There are many reasons to visit a local urgent care, but the time you can save when you or someone in your family needs care from a doctor is arguably one of the best. The time between the realization that you need to see a doctor and the time you actually get that care can be longer than you’d like, especially if you opt to visit an emergency room or to vie for an appointment with a family physician. To ensure you or your family and friends get the care you need to relieve discomfort as soon as possible, consider a visit to an urgent care facility. While the advantages of urgent care are numerous, it’s not difficult to see why many people choose a local urgent care for time considerations, whether it’s wait time or hours of operation.
One of the advantages of urgent care is wait time. In fact, about 60% of all urgent care centers have a less than 15-minute wait to see a doctor or mid-level provider. A survey by The Urgent Care Association of America shows that a whopping 57% of patients wait 15 minutes or less to be seen. And, because being able to see a doctor when you need one is important, 65% of local urgent care centers have a doctor on site at all times. Did you know that 80% of all local urgent care visits last an hour or less? That means the odds are in your favor to get care from a doctor at an urgent care facility in less time than it takes to cook dinner!
In addition to short wait times, another one of the advantages of urgent care is the hours of operation. Over half of urgent care centers open before 9:00 am local time on weekdays. Perhaps more importantly, 45.7% of local urgent care centers open early on Saturday as well and 31.1% do so on Sunday. That means even if you wake up early with the unhappy realization that you don’t feel well, you have a viable option in an urgent care center.
Don’t worry if your medical needs take place after regular business hours. Almost all urgent care providers stay open well after 5:00 pm. In fact, over 90% allow you to get care until 7:00 pm or later, and some urgent care centers even take patients to see a doctor until 9:00 pm or later. Check to see when your local urgent care center is open for business to know what your options are for care, especially if you find yourself in need of a doctor after hours.
So, next time you think you or your family are in need of an urgent care facility, consider the time benefits of a local urgent care. Whether you are on vacation and find yourself in need of care or it’s a random Tuesday and you feel yourself coming down with a scratchy throat, consider the advantages of urgent care. You may find that you can see a doctor or mid-level provider in a short amount of time, even without an appointment, and receive great care for your ills.