You hated to make the phone call, but the fact that you felt as if you were struggling for every breathe that you took was more than an indicator that you needed to go in to one of the local clinics. You always struggle when you have to fly, but this time after a trip to Utah to go skiing you with your husband, the return home has been more than rough. Your husband, of course, is out of town. He left the morning after you flew home, and with two small children it is never easy to get in when you need to see a doctor.
After consulting with one of your physician friends, he suggested that you probably needed to go in and someone listen and look at your chest and lungs. As soon as you put the children to bed, you called your neighbor. You knew when she saw that it was your number she would be prepared to come over. The combination of two kids under the age of four and a husband that travels means that you have called her on a number of occasions. She agreed to come over while you went to one of the closest medical walk in clinics. Your husband was actually only an hour from getting home, but you wanted to get in and get any procedures started that you might need.
Fortunately, just an hour later you left the after hours urgent care with a prescription for a steroid and a report that there was only congestion, not fluid in your lungs, that was causing your discomfort. Your husband made it home before you did, your neighbor returned to her home, and you were able to go to bed without worrying about what was wrong.
When Was the Last Time You Went to a Walk in Health Clinic?
Whether you are a parent wondering if your child needs x-rays for a possible broken bone or you are concerned about yourself, there are many times when the convenience and affordability of a walk in clinic is the perfect solution. The fact that so many of these clinics offer extra hours means that they fit in perfectly with the hectic schedules that so many of us life.
Research indicates that an estimated 3 million patients visit urgent care clinic settings each week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. One of the reasons that these clinics are so popular is that there are currently 20,000 physicians who practice Urgent Care Medicine. Combine that with the fact that 85% of urgent care centers are open seven days a week and you can understand why they are often a better solution than an expensive hospital visit or a difficult to get appointment at a family physician’s office.
Although they treat any number of conditions, the most common diagnosis in an urgent care clinics in 2012 was upper respiratory condition, and the most common procedure was wound repair. In comparison, dizziness is the second most common complaint heard in doctor’s offices, and is a condition that will occur in 70% of the nation’s population at sometime in their lives. In addition, 80% of urgent care centers also provide fracture care.
Even if you have to call the neighbor to come watch the kids, it is often in your best interest to go to one of the local walk in clinics if you are concerned that you have a non emergency medical condition.