We have all been there. Your doctor’s office closed an hour ago and you have an urgent medical issue. And while many of us would normally head to the emergency room, in the last several years, urgent care centers have emerged to give us more options for care. These urgent care clinics often provide similar care to that of the ER and can be better suited to treat your medical needs. Below are some great reasons to visit an urgent care center rather than going to the emergency room.

Cost Savings With Urgent Care Facilities

Urgent care centers are cheaper to visit than emergency rooms. Over the last couple of decades, the cost of visiting an emergency room has skyrocketed. Even with insurance, a single visit is to an ER can cost several hundreds of dollars. Some insurance plans even require that you make an initial copayment of $500 or more to visit an emergency room. Instead of paying ER prices, getting medical attention through an urgent care clinic can save you a significant amount of money. And extra money in your pocket is always nice to have!

Overcrowded Waiting Rooms

Emergency rooms are often overcrowded. Also, due to so many people seeking treatment for illnesses and injuries, ERs usually do not have enough space for everyone. This is often why you can wait in an ER for hours before you see a doctor. The staff might be waiting for a bed or a room to open up from another patient so they can see you. It might be best to only visit an emergency room when it truly is a dire emergency, and you cannot get medical assistance elsewhere.

Faster Treatment

Something else to consider is the time needed to wait for treatment. Emergency rooms are notorious for having long wait times just to see a doctor. You can often wait several hours in the waiting room and spend countless hours waiting for tests to be done. However, in an urgent care facility, you can often be seen in less than an hour and have tests done. Urgent care clinics can often have you seen by a doctor and given a treatment plan in less than an hour. Urgent care facilities can help you get back to your life quicker and minimize the time you spend waiting for much needed medical care.

Who Has The Best Care?

The care and treatment provided at urgent care clinics are very similar to those obtained in emergency rooms. Many urgent care locations can do everything from providing routine lab tests to administering vaccinations. Furthermore, almost eighty percent of urgent care clinics can give you an x-ray to determine if you or a loved one has broken bones. And some of the urgent care clinics that are extremely tech-savvy have MRI machines. It seems clear that urgent care clinics now have access to some of the latest technology and stay on the cutting edge of medicine to provide better patient care.

Well-Staffed With Doctors and Nurses

And last but not least, urgent care clinics have the appropriate staffing needed to provide you with quality medical care. They have multiple physicians and nurses on staff to assist patients with a variety of medical needs. Because the staffing levels are better, doctors can spend more time with their patients explaining the prescribed treatment plan and the benefits of the new medication. Additionally, doctors are urgent care clinics frequently have several years of medical practice experience. They are experts in their fields and enjoy working with a wide array of patients. You get the benefits of the experience and expertise needed to treat your medical condition.

So next time you need medical treatment after hours, consider visiting an urgent care center. In doing so, you could free up a bed at the emergency room for a patient who might really need it. You can also save yourself time and money by seeking medical services in an urgent care clinic close to home that has your needs in mind.