Top Services You Can Get from Urgent Care

Often times, individuals do not think of an urgent care as a place to go when they need service beyond that of immediate medical service. An emergency room is often best for those life-threatening events and a doctor's office is best for colds or checkups. However, these near-immediate facilities can actually provide a range of services for those that need them, including a significant number of simple tasks that do not need to be done in an expensive hospital or doctor's office.

Ways to Use Them Wisely

An urgent care center can provide a range of services to individuals. Each one is different. It is important to contact the facility to find out if they offer the service you need and to determine if your insurance coverage, if you have it, applies. However, many facilities now offer the following and other health services in many local areas.

- Lab work - Instead of waiting for a hospital to have an available time, you can get most lab work done onsite of these facilities. In some cases, it can be done while you wait for it.

- Travel medicine - If you are planning to travel out of the country, you can use these services to get the types of vaccines you need to have prior to going there. Find out from the local health department what you need when traveling or ask the facility itself to provide you with guidance.

- X-rays - Many facilities now provide digital x-rays at these facilities as well. If you are concerned that you may have broken a bone or your primary care doctor wants you to have x-rays for something else, these facilities can do it right away with little wait. Unlike a hospital setting that may take significantly longer you can get in and get out quickly.

- Physicals - If you need a physical for a sport, school or work related activity, these facilities can provide it for you. You can often get camp physicals here, too. It takes just a few minutes to get them.

- Adults and Children - Most facilities also provide services to both adults and children. If your child is not feeling well, you can bring him or her into the medical facility for treatment or for any of the above listed services.

An urgent care is just that - a way to get the medical attention you need right away even if it is not an emergency. Use them to fill in the gaps of your doctor's office, or to avoid the high costs of a hospital setting. Often times, this level of care is stellar.