent care centers are the leading venues for treating low-acuity conditions such as sprains and fractures, pink eye (conjunctivitis), or the flu; a 2018 JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) study confirmed this. The investigators drew on data from insured patients to analyze the changes in spending, visits, and general use at various care sites for low-acuity conditions. Based on the data from around 20 million members for every year of the 8-year study period, they found that:
- There was a 31% increase in visits to treat low-acuity conditions. Most of this increase was driven by urgent care center visits, even though the visits to the Emergency Department (ED), retail clinics, or telemedicine services also increased. However, retail clinics and telemedicine overall see low utilization compared to others.
- There was a 14% increase in expenditures on treating low-acuity conditions. The authors controlled for inflation in this study, so there has been an actual increase in net spending from $70 to $80 between 2008 and 2015.
- Out-of-pocket expenses for ED visits increased by 125%. In contrast, they remained relatively unchanged regarding receiving care at an urgent care center, retail clinic, or via telemedicine.
Research has focused on the increase in urgent care center visits. The study argues that part of the increase may be due to the 'woodwork effect.' In other words, when care is more easily accessible, people who otherwise may have forgotten to receive care are now visiting UC centers and other non-ED care venues, possibly reflecting their convenience over the ED.
Other potential factors for this rise in UC center visits include:
- A rise in the number of clinics
- Shorter wait times
- Lower out-of-pocket expenses
- Lower overall spending
- Increased confidence in the medical care at UC centers
- The wide array of conditions treated by UC clinics
Sources
American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine
American College of Emergency Physicians
National Center for Biotechnology Information
National Public Radio
Healthline Media
Hackensack Meridian Health
