If you’re uninsured or need medical care in a pinch, looking up a nearby free walk in clinic by you is a smart move. In fact, you may not know it, but there are plenty of places that offer medical care if you can’t get to your physician or don’t have one. For more serious medical concerns — i.e.: not a check-up, immunization, or physical, but something that does need to be checked out immediately — urgent care is a great place to head, instead of the emergency room. There are also STD testing clinics, mobile health clinics, and community health clinics that can offer medical support when you need it. And though having a doctor is always advisable, as they’re the ones who can track your medical history and have a more holistic view of your health, in a pinch, a free walk in clinic or urgent care center can be just the thing you need.
What Services Does a Free Walk In Clinic Provide?
If you’re feeling a little under the weather, visiting a free walk in clinic can help. They can treat colds, sore throats, giving you that annual flu shot you should be getting, as well as screen for things like diabetes and cholesterol. They can take your blood pressure levels, handle minor cuts or other wounds, help with asthma, and administer necessary vaccinations.
A walk in clinic offers an easy, convenient, and eminently affordable way to get healthcare for the little things. Unlike a doctor’s office, you don’t need an appointment, and these clinics often boast extended hours and are open on the weekends and holidays, and are staffed by medical professionals (usually licensed nurse practitioners).
When Should I Go to Urgent Care?
If you have a condition that’s a bit more serious — for example, excessive vomiting or diarrhea, broken bones, high fever — you might want to forsake a walk in clinic for urgent care. Urgent care facilities are usually staffed by a physician and can prescribe antibiotics and order lab tests. They also usually have more sophisticated equipment, like an X-ray machine.
You should definitely visit urgent care if you have a condition that needs to be treated or handled within 24 hours, but isn’t life-threatening. If you’re displaying symptoms of heart attack or stroke or have severe injuries, you should head immediately to the emergency room.
Similar to a walk in clinic, you don’t need to schedule an appointment with an urgent care facility and they do accept most forms of insurance, should you have it. There may be an associated co-pay, but overall, the costs of visiting urgent care are certain to be much lower than going to the emergency room.
Urgent care also usually has longer hours than a doctor’s office and are generally open on weekends and some holidays, so they’re accessible when you need their care. The wait times to be seen at urgent care are also much shorter than with a doctor’s office or the emergency room, so you can get in and out.
When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Go to the Emergency Room
As mentioned above, if you have a life-threatening emergency, you should head directly to the emergency room. These are generally pretty clear cut. For example, chest pain that won’t go away, your baby’s high fever, any pregnancy-related concerns, or serious burns or broken bones need to be treated at an emergency room.
A medical condition that’s urgent, but could be treated by your regular doctor, could most likely be taken to urgent care. For example, something like a UTI (urinary tract infection), minor trauma, mononucleosis, or skin rashes could all be treated easily at urgent care.
Being able to ascertain where to go can help reduce overcrowding in hospitals and save you an agonizingly long wait time and hefty emergency room costs.
Current data shows that the United States needs over 50,000 more primary care physicians by the year 2025 to keep up with our healthcare needs in this country. Being able to rely on other types of clinics or centers can help alleviate some of the strain.
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