When trouble strikes, it doesn’t tend to call around first and make an appointment. Accidents, likewise, don’t present the common courtesy of giving warning before they hit.
When the problems that strike you come from out of nowhere, the help you need has to be ready at a moments notice. That’s why urgent care clinics have been gaining popularity in the past 15 years.
Reports show that urgent cares face almost double the traffic of ERs (103 to 57 visits per 1000 people). Not all care is the same. Seek out the best qualities in urgent care by following our handy guide.
Urgent care clinics with a network have the opportunity to provide better service faster. They have access to specialists and can easily shift your medical records to the places you need to go.
Integrated connections between multiple clinics provide a better quality of care by marshaling resources further but making them available where they are needed.
Like any business, the best urgent cares work to stay competitive. In the medical profession this follows a two -fold path.
One, they want to be able to provide a top level of care. Two, they also want to offer rates and values to stand out.
How do they confront challenges and how well do they meet needs in times of crisis? Check out patient reviews to hear from other patients how their care was approached.
Up to date training and equipment fall in this category. You want to find an urgent care that uses the latest techniques and equipment to ensure accuracy and faster results on tests.
Nothing slows a recovery quite like settling for older standards of care.
Nobody likes to be treated like a number or get lost in the shuffle. When looking for an urgent care nearby, you want to know they have the personnel to handle your situation. However, you also want to know that one person is connected to your issues personally.
Look for a clinic that will give you a strong sense of personal contact and accountability.
doing a job right the first time means saving money on doing it a second time. A cost-effective 24-hour urgent care knows how to provide value without cutting corners. With the bottom 50% of people spending only $276 a year on medical care, those funds have to stretch.
Large overheads in the medical industry get passed to patients. Urgent cares which practice strong cross-training and low hand-offs can deliver value as an all-in-one rather than an assembly line mentality.
Being open and available aren’t the high water marks for urgent care. Those are the bare minimums expected of the model.
You want to know that you can be seen within 15 minutes of arrival. Clinics that can deliver that have the right combination of the qualities listed above. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to deliver on this industry standard of care.
Not all emergencies come from accidents or involve the literal risk of life and death. Being able to see a doctor quickly so you can go to work, get to school, or function for the day are all important.
Don’t wait until a critical failure to reach out. Contact us for an appointment and see how we deliver the best qualities in urgent care.