What is urgent care and how does it work?
Urgent care centers are designed to treat those who need
attention quickly but donʼt require an emergency room visit. Urgent
care centers do not require appointments and are generally open
longer hours than a primary care physicianʼs office. For instance,
all MedExpress centers are open 7 days a week, twelve hours a
day.
What can Urgent Care centers treat?
Generally, they can treat most everyday injuries and illnesses.
MedExpress can treat everything from colds, flu and lacerations to
fractures, sprains and some dislocations. They conduct
immunizations, sports physicals, EKGs and x-rays, and can perform
minor surgical procedures, stitches and labs and can administer IV
fluids.
What kind of patients go to MedExpress?
Anyone. Urgent care is a solution for individuals of all ages.
Kids with a cough. Teenagers needing sports physicals, adults with
a broken bone. Some have lived in town for years but canʼt get in
to see their primary care physician; some have just moved to town
and have yet to establish a primary care physician; some are
visiting from out of town.
What about insurance?
Most insurance is accepted, but it is not required.
What about follow-up care?
MedExpress follows up with every patient within three days of
his/her visit. At your request, we're happy to follow up with your
primary care physician to ensure that you get the care you need on
an ongoing basis.
What is the role of urgent care in today's healthcare
system?
Urgent care fills a gap in the health care system created by two
fundamental issues: increasing wait times to see primary care
physicians, and the cost and wait times for emergency room visits.
According to a 2006 National Hospital Ambulatory Careʼs Emergency
Department survey, more than 85 million ER visits (or 71%) were
unnecessary. The patient required "urgent care" but not "emergency
care" and could have been treated at an urgent care center. Urgent
careʼs impact is showing up in three critical areas: time, cost and
quality.
How does urgent care compare with ERs and primary care
physicians on wait times?
According to a 2009 Merritt Hawkins study, the average wait time
to make an appointment with a primary care physician exceeds 20
days. Patients with everyday medical issues are faced with two
options: wait for that appointment, or make an unnecessary, costly
visit to the ER. But the latter choice isnʼt necessarily fast. The
average Emergency Room visit lasts approximately 212 minutes. The
average MedExpress visit lasts less than one hour, and is a
fraction of the cost of the ER.
How does urgent care compare with ERs on cost?
The average cost difference between an ER visit and an urgent
care visit is approximately $373. Had those 85 million patients who
made unnecessary ER visits opted to visit urgent care clinics, the
patients, insurers and system could have saved more than $30-$40
billion.
But what about quality of care?
MedExpress offers a highly trained medical team including
physicians boarded in multiple specialties. In addition, we ensure
all providers are current and up to date with any special
credentialing or training requirements. State of the art equipment
and facilities are routinely commended for cleanliness and
functionality, all of which contribute to a high-quality health
care experience.
What will you find at a typical center?
MedExpress prides itself on providing care in a warm, friendly
environment. Our centers offer multiple, private treatment rooms
and careful attention to a comforting aesthetic helps you start
feeling better immediately. Each MedExpress center offers
full-service capabilities including state of the art equipment like
digital X-rays as well as labs, EKGs, and IV capabilities.