Are you ever faced with the decision of whether an illness or injury requires you to visit your local urgent care or the closest emergency room? If so, you aren’t alone. Thousands of Americans face this decision every day, especially now that we are entering cold and flu season. The good news is that now, hybrid models exist that actually house an urgent care and emergency room under one roof so you do not have to make the decision at all! Below are a few of the reasons that these hybrid type medical offices are really increasing in popularity:
1. Variety of Treatment Options – The main reason that patients find themselves asking whether they should choose to visit an urgent care vs. an emergency room is the kind of illness or injury they are facing. Many people assume that all urgent cares are just equipped to handle minor injuries and illnesses, when in reality many urgent care clinics can do far more. For instance, an urgent care physician treats injury and illnesses that may require x-rays, blood work, or other types of testing and they can do so if their location has the equipment. With the hybrid urgent care and emergency room model, patients can be sure that they are not going to be turned away for lack of treatment options, if an urgent care doctor can’t help, you’ll just go down the hall to the emergency room physicians!
2. Convenience of One Stop – Over 50 percent of all emergency room visits could have been treated in an urgent care facility, which means that those patients are waiting longer and paying more money for no reason at all. That is just another reason that the hybrid model that houses an urgent care and emergency room facility under one roof is a great option for you and your family. Rather than driving to an emergency room only to find out that your illness or injury should really be treated somewhere else will not happen to you anymore with the hybrid model. Physicians at these locations treats injury and illness of all types!
3. Speed of Care – One of the main reasons that people love urgent care clinics is that they are fast! In fact, over 60 percent of all urgent care centers have a wait time of less than 15 minutes! That is nothing compared to the hours that people wait in emergency rooms every single day. The emergency room numbers are not surprising when faced with the reality that there are over 100 million people visiting emergency rooms every single year. Urgent Care/Emergency Room hybrid facilities are the best of both worlds, especially with the wait times!
The next time you are looking for the right place that treats injury and illness that you or your loved ones are facing don’t forget to check around for local urgent care/emergency room hybrid facilities. They provide a variety of treatment options, can save you from driving all over the city, and are quicker and more affordable than typical medical centers. What have you got to lose?