Most people would prefer going to their own primary care physician rather than someone with whom they’re not acquainted. Nevertheless, Americans still tend to go to the hospital emergency room for issues that aren’t severe enough to admit them. After hours urgent care is a solution for health issues and injuries that aren’t life-threatening.
Urgent care facilities have a much-shorter waiting period and cost considerably less than a traditional hospital emergency room visit. According to the “Medical Expenditure Panel Survey,” the average cost for an emergency room visit can be $1,318.00. Furthermore, the waiting period can be as much as an hour or even longer. From 2003 to 2009, for example, the average time it took to receive emergency room medical attention rose from 46.5 minutes to 58.1 minutes for issues that weren’t life-threatening.
There are a variety of mental and physical health issues that can be treated at a local family health clinic. This includes depression and other mental health issues that the elderly may experience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the rates for depression with older adults can range from 3% to 13.5%, so it is important for them to see a professional that can assist them with these and other issues.
Individuals that are experiencing memory loss and dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s disease, can also receive care at a medical walk in clinic. Recent data shows that roughly 1 out of every 20 adults over the age of 65 experience some type of memory loss. It’s also been shown that there are approximately 30 million individuals throughout the world that suffer from dementia.
When someone believes that they have a sexually-transmitted disease (STD), or has been informed by a sexual partner that they may have contracted an STD, there are STD testing centers available. It’s important to note when people visit these STD testing centers, that they are anonymous. Furthermore, these tests are usually free at many STD testing centers.
Another medical issue of concern is skin cancer, which can also be evaluated at a community health clinic. Since 1975, skin cancer rates have actually tripled. While there are a variety of reasons for this, the data shows that this is due to tanning and the protective ozone layer’s depletion. Sun damage also accounts for approximately 80% of skin aging, according to doctors. The sun can contribute more to skin damage than dehydration, inadequate sleep, and smoking.
Since after-hours urgent care and medical walk-in clinics are available to address these and other health concerns, it makes sense to choose this welcome alternative to traditional hospital emergency room visits. When someone does have a life-threatening issue, however, it is vital that they do visit a hospital emergency room. In the event that they do visit an urgent care facility first, the physicians on staff will be able to determine whether or not they should be at the hospital.