Urgent care clinics can be found just about anywhere in the United States. Most towns will have at least one if not more, and many are now open all week long. These urgent care clinics are staffed with trained medical professionals that meet with thousands of patients every day. It’s estimated that 3 million patients visit urgent care each week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America. These clinics provide a variety of important medical services for their patients and this article will take a look at a few of them.

• Sports Physicals: One medical service that these clinics can provide is sports physicals. These are examinations that must be taken if someone wishes to participate in sports on a professional level. For example, if your child wants to join the basketball team, they would have to take a sports physical to make sure there are no underlying health problems that would make it a problem. Sports physicals generally don’t take that long, and since an appointment isn’t necessary, they can be taken at a time that works best for you.
• STD Testing and HIV Testing: Another medical service that urgent care clinics can provide is testing for STDs and HIV. Due to the nature of these diseases, being infected with any of them can have life-altering consequences, both for you and your partner, so it is vital to get tested right away if you even suspect you’ve been infected with one of these sexually transmitted diseases. The sooner you can get tested, the sooner you can know if there are extra steps you need to take to protect your health.
• X-Rays for Fractured and Broken Bones: A third medical service that urgent care clinics can provide are X-rays for potentially fractured or broken bones. Accidents happen that lead to injured bones every single day, and if you suspect that this type of injury has occurred, you should go to urgent care as soon as possible to get the injured area X-rayed. If an injury is detected, the medical professionals can begin the treatment process.
• Flu Shots: A fourth medical service that urgent care clinics can provide is the annual flu shot. These are always important, as the flu shot provides one of the best opportunities to avoid catching the flu during flu season. Once the shot is available, patients can come in at any time to receive the shot and be on their way afterward.
• Treatment of Cold and Flu Symptoms: And finally, a fifth medical service that urgent care clinics can provide is treatment of cold and flu symptoms. Upper respiratory conditions are one of the most common diagnosis in an urgent care center, which means that many times medical professionals working in these clinics see patients with some variety of the cold or the flu. If you have any of these symptoms, medical professionals at the clinic can examine you and provide treatment to get you on the way to getting better.

In conclusion, there are a number of medical services that urgent care clinics can provide. These services include: sports physicals, STD and HIV testing, X-rays for fractured and broken bones, flu shots, and treatment of cold and flu symptoms. These are just a few of the medical services that an urgent care clinic can provide for patients.