For a simple cough or cold that is causing you extreme discomfort, the idea of sitting in an emergency room for hours may seem daunting and simply not worth it. However, until recently this was the only option for many of us struggling with irritating ailments when we could not make it to the doctors office in time. Luckily, there are modern emergency room alternatives that bring you healthcare on your schedule, quickly and with ease.
After hours urgent care centers allow for walk in doctors appointments, and offer many of the services your general practitioner does without having to make an appointment. This is a life saver for many busy individuals that simply cannot escape their jobs or busy lifestyles during business hours. Local urgent care centers are popping up all over the country, and providing many individuals with immediate relief for non-life threatening ailments and pain.
Urgent care centers in the United States generate an astounding $14 billion in revenue each year. Also, an estimated three million patients visit urgent care centers each week in the United States. The CDC found that 48% of emergency room visits were made by patients that were not sick enough to be admitted to the hospital, but simply could not make it to their doctors office in time. With these facts provided, there is no wonder why the urgent care industry is one of the largest growing healthcare segments in the country.
With emergency room visits in the United States reaching an estimated 110 million annually, there is no wonder that one waits hours on end in the waiting room during their E.R. trip. New emergency room alternatives such as urgent care offer services like X-rays, antibiotics, pain medication, and other healthcare services during non-office hours. This saves many individuals a world of grief and discomfort when they can’t find the time to make it to their doctors office.
Thousands of urgent care centers in the United States are open twenty four hours a day, meaning that patients can walk in at any time, day or night. Next time you have a simple illness such as a cough or cold, or are experiencing discomfort, look online for urgent care centers, and other emergency room alternatives available near you. Don’t wait for hours on end at the emergency room simply to receive an antibiotic or an X-ray. An urgent care center will get you in to see a doctor right when you walk in the door, and all the time consuming hassle of visiting the emergency room will be erased from your day. More research here.