| While most physicians are able to carry out | | | | such institution that provides fellowship and |
| routine diagnostic checks of patients and | | | | residency training is the Urgent Care |
| suggest suitable treatments, there are times | | | | Association of America.The basic difference |
| when either the unavailability of a physician | | | | between urgent care centers and physicians? |
| or the lack of medical infrastructural | | | | clinics is that the former do not consider |
| facilities requires a patient to seek instant | | | | their patients as "long term" records or |
| care elsewhere. If the problem is not so | | | | visitors because almost all of them are |
| serious as to call for immediate | | | | walk-in patients whose need is for immediate |
| hospitalization and intensive or advanced | | | | care when their regular physicians are not |
| medical supervision, an urgent care clinic | | | | accessible. The latter have to keep medical |
| can be an effective option. Similar to a | | | | records of their patients because it is |
| hospital but not as comprehensive as to | | | | possible that a patient may seek the advice |
| include all forms of treatment, especially | | | | and treatment of a particular physician for |
| during moments requiring critical care, an | | | | the entire duration of his or her life. This |
| urgent care clinic is able to provide | | | | is why the former have "episodic" patients |
| treatment, especially at times when a | | | | while the latter have "established" patients. |
| physician's clinic is closed for the day.An | | | | Urgent care is appropriate for injuries of a |
| urgent care center or clinic is also useful | | | | magnitude higher than generally seen in a |
| when the scope of treatment is outside a | | | | primary care physician's office. For the |
| physician's normal procedure. For instance, a | | | | public, urgent care acts as an "overflow |
| physician may not possess the required | | | | outlet" when it's difficult or almost |
| technical equipment to undertake X-ray | | | | impossible to get an appointment at the local |
| procedures or blood tests while an urgent | | | | physician's clinic.Urgent care is advisable |
| care clinic would be equipped to handle such | | | | when a person experiences chest pain; severe |
| tasks. Another advantage is that urgent care | | | | abdominal pain; difficulty in breathing; |
| clinics almost always work around the clock, | | | | sudden dizziness; numbness in the face, arm |
| and it is a known fact that illnesses often | | | | or leg; severe headache; deep cuts; bleeding |
| come to the fore during the night hours. It | | | | that will not stop; severe burns; and |
| follows then that the rise in demand for | | | | seizures at a time when a physician is not |
| urgent care clinics has subsequently led to a | | | | available. However, many urgent care centers |
| spurt in the need for specialized personnel | | | | also have Medicare facilities for minor |
| who can man the varied duties required in | | | | injuries and illnesses such as sprains, |
| such clinics. Those who opt to work in urgent | | | | broken bones, back problems, cuts without |
| care centers have to be equipped with the | | | | profuse bleeding, earaches, severe sore |
| attitude and skills to perform jobs | | | | throat or cough, urinary tract infections, |
| efficiently and without loss in time. One | | | | etc. |