We often associate urgent care with last minute health check ups or minor emergencies. While serious emergencies need to be reserved for the emergency room, an urgent care center can typically help people who are dealing with a variety of issues, including worrying fevers or sprained ankles. You don’t necessarily need to be facing an unexpected health issue in order to visit an urgent care clinic. Many people are looking to urgent care centers for other services, considering the high level of service that they provide, the qualifications of the professionals on staff, and the relative affordability of their services.
Right now, it’s been estimated that 75% of all urgent care clinics have a family care specialist on staff, while 47% of them have an emergency medicine specialist on staff. What does this mean for you? How can you get family practice care at an urgent care center?
What is a Family Practice Specialist?
Firstly, what does it mean for an urgent care center to have a family practice specialist on staff? What does a family practice specialist do? A family practice doctor is meant to provide care to people of all ages. On the other hand, a pediatrician would provide care to children only. They provide a more general type of care. This means that they can address things like chronic illness or injuries as well as preventative care. They can also offer referrals to specialists when necessary. It can be difficult to get in touch with a specialist without a referral, so even having a family practice specialist on hand for these issues is important.
Why Should I Visit A Family Practice Specialist At An Urgent Care Center?
While you could potentially see a family practice specialist outside of an urgent care center, there are a lot of benefits to seeing family practice specialists at urgent care centers. For one thing, it’s often easier to get in to see a doctor at an urgent care center, while you may not be able to do so for weeks or even months at a private practice. For another, it can be difficult for people with limited or no insurance to see doctors at private practices.
Inquire as to whether your local urgent care center has a family practice specialist. You may be surprised by the answer!
