Urgent care clinics are becoming the new trend in the medical industry. According to the Urgent Care Association of America, there are about 9,000 in the U.S. today. With the rising costs of care and insurance premiums, people are constantly seeking alternative options to visiting their primary care physician. While walk in medical clinics are generally thought of as places to go instead of a hospital in the event of an emergency, they can also be great places to get a flu shot. More and more urgent care centers are offering this service and patients are beginning to take advantage. Here are three reasons why you should think about doing the same.
1.) Speed: One of the primary goals of these centers is efficiency. They don’t want long line and people waiting around in the office. On average a center will see 342 patients every week. That’s a lot of people in and out, but they manage to do so at a pretty astounding rate. The average wait time for 69% of centers is under 20 minutes. The last thing you want to do when going in to get a flu shot is spend an hour waiting. At an urgent care clinic that most certainly won’t be the case.
2.) Cost: Because of their efficient nature, the costs are typically lower at urgent care clinics. For the same diagnosis you will spend on average more than $300 more going to a doctor’s office or hospital than an urgent care center. While the flu shot is typically the same price regardless of location, it’s worth it to call around and find out. Chances are if anything it will be cheaper at these locations.
3.) Convenience: The greatest benefit these clinics can offer is the convenience. Most are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They’re also located all over the country, so no matter where you live the odds are good there will be one near you. Even if you’re on vacation or visiting relatives and you decide it’s time to get a flu shot you can walk right in and get vaccinated.