If you’re considering going to an urgent care center for a wide array of medical issues, you are far from alone. After all, the data backs up the growing numbers of people all throughout the United States attending walk in clinics and the like. As a matter of fact, up to three million people go to urgent care locations throughout the course of a single week, a number that is only continuing to rise as time passes on. In addition to this, there are now even up to 20,000 doctors and even more medical professionals employed at these walk-in clinics, showing that the average medical walk in clinic will be able to provide a high standard of care.
And provide a high standard of care it does. For instance, doctors working at the average medical clinic will be able to handle a wide array of different injuries. Ankle sprains are hugely common, with up to 25,000 of them occurring over the course of a single day. With more urgent care clinics open than ever before, it makes sense that many an ankle sprain case would be seen throughout the day, the week, and so on and so forth in these locations. And even more serious injuries, such as fractures, can also be attended to in a typical walk-in clinic location. After all, more than three quarters (around 80%, to be just a bit more specific) of all urgent care locations are able to provide fracture diagnosis and care to at least some extent. Being able to get such fracture care in an urgent care setting is certainly something that will benefit a great many people all throughout the country, as ours is a country where medical costs, especially those associated with emergency room settings, are quite immensely high indeed.
In addition to providing treatment for a wide variety of injuries, various forms of testing can also be offered in the typical urgent care location. For instance, DOT physical testing is widely conducted, as DOT physical testing is often a must for many people who are starting new jobs or the like. DOT physical testing can be conducted quickly and inexpensively, and the vast majority of all urgent care locations will be able to provide DOT physical testing. And as important as DOT physical testing is for many people, DOT physical testing is far from the only form of testing regularly conducted in a space such as an urgent care center. In addition to DOT physical testing, TB testing is also often important. Much like DOT physical testing, it can even be required before beginning a new job – and can easily be accessed in walk in clinics throughout the country.
And even aside from wound repair and DOT physical testing (and all other forms of testing that might be offered at the urgent care center nearest you), most urgent care centers have even more to offer. For one thing, preventative care in the form of the flu shot can be obtained from most urgent care locations. Flu shots are very much important for as many people to get as is possible, as contracting the flu is a serious thing and can lead to very serious complications indeed. As a matter of fact, most people do not even realize how very serious getting the flu is, instead erroneously thinking of it as a slightly more serious form of the common cold. Unfortunately, this is far from true and the flu is something that kills many people throughout the course of the season, and hospitalizes even more. But while the flu shot is not 100%, getting it can seriously reduce your chances of contracting the flu at any given point in time. In fact, getting the flu shot can even help you to fight off the flu, should you still get it at some point down the road.
At the end of the day, from DOT physical testing to flu shots to getting a sprained ankle treated, there are many good reasons to go to your typical urgent care location in the United States.