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Urgent care centers are a great convenience for us, but many wonder when an injury or health problem is serious enough to require going to one. Another thing that confuses a lot of people is when something is serious enough to be taken to the emergency department at the hospital versus an urgent care center. Though a doctor is the best source of judgement for each case, here are some general ideas to take into consideration when making your decision. An urgent care center is not meant to replace your primary care physician. If you are new to town and need help for a medical problem, going to an urgent care center is a better option than not going to a doctor at all. These centers are becoming very prevalent, so you should be able to find an urgent care in Reno, and hundreds of other cities. You should still seek to find a new primary care physician in your area after going to an urgent care center in a new area. Primary care physicians have more information about your health, medications, and medical history, so whenever possible, you should try to see them instead. When your primary care office is closed, urgent care can be an option for health problems that can’t wait for the office to re-open.
If you are having serious doubts about whether an injury or health problem is serious enough to go the emergency department, you may want to go anyways. Often, if you go to an urgent care center and the medical personnel there deem your problem too serious for them to take care of, you will be transported to a hospital and have to pay the urgent care bill, and the bill from the emergency department. Choosing to go only to the emergency department can save you a little bit of money if you think your injury or health problem may be serious enough. Another thing to consider when deciding between an urgent care center and the emergency department can be the wait times. Both places can sometimes have long wait times, but usually you can call ahead to see what the expected wait time can be. If an injury may become more serious by waiting in an urgent care waiting room, going to the emergency department at the hospital could be a better option for you.
Most urgent care centers have a decent amount of equipment you may not know about. If you are trying to decide whether an urgent care can treat you, you can call to see what kind of medical equipment a facility has. For example, if you are wondering if you should take someone into an urgent care for a possible broken bone that isn’t life threatening, you may want to know if the urgent care has an x-ray machine. This can help you decide where you would like to take someone for their treatment. Urgent care centers are a great option when primary care physician offices are closed, but urgent care is not always open 24 hours a day, so knowing where the closest urgent care centers and hospitals are can help you get medical treatment quickly, no matter what time of day it is. It is important not to use urgent care centers for medical emergencies, as this is what the emergency department and 911 are for. Urgent care centers have changed and improved the access we have to health care, when we need it. There are a lot of urgent care centers around, and they continue to be built. If you are looking for an urgent care in Reno, or any other cities, you should easily be able to find a one near you.
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