The only good thing about getting injured during the first quarter of the school year is the extra availability of care options. On most Friday nights and Saturday mornings during high school football season in many parts of the country, local health providers run free sports clinics for athletes. With a waiting room to handle the football players with possible concussions, the volleyball players with broken fingers, and cross country runners with sprained ankles, these free clinics offer athletes some immediate answers.
Often accompanied with the typical physical exam and x-rays many of these appointments are a relief to the athletes themselves, as well as their parents and coached. Even if the news is bad, all of the involved parties usually appreciate finding out what is going on instead of having to anxiously wait through the weekend before learning their fate. Finding out on Friday night, or first thing Saturday morning, that ice and rest are all that is needed may be the best news, but even leaving with a cast provides an answer that might be easier to digest over the weekend.
Changing Roles of Health Clinics Provide Increased Opportunities for Patients
Many of the things that Americans think that they have known about health care are changing. A primary care physician and long waits to see that doctor may become less common as the nation’s health care system adjusts to an increased number of Americans with access to insurance. From pediatric emergency rooms to physical therapy options, many providers are looking for more convenient way to offer the services that patients need the most. And while the word clinic may have painted one image a decade ago, the image of today’s pediatric emergency room clinics and other services continue to change.
Because ankle care is a frequent case seen in many medical clinics, 80% if urgent care centers now provide fracture care. Although some cases are extreme enough warrant a trip to a pediatric emergency room, many cases can be handled at a walk in clinic setting. Instead of worrying about where to go for treatments, however, patients should see these new choices as opportunities to select exactly what kind of care you want.
Patient Care Remains a Priority for the Best Clinics
Although your grandparents may have been willing to wait for hours in a waiting room and the patient room before seeing the doctor, you do not have to. The decision of where you go for the health care services that you need no longer has to follow the same schedule as the limited hours of a doctor’s office. The fact that 85% of urgent care settings are open 24 hours means that the days of crowded patient waiting rooms may soon become a thing of the past.
An increased number of people with access to medical care means that the entire nation is looking at ways to administer this care in the most efficient and affordable ways. The decision to offer health care in a variety of settings appears to be in the best interest of everyone involved. Including the physicians themselves. Statistics that show a decreasing number of doctors graduating from medical schools further indicate the need for rethinking the current health care platform.
A pediatric emergency room, for instance, may want to function in conjunction with a larger hospital and provider. Placing an emergency room near an attached pharmacy can also increase patient satisfaction and provider convenience.
In addition to providing care to people with insurance for the first time, the health care system is also working to provide future care for a growing number of aging patients. As an example, by the year 2030, 60% of the Baby Boomer generation will be managing some kind of a chronic condition. This combination of more people who are older and the expected number of chronic conditions means that the current health care system will not be able to handle these challenges.
When was the last time that you needed health care for someone in your family? Was it late on a Friday night after a football game? No matter when your family needs medical care, the medical industry is continuing to offer more and more options.