Urgent Care facilities are a part of 'convenient care' and have rapidly multiplied across the country in recent years. Urgent care centers are walk-in clinics that specialize in treating minor illnesses and injuries. As medical institutions with extended hours, Urgent Care centers are equipped to diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions. On an average day, 30–50 patients visit one of the 8,100 UC centers across the USA, according to the Urgent Care Association of America.
Urgent care medicine includes medical care for non-life-threatening conditions. Such care can be delivered in a dedicated medical facility outside of an emergency room. In contrast, critical care medicine refers to conditions that require immediate medical attention within 12-24 hours and pose an imminent threat to life or limb.
For low-acuity conditions, such as earaches, backaches, or sprains and fractures, an Emergency Room (ER) may not be the best option. In such cases, Urgent care settings may provide more efficient and affordable treatment because office-based settings have simpler administrative procedures and lower costs than hospital-based emergency departments. On the other hand, emergency medicine provides superior care to two classes of patients: critically ill patients and those requiring an extended period of observation.
Both UC centers and Emergency Departments conduct diagnostic screenings. However, an Urgent Care center usually has only office-based tests at its disposal (including X-rays or pregnancy tests). However, ERs can conduct advanced imaging tests such as CT and MRI scans. They also perform a range of allergy and pathology testing.
Common conditions treated at Urgent Care Centers include:
- Cuts that aren't particularly severe but may need sutures or stitches
- Breathing problems, such as asthma and other upper respiratory infections (mild to moderate only)
- Sore throat or coughing
- Redness and inflammation of the eyes
- Fever or influenza
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
- Minor fractures in fingers and toes
- Back problems of a moderate severity
- Infections and rashes on the skin
- Strains, sprains, and other sports-related injuries
- Vomiting, diarrhea, or symptoms that indicate dehydration
The Role of Urgent Care Centers in the Management of COVID-19
Local community Urgent Care centers were on the frontlines as the Covid-19 pandemic raged across the United States. They also played an important role in meeting the high demand for testing and Covid-19 vaccines.
By the end of October 2020, Urgent Care centers had performed 725,000 tests per week, accounting for 10% of all testing in the United States. This unprecedented level of activity also led to an influx of new patient visits, presenting a chance for post-pandemic expansion. Based on analysis of data from nearly 5 thousand Urgent Care clinics (roughly half to the entire U.S. market), it was found that patients attended urgent care clinics in record numbers in 2020.
However, the entire growth trajectory is not due to the pandemic alone. Even before the increasing demand due to Covid-19, Urgent Care centers had grown drastically in number — from slightly under 7,000 in 2015 to over 10,000 by 2020.
Experity, a software provider company specializing in urgent care, surveyed half of all U.S. Urgent Care clinics. This research suggests that the demand for COVID-19-related episodic treatment increased by 58 percent in 2020, with testing and immunizations accounting for more than 60 percent of total visits. Experity further claims that clinics saw record patient volumes, and by the end of the year, the average number of patients per clinic per day for 2020 was 58 percent higher than the three-year average.
Choosing Top-Rated Urgent Care Specialists
Nothing takes precedence over your physical and mental health. However, long waiting times and the holiday season may come in the way of prompt medical treatment. At such times, Urgent Care centers play a crucial role. They provide high-quality care for non-life-threatening conditions that nonetheless benefit from immediate medical attention.
However, you may not have the time to search for the best urgent care site in an hour of need. With Zocdoc, you will be ready to visit a top-rated Urgent Care center in no time. Simply search for your condition and 'urgent care', and our comprehensive directory will display the highest-rated doctors near you.
You can also look through the profiles of hundreds of urgent care physicians in Miami. These profiles include details on their medical education, board certifications, and licensure, as well as their main clinical interests. On these pages, you can also learn more about the ratings they received from past customers.
In fact, Zocdoc displays verified customer reviews for our providers. And you can use Zocdoc without logging in or creating an account. Zocdoc does not charge you for booking an appointment. All bookings with us are completely safe, secure, and free.
Urgent Care in Miami, FL
In 2014, approximately 113 urgent care centers were serving the residents of Miami-Dade County. In 2012, an urgent care facility averaged 357 patient visits per week, resulting in more than 160 million total visits for all urgent care centers combined. Since 2010, this volume has continued to increase by three patients per day on average. In a 2012 poll, more than 85 percent of participating urgent care centers predicted expansion, primarily in terms of visitor numbers.
One of the reasons may be prolonged waiting times. According to a report pushed by Vitals (called 'The Physician Wait Time Report'), Miami ranks among the cities with the most extended average patient wait times — 22 minutes and 29 seconds, to be precise.
Interestingly, a 2010 research study published in Health Affairs concluded that approximately 13.7% to 27.1% of all visits to emergency departments could be handled at an urgent care facility or retail clinic. The study further predicted that this would lead to a cost reduction of $4.4 billion per year.
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