Urgent Care is Playing an Expanding Role in America’s Healthcare

Whenever you suffer from minor conditions like a headache, a cut, or a sprain, you reach out to over-the-counter medications to get well.

But for a sore throat that does not go away, or an ear infection, or even flu, you need urgent care.

The best bet in such situations is to go to Arlington doctors office where you get immediate attention.

No appointment needed. And the best part is you will be seen in less than half an hour.

Urgent care settings are now a growing trend in the United States.

Since the time when the first walk-in opened about 37 years ago, scores of Urgent Care Centers (UCCs) have mushroomed across the country.

People have found such clinics convenient to get treated for sore throats, bladder infections, minor burns, allergies, asthma, flu, and fever.

More than 9000 walk-in centers today are bridging the gap between family physicians and hospitals.

Convenience is the primary reason why people go there.

“I got an antibiotic for my infected throat in-house. So, there was no any need for a prescription”, says an apparel retailer based in Maryland.

Urgent care centers being open beyond office hours, and their extent and services are broader than typical primary care physician’s clinics.

In some ways, UCCs are similar to hospital emergency departments but have the advantage of being staffed by a good number of family physicians.

A compelling reason for people to go to an urgent care center is it is a cost effective alternative to hospitals, and it provides good care too.

The popularity can be gauged from the fact that the market share for this type of business is expected to touch over $30 billion by 2025.

A doctor at an urgent care in Arlington VA says, “Apart from various obvious advantages, growing medical coverage is also propelling the urgent care market”.

With the mushrooming of a large number of UCCs across the country, it has become essential for people to understand which provider to choose for high quality care and follow-up, if needed.

Here are a few queries for which you must seek answers.

• Is the center certified by meeting certain standards?
• Does it accept private insurance?
• Is it affiliated with a healthcare system and is able to closely interact with your primary care doctor to optimize your treatment?
• Can your children be treated in the center?
• Does it provide laboratory services and X-rays?

A good center like the Arlington doctors office can go a long way in meeting your family’s urgent care needs.