What do urgent care centers provide

For a common flu shot , you might not even have to schedule an appointment beforehand. Non-life threatening illnesses: Your neighborhood health clinic is the perfect place to go if you aren't sure whether you have a cold, the flu, or something really scary-sounding that WebMD "diagnosed" for you. These local clinics always have licensed family care physicians or nurse practitioners on hand and they can provide the same quality treatment you'd find in a traditional doctor's office.

Minor physical injuries: Again, the rule of thumb here is that local walk in clinics are ideal for anything that isn't life-threatening. This may include minor burns, lacerations, sprains, or small fractures. School and sports physicals : These "wellness visits" are just as important as emergency medical care! Most walk in clinics allow patients to schedule these appointments in advance, and there are plenty of family practitioners who can provide physical fitness exams for kids and adults.

From the common cold to broken bones, walk in 7 days a week. No appointment needed. They were accessible and staffed by physicians who lived in — and were members of — the neighborhoods they served. If you needed stitches or had a sprained ankle, you could plan a visit to the emergency room with the expectation of receiving prompt, affordable care.

But times have changed. These days, hospital emergency rooms are very busy places. At urgent care centers, you can see a provider without an appointment, just as you would at an ER. You should visit an urgent care center when you need medical attention for an acute illness or injury.

Urgent care centers are usually staffed by physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, radiological technologists, and front desk receptionists.

Their staff can treat fractures, provide IV fluids, and have usually have X-ray and lab processing on-site. Many urgent care centers also provide additional services, such as sports and school physicals, travel vaccinations, and occupational medicine. Over the last 20 years, there has been a growing demand for the valuable and necessary services that urgent care centers provide.

At last count, there are more than 9, urgent care facilities in the United States, with hundreds more opening each year. Dial immediately for any medical problem that appears life-threatening. Some examples of conditions that need emergency medical care include:. Urgent medical conditions are ones that are not considered emergencies but still require care within 24 hours.

The biggest service offered by urgent care facilities is the treatment of common, non life-threatening illnesses and injuries. In general, the things that are treated in urgent care facilities include:. Most urgent care centers offer a variety of lab services to better diagnose and help patients. Lab services may be in conjunction with other treatment procedures, diagnostics, and more.

The laboratory services offered through an urgent care facility are the same type of services that are offered in an emergency room or through your primary care doctor. Specifically, they include the following lab services:. Urgent care centers also offer a variety of routine services for patients. These services can include many preventative or regular items. Some things included in the routine services offered by urgent care facilities are:. Sometimes, you may not know exactly what is wrong.