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What is an Urgent Care center?

A thousand things run through your mind when you, or one of your dear ones, falls sick: the severity of symptoms, first aid, and, of course, the place for getting affordable and timely care. Traditionally, this choice meant either visiting the family doctor's office (and waiting long hours), or rushing to the nearest hospital (at the risk of high medical bills).

However, today patients have the additional option of visiting an Urgent Care center in case of sudden illnesses or aches. This is especially true if the injury or illness requires medical attention but does not appear to be life-threatening. Some examples of conditions that can be attended to at an Urgent Care center include:

• Sore throat and cough
• Flu or fever
• Minor cuts
• Rashes
• Infections
• Sprains
• Irritation in the eye
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Minor fractures
• Headaches
• Seasonal allergies
• Dizziness
• Fainting spells
• Bacterial Infections
• Urinary Tract Infections

However, if the medical issue needs immediate medical attention and may prove fatal (such as a grave head injury or a stroke), one must rush to the Emergency Room. Medical emergencies include the following:

• Deep knife wounds
• Uncontrollable and heavy bleeding
• Seizures
• Convulsions
• Poisoning
• Symptoms of a stroke
• Symptoms of a heart attack
• Coughing or throwing up blood
• Severe burns
• Head trauma
• Severe injuries on the head, neck, or back

The philosophy with which Urgent Care centers function is simple: the patient books an appointment, walks in, and is seen by a medical professional. If the case requires advanced or critical care, the staff may make a referral to an emergency site.

Urgent Care centers mostly employ family physicians, assistant physicians and nurses. They do not offer surgical services that are invasive in nature. For instance, any procedure requiring regional or general anesthesia is usually not undertaken at an Urgent Care center.

Urgent Care centers offer a wide variety of health services, from treatment of physical wounds to the diagnosis of infections and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They also offer immunizations, such as flu shots or a COVID vaccine. They usually also offer minor diagnostic services such as an X-ray. When patients arrive at the Urgent Care center, they are promptly examined and, if need be, transferred directly to an Emergency Room for further advanced treatment.

Therefore, Urgent Care centers are in no way a substitute for primary care centers or Emergency Rooms. They are just an alternate and more convenient service that can be used when the injury or illness does not pose a threat to life.

Why Urgent Care centers?

As of 2019, close to 9,000 Urgent Care centers were functioning across the United States. The main contributors to their growing popularity are shorter wait times, affordable treatment rates and more convenient access. A study by the National Center for Health Statistics has suggested that visits to the Emergency Room may easily cost more than $1,000. In contrast, research has shown that medical services at an Urgent Care center can be up to ten times cheaper than a visit to the hospital. Furthermore, insurance providers often cover the costs incurred at Urgent Care centers. This cover usually extends to all Urgent Care centers irrespective of location. Therefore, one can walk into any center, even while traveling out of their home city and still receive reimbursement.

However, the provision of cheap and affordable medical care in no way means that Urgent Care centers compromise on quality. Urgent Care centers are well equipped with the tools and the skills required to provide high-quality care and services. A benchmarking report by the Urgent Care Association concluded that almost 97% of all urgent care encounters took an hour or less. Moreover, Urgent Care centers are typically open even beyond office hours and offer a broader scope of services than a typical primary care provider (such as your family doctor's office). Around 85% of Urgent Care centers are functional seven days a week, with approximately 90% running even beyond 7 PM.

Often, the emergency department fails to provide appointments on short notice (especially for non-emergencies), and doctors' offices are largely pre-booked. Urgent Care centers allow patients same-day access to care, even in cases of unscheduled appointments or walk-ins. Patients are generally required to wait only a few minutes before they are attended to and treated and sent on their way. This helps the patient get speedy and quality medical care and even allows for reducing the burden on the Emergency Department, which may be specialized to deal with emergency cases.

How to find an Urgent Care center near you?

Facing a health issue but unable to contact your primary care provider? Hurt your hand and need stitches, but don't want to suffer the endless waiting lines outside the emergency room? Don't worry. ZocDoc has got you covered.

Through ZocDoc's incredibly user-friendly interface, you can locate Urgent Care centers in your area and browse through their services, staff and pricing with just a few clicks.

You can even go through the educational and training credentials, licensure, and clinical interests of the healthcare providers at a particular Urgent Care center. To make your decision easier, ZocDoc displays verified reviews from past patients. After you have chosen the Urgent Care center that fits your needs, book an appointment directly with Zocdoc without paying any fee!

Urgent Care centers in San Diego

The average wait time at the fastest emergency room in San Diego is a shocking 2 hours and 46 minutes. The difference in wait times between the most immediate and slowest Emergency Rooms in San Diego is 173 minutes. Moreover, in San Diego County, an Emergency Room visit can cost about $500, on average. This figure is exclusive of any fees payable for tests and other services. These costs may seem too heavy on the pocket for many, especially for injuries or illnesses that do not threaten the life or limb. Urgent Care centers are thus a better, more affordable bet. Most urgent care centers in San Diego run under the aegis of large medical groups, only a handful running as independent facilities.

Sources

• BlogMD
• Instant Urgent Care
• Fierce Healthcare
• HospitalStats
• LegacyER
• Mount Sinai
• National Public Radio
• The San Diego Union-Tribune
• Urgent care centers in the U.S.: Findings from a national survey (Weinick, R.M., Bristol, S.J., & DesRoches, C.M.)

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.