By Exercise Tips 
Urgent care centers generally share the same or similar characteristics. They are open a great deal of hours, generally from 7am to 7pm. They see patients on a walk-in basis, without the need for patients to make an appointment. They treat people who have immediate health conditions, which can include many things.
There are some statistics associated with urgent care centers. These include the number of people that go to urgent care facilities. These include the number of physicians that practice urgent care medicine. These include how many urgent care centers are open seven days a week. And they include the most common diagnosis in an urgent care center.
- An estimated 3 million patients visit them each week, according to the Urgent Care Association of America.
- There are currently 20,000 physicians who practice Urgent Care Medicine today.
- 85% of urgent care centers are open seven days a week.
- The most common diagnosis in an urgent care center was upper respiratory condition, and the most common procedure was wound repair in 2012.
- Four out of five urgent care centers provide fracture care.
There are many conditions and illnesses and ailments that are treated in urgent care centers. They can include broken bones, lacerations, bronchitis, influenza, strep throat, the common cold, ankle sprains, dizziness, burns, itchy eyes, issues with skin like rashes, warts, athlete’s foot, fungus infections, and more.
There are some statistics available that show how prevalent some of these cases are in the urgent care facilities around the United States. They show what the most common complaint in doctor’s offices are and how prevalent certain types of ankle injuries are. They also show a common complaint that is more prevalent with people who are older.
- Dizziness is the second most common complaint heard in doctor’s offices, and will occur in 70% of the nation’s population at sometime in their lives.
- It has been estimated that 65% of individuals older than 60 years of age experience dizziness or loss of balance, often on a daily basis.
- Reports estimate that 25,000 Americans suffer from an ankle sprain each day.
- More than 80% of ankle sprains are a result of inversion, or inward rolling, of the ankle.
- By 2030, six out of 10 Baby Boomers will be managing a chronic condition.
- One out of 10 Baby Boomers report that their physical activity is limited to a few days a month.
- Up to 69% of Americans say that low back pain affects their day-to-day lives.
- Four in 10 people try to exercise to relieve lower back pain.
- At least 40% of people suffering from long-term low back pain do not see a doctor or physical therapist.
Urgent care centers have the ability to see patients on a walk-in basis, which makes them more accessible than many doctor’s offices. They do so at a fraction of the cost of another form of walk-in care, which is the emergency room. Whereas a bill at an urgent care center might about to a couple hundred without insurance, it is cheaper than the ER.
Emergency room bills will often amount to hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars depending on the type of treatment that is being offered in the emergency room. The diagnosis in an emergency room might include scans and x-rays, which cost money. The same treatment in an urgent care center is likely to be similar but less invasive.
There are certain terms that are associated with urgent care centers and the treatment they provide and the illnesses they treat. They include medical clinic, medical help, occupational health, occupational health hazards, physical therapy, find doctors, list of doctors, local doctors, and more.
A walk in clinic is similar to an urgent care clinic but operates on roughly the same functions. A walk in clinic is one where a patient can walk into the clinic without an appointment and be treated. A walk in clinic is for patients who cannot wait to make an appointment with a doctor.
A walk in clinic can be considered an urgent care clinic. A walk in clinic is useful for people who have immediate health issues and cannot wait for a doctor’s appointment to resolve them. A walk in clinic may not be an urgent care clinic. A walk in clinic may be a low cost clinic or community health clinic.
These are similar.
