7 Tips for a Better Trip to the Urgent Care Facility

 

Many people have found themselves in need of medical care at night or on the weekend. For years, the only place a person could go on Saturday afternoon or after work on a Wednesday was the hospital emergency room. These places are more suited for cases which may result in hospitalization. With the advent of the urgent care facility. These are places people can go when they need health care right away but it is not an emergency.

1. Make sure you know where your local urgent care facility is. Since the 1980s, walk in urgent care clinics have been popping up all over the nation. While it is unlikely that you are not near an urgent care facility, being lost is even less fun when you are ill or injured. Before you head out to get treatment, make sure you know where the medical clinic is.
2. Talk to your insurance provider. The care you receive at an urgent care facility is much less expensive than the care you get at an emergency room. Because of this, most insurance carriers encourage their members to go to them when they have a medical problem that cannot wait until the doctor’s office has opened. That does not mean you should assume your health insurance plan covers care at urgent care centers. Call them before you head to a clinic.
3. Decide what kind of care you need. Not all problems need the kind of care provided in a hospital setting but some do. If you think you may end up in the hospital, the emergency room is where you need to go. If you can get in touch with your primary care doctor’s office, they can tell you where you need to be treated. If you go to an urgent care center, you will be seen by a trained medical professional who will be able to determine where you need to be treated.
4. Take a trusted friend or family member. While it is true that going to an urgent care facility is a lot less stressful than going to the hospital, it is nice to have someone with you. They can keep you calmer and drive you to and from the center. If you are uncomfortable for them to be in the room when you talk with your doctor, you can ask them to step out.
5. Bring records of your treatment along with you. At the very least, you should have a list of the medications and over the counter drugs you are taking. Be sure to include any herbal or vitamin supplements you are taking as they can cause interactions with medications you are given at the urgent care center. You also need to make the staff aware of any allergies you have, ant and all medical procedures you have undergone and the like. The more information you can provide the people working with you, the better.
6. Consider writing down everything they tell you. It can be hard to remember everything you are told when you are talking with medical personnel about your problem. This is one reason to consider bringing in your friend or family member. If you are uncomfortable with that, you should write as much down as you can. Human memory is not perfect. To help you get all of the information they give you, write it all down.
7. Listen to the doctor. Whenever you go to the doctor, you are given advice and, often, some instructions for what you need to do when you leave. The same is true when you go to an urgent care facility. You need to take those instructions as seriously when you are at a walk in clinic as when you are at your personal doctor or at the hospital. Make sure you pay attention and follow through with the advice and instructions you are given.

Going to an urgent care facility is infinitely less stressful than going to an emergency room. It also takes a fraction of the time. Having said all of that, being prepared before you go can make the whole experience a lot better.