Accidents, injuries, and sickness happen every day. Fortunately, you can handle some of these incidents with the first aid products you have on hand. Other incidents may need medical intervention. While your first thoughts may be a trip to the Emergency Room is in order, there are other options in your community. Your local urgent care clinic may be the best place to go. The doctors can address most of your issues, but the clinic offers several other advantages over the Emergency Room. Here are a few of them.

Speed of Care

Have you ever been to the Emergency Room and sat for numerous hours after being triaged? Or have you been placed in a room where you lay for an extended period without being seen? Unfortunately, these are often everyday occurrences in many hospital Emergency Rooms. These locations are often overwhelmed by the number of patients waiting for care. 

Urgent care centers can see you quickly. Even if you have to wait for a short time, it will be nowhere close to the wait you could experience in the ER. You can get in, be seen, and be back on your way home. 

Same Services

Not only will you be seen faster at an urgent care center, but you can also receive many of the same services you will get at the hospital. Most urgent care centers can handle everyday accidents, injuries, and illnesses.

Many locations can provide x-rays, testing, and even casting if needed. If the doctors at urgent care feel you need a higher level of care than they can provide, they will send you to the ER,

Cost Effective

Even if you have major medical insurance, the ER can be costly. Many co-pays are several hundreds of dollars or a percentage of the cost of your care. The co-pays at urgent care clinics are usually only a small percentage of what you pay at the ER. 

Less Exposure

When you sit in the ER, you are exposed to everything the people around you have. Unfortunately, you may be exposed to many infectious respiratory conditions this time of year. Exposure to these airborne particles could have you leaving the ER more ill than when you arrived. 

Urgent care clinics handle a much smaller number of patients. You are also not sitting in the waiting room for extended periods. Both factors mean you have a much lower risk of exposure to nasty germs. The next time you need medical care, consider your local urgent care provider.