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What conditions are treated by urgent care?

People can require urgent medical care at any time. If your condition is not a medical emergency (in other words, you are not at risk of significant harm or death), an urgent care clinic may be the ideal care venue. After all, a prompt response is the need of the hour, as even non-life-threatening injuries can worsen over time or lead to lost days at school or work.

But what are the most common conditions treated at urgent care centers? Patients often see an urgent care physician for conditions such as:

• Accidents
• Falls
• Minor cuts
• Allergic reactions (such as skin rashes)
• Fever or flu
• Irritation of the eyes or pink eye (conjunctivitis)
• Fractures, sprains, strains
• Stomach aches, vomiting, diarrhea
• Mild or moderate burns
• Pregnancy-related issues

Many people also visit an urgent care site for a health checkup — especially if they can't find an appointment with their family doctors. Others see the center for an X-ray or lab investigation.

You may need clarification about what to expect at an urgent medical center. Urgent care centers have several types of medical personnel, including at least one physician. Generally, the staff includes nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and doctors. Technicians or radiologists may also be present at some centers, especially if they offer lab services. However, in some cases (such as in rural or remote areas), the nurse practitioners may be the most trained healthcare provider at the center.

How are emergency care and urgent care different?

Upon sudden injury or illness, your first instinct would be to access emergency care. However, emergency and urgent care are two sides of the same coin. To clarify where exactly you need to go, the difference between visiting emergency care and urgent care is in the:

• Severity: Emergency and urgent care provide immediate assistance to people of all ages. While an emergency department would treat life-threatening conditions, urgent care clinics deal with less severe illnesses or injuries that require desperate attention. You can go to an urgent care center if you have an injury that cannot wait for your family physician until the next day. Urgent care is the middle ground between your family physician and the emergency department. For instance, if you have a severe earache, it can be treated by urgent care. Suppose a history of cancer or immune-suppressing medication accompanies it. In that case, you should get it checked by the emergency department. 

Emergency departments offer services for concerns such as uncontrolled bleeding, sudden paralysis or weakness, seizures, shortness of breath, or seizures. Urgent care clinics deal with cuts and minor burns, skin conditions, sprains, joint pain, upper respiratory infection, vomiting, or other minor concerns. 

• Hours and staff: The emergency department is staffed with medical professionals on a 24/7 basis. They also have access to specialists such as neurologists or cardiologists to provide prompt service. An emergency department is equipped with imaging and laboratory departments to provide you with quick diagnosis and treatment.

On the other hand, urgent care clinics are equipped with physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses. These clinics have set hours and a list of conditions they would treat. Although these centers offer services after hours and on weekends, they cannot deal with significant health conditions or traumas. Urgent care clinics are less costly and have shorter wait times than emergency departments. 

Various healthcare professionals at an Urgent care center

• Family physicians: You can visit a family physician for various acute and chronic health problems, including fever, throat ache, ear infections, cough, nausea, or other common illnesses. They also provide health checkups and advice on diet and dietary supplements.
• Internal medicine physicians: Internists treat infectious diseases and chronic health conditions. They primarily work in primary settings and mainly only treat adult patients.
• Sports medicine physicians: Strains, sprains, and muscle injuries are common. In such instances, the best option is to go to a sports medicine specialist. Urgent care centers at many locations have X-ray machines, which leads to quicker diagnosis and treatment.
• Emergency medicine physicians: These physicians treat patients experiencing acute health problems and trauma injuries. Their primary purpose is to stabilize patients as quickly as possible and determine the next course of treatment. Although emergency medicine specialists primarily work in emergency services, you may encounter one at an urgent care center.

Things to consider when selecting an urgent care practitioner

Here are a few things to keep in mind while choosing an urgent care physician:

1. What is the education of the practitioner?
2. Urgent care practitioners can be nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or doctors. Before selecting one, do a quick check on the education and training of the practitioner.
3. What conditions does the practitioner treat?
4. An internist can treat various conditions; most physicians perform minor surgical procedures (such as sutures or suture removal). However, a nurse practitioner may treat considerably fewer conditions. You can look at the verified customer reviews on Zocdoc to learn more about the provider's competence and friendliness.
5. Where is the practitioner located?
6. Conditions that require urgent care should ideally be medically treated immediately. If a clinic is too far, your condition may worsen during the commute. It is especially true if you need someone to drive you to the center. In such a case, enter "near me" or an exact location as a part of your search query. Zocdoc will automatically display the top-rated local doctors.
7. What are the facilities at the clinic?
8. Your medical condition may sometimes require additional testing, such as X-rays, ECG, or blood work. It would help if you chose an urgent care clinic with in-house facilities to conduct these tests, saving you time and energy.
9. Does the practitioner accept my insurance?
10. Acute care costs can lead to unexpected medical bills. It would help to look for an in-network provider to remain within your budget and avoid out-of-pocket expenses. Zocdoc lets you search for urgent care physicians by insurance type. Enter the name of your insurance carrier and plan into the search box, and you will be directed to a list of in-network practitioners.

Before visiting an urgent care near you, what are some things to do?

Urgent care centers provide accessible healthcare services 24*7. However, you must consider a few factors before choosing to visit them. Understanding that not all urgent care centers may offer the same services and costs or house the necessary specialists for your condition is crucial. Hence, you can go through the following to ensure a fruitful visit:

• Online check-in: Walking in without an appointment is one of the most crucial benefits of an urgent care center. However, some centers do accept appointments for a reduced waiting time. You can visit their website to check in online. You have to provide some details about your personal information and medical condition. It will help urgent care centers prepare beforehand to receive you and promptly offer treatment. Moreover, online check-ins reserve a slot to ensure you visit a healthcare professional quickly.

• Proper vetting: With the help of the digital age, you can quickly determine if an urgent care near you is well-equipped for your medical needs. You can also choose a clinic within your insurance network to reduce out-of-pocket costs. Moreover, some urgent care centers have specializations to provide certain healthcare services. Some examples include OB-GYN and pediatric care. Moreover, vetting an urgent care center can help you identify peak periods or business hours. It can help you plan according to the severity of your medical condition.

• Things to bring: Carrying essential documents is always considered a good practice. You can instruct someone close to you or bring them by yourself. Examples include picture ID, insurance information or card, prescriptions, and recent medical records. It can help the urgent care center take necessary precautions before treatment.

• Prepare not to see a doctor right away: Most urgent care centers have healthcare professionals on staff, but this may not necessarily be true. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners provide most healthcare services until a doctor’s intervention is necessary. However, they can diagnose and prescribe treatments for various health conditions. They will also refer you to a specialist if your condition demands it.

• Understand the costs involved: Not all urgent care centers charge a flat fee. They differ based on the type of services provided and the clinical staff on the premises. However, they will cost less compared to emergency rooms. Moreover, it is crucial to determine the type of urgent care center you’re visiting. Some hospitals treat ‘urgent care centers’ as a part of their services. Hence, it may cost more than others. Some centers also operate as offsite emergency departments. In such cases, they may charge you like an ER. Therefore, you can contact them beforehand to understand the costs involved.

How can you find an urgent care practitioner in Denver, Colorado?

Finding the best urgent care practitioner for your needs can be challenging. If you need prompt medical attention, or if this is your first time at such a center, there is no need to worry. With Zocdoc, you can quickly learn more about a provider's background — such as their education, medical training, awards, licenses, board certifications, and more.

With Zocdoc, finding a good and reliable urgent care near you is easy. Our platform is optimized to search through hundreds of top-rated practitioners in and around Denver. The process is quick and easy — just type in keywords like "Denver" and "urgent care," Zocdoc will guide you to a list of practitioners that meet your needs. Booking appointments on Zocdoc is completely free!

Choose Zocdoc. After all, selecting the right doctor is the first step to recovery.

Urgent care in the US

In 2015, the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) reported that 92% of urgent care centers had a reported wait time of under 30 minutes. Further, at most other practices, urgent care centers have longer working hours than regular business hours, making them a more convenient alternative to scheduling an appointment with a primary care physician. It is especially true when patients are looking for same-day appointments or cannot manage work leave. 

The UCAOA report also mentions that only 3% of patients who had visited an urgent care center had to be referred to an emergency care center. The National Public Radio (NPR) conducted a survey in 2016. According to this survey, one in five respondents could not see a primary care physician in the past two years due to the unavailability of appointments.

Another study in 2010 published by the National Institutes of Health reported that urgent care centers had seen a significant number of cases related to musculoskeletal conditions (21.5%). These include fractures, muscle pain, joint pain, or strains. Dermatological conditions, including burns or lacerations, are also commonly reported by urgent care centers (9.7%). Urgent care centers rarely report visits for preventive services.

Regarding medical prescriptions, one in five (41.5%) prescriptions written at urgent care centers were for antimicrobials, including antibiotics. Approximately one in five (18.9%) prescriptions were for central nervous system agents (most commonly included pain relief medication). It has also been observed that the medical costs of a visit to the urgent care center expenses are significantly lower than those incurred at the emergency department.

Sources

National Public Radio, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Mount Sinai

National Institutes of Health

American Board of Physician Specialists

Mayo Clinic

Healthline

NH Health Cost

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.