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Usually, injuries or conditions that need medical attention within 24 hours fall under the category of urgent care. These conditions include urinary tract infection, prains, fractures, fever or flu, accident or fall, skin rashes and infections, mild to moderate asthma, eye irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, among others.
Yes! Urgent care centers also take appointments. If you want a seamless visit with shorter wait times, consider booking an appointment through Zocdoc at your preferred date and time.
The majority of urgent care facilities are open till late evenings. Utilize Zocdoc's More filters to narrow your search to urgent care facilities in Phoenix that are open after 5 o'clock in the evening.
The price of an urgent care visit varies depending on insurance, treatments, procedures, and services, among other things. There is no fixed price. However, uninsured patients in Phoenix would typically be charged between $150 and $250 for a single visit to an urgent care facility.
Finding an urgent care facility in Phoenix that accepts your specific insurance can be difficult because there are so many insurance companies and plans; but don't worry, Zocdoc has got you covered! With only two clicks, choose your provider and plan from the drop-down insurance selection. After that, choose an urgent care facility or physician in your area that accepts your insurance.
The option of virtual visits is available at many urgent care facilities or providers. Simply check for a purple icon on their Zocdoc profile, or you can use the platform's video visits filter, to identify urgent care centers and providers in Phoenix who provide virtual appointments.
On weekdays, urgent care centers are least crowded in the late morning or early afternoon. This is due to the fact that most patients visit early in the day and around dinnertime, which is just before or shortly after work or school. Urgent care centers serve as peoples' go-to alternative when doctors' offices are closed in the late evening, thus, late evenings are usually crowded.
It is recommended to visit an urgent care center within the first 24 hours of noticing symptoms or getting hurt. To find the best time for you to visit an urgent care center on the same day, use Zocdoc to look for available slots in the urgent care center of your choosing.
We often rush to the ER (emergency room) when in need of immediate medical attention. In comparison, going to other non-emergency treatment options could save us significant time and money. For instance, urgent care centers and retail health clinics provide affordable and efficient treatment for minor injuries and conditions. Nevertheless, around 19% of ER visits in 2014 were unrelated to medical emergencies — of all respondents surveyed, 12% visited an ER because their doctor's office was closed, and another 7% due to a lack of access to other doctors.
Urgent care focuses on illnesses or injuries that require immediate attention but are not life-threatening. A few examples of such conditions include upper respiratory infections, minor issues with breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, and sprains. Urgent care specialists do not perform surgeries; they are only equipped to care for minor wounds and perform skin lesion removal.
At the same time, this restricted scope allows urgent care centers to deliver affordable and efficient health care. As a result, patients are led back on the path to recovery in the shortest amount of time. Approximately 8,100 urgent care centers in the United States provide their services to 30 to 50 patients each day, on average. In addition, urgent care centers have extended working hours and can treat a wide range of non-life and limb-threatening illnesses and injuries.
In comparison to urgent care centers, retail clinics typically treat lower acuity cases. They meet the demand for rapid, less sophisticated health care outside of the doctor's office and emergency departments. Patients may visit a retail clinic for the treatment of basic illnesses, such as a sore throat or earache, as well as preventative care (including immunizations and physical exams). Furthermore, retail clinics are typically a clinic-within-a-store concept with limited space, staffed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, there are around 2,000 retail clinics in the United States today. They're mostly found at pharmacies, supermarkets, "big box" stores, and other large retail chains. At such medical clinics, patients may or may not consult with physicians or primary care providers. Consultations are usually brief, lasting no more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, these clinics cater to a very specific demographic, as they do not care for patients' chronic problems or facilitate follow-up appointments. On the other hand, there is no need to make a reservation or schedule an appointment ahead of time.
There were around 9,616 urgent care centers in the United States as of 2019. This was a significant increase from just over 6,000 centers in 2013. Most centers have on-site laboratories and X-ray machines. That’s why patients can benefit from diagnosis and medical advice, without needing to leave the center for radiological exams.
Urgent care centers also provide physicals and immunizations and help meet other primary healthcare needs. As acute care facilities, urgent care centers open early in the morning and close late at night — with some even operating 24 hours a day. Sometimes, urgent care facilities do not require scheduled appointments. You can see a physician whenever convenient.
While emergency rooms are always staffed with emergency medicine experts and nurse practitioners, urgent care clinics usually employ one or more primary care physicians and laboratory technicians. In contrast, retail clinics may not have any specialists on staff.
To help you understand what conditions are treated at a retail clinic versus an urgent care center, here's a list of the most common ones.
At retail health clinics, patients can receive treatment for:
At urgent care facilities, patients can receive treatment for all the conditions that retail clinics offer, in addition to:
Urgent care clinics typically do not treat critical cases or those requiring specialist interventions. However, more and more centers are including specialists among their medical staff to provide quality non-emergent care. Such specialists commonly include:
Urgent care clinics are continuously evolving to meet the demands of patients, despite being relatively new to the healthcare sector. If you need to see an urgent care clinic, book an appointment with us at Zocdoc. We are a one-of-a-kind platform that allows patients to choose their preferred physicians.
When you use Zocdoc, you can easily look for an urgent care center's specialty, services offered (if any), and staff members. You can also learn about each provider's educational qualifications, state and city licensure, procedures they've been trained to conduct, and more on their individual pages, in addition to their primary clinical interests.
You may also look for doctors who specialize in a particular branch of medicine by searching for a specific specialty or medical procedures. Thanks to our comprehensive directory, Zocdoc will find the top-rated providers that match your query. You can also look for in-network providers by entering your insurance network’s name.
Patients do not pay to book an appointment on Zocdoc. All bookings are safe, secure, and completely free.
Urgent care has witnessed a sudden surge over the past few years. According to the Urgent Care Association, urgent care centers witnessed a 60% increase in patient volume from 2019 to 2022. This includes both the traditional and covid visits. The average volume of urgent care visits per clinic per day increased from 32 in 2019 to 46 in 2021. This was in large part due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In Maricopa county, the average covid cases as on 25th August 2022 is 640 per day, as reported by The New York Times. In the city of Phoenix, approximately 10 per 100,000 residents, are being hospitalized due to covid per day. Many of these require acute care through either emergency departments or urgent care centers. Luckily, Phoenix is one of the more concentrated markets in the country for urgent care clinics with nearly 300 locations throughout the valley.
American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine (AAUCM)
American Board of Physician Specialties
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[1]
American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine
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.