Are you choosing the right urgent care?
Not all urgent care centers are created equally!
Urgent care is a relatively new field of medicine. As primary care physicians attempted to protect their daily patient load and their personal time away from work, "after hours "clinics and urgent care centers sprouted up to provide care to patients who had nonemergent conditions when their regular physician wasn't available in the office. As more centers have opened, more variations on the type of services have occurred. Without any type of standardization in the field, patients have encountered a wide range of office types and quality of care.
While quality accreditation for urgent care now exists through the Joint Commission and the Urgent Care Association of America, the majority of available urgent care centers have not participated in these programs. Accreditation confirms that the center uses non-expired supplies, has proper sterilizing methods for instruments, ensures accuracy of testing equipment, provides a clean and safe environment for the staff and patients and is staffed by employees who have demonstrated proficiency in taking x-rays, giving shots, etc. Accredited centers have to show that they are performing ongoing checks of quality measures such as giving medications properly.
Offices that are not accredited may be staffed by providers who are not eligible for or have not passed applicable board exams or physicians who have trained in unrelated fields (Think; ENT treating foot pain). Some centers may care for children, but may not have providers on staff who have any pediatric training.
Most urgent care centers can evaluate basic injuries, such as ankle or wrist injuries and have x-ray equipment. While the working provider usually gives an initial x-ray report, not all centers have a radiologist (someone who specializes in reading x-rays, preferably board certified) to confirm the reading. Many urgent care centers will splint a broken bone, but some will send the patient to the emergency room for splinting.
Hours of operation can vary widely among offices advertising themselves as an "urgent care". Some are open 24 hours a day, most are open on weekends and evenings, but some, particularly primary care offices that have extended hours, may close relatively early in the evenings. These primary care offices may treat chronic conditions during the urgent care hours, however this can vary by office. "Pure" urgent care centers refer the care of chronic conditions to the primary care physician. Not all urgent care centers will send a discharge note to a patient's usual physician, which is an important communication step to maximize care.
Most customers shopping for a new car will diligently research the choices before committing to a purchase. Just as automobiles can differ, so can urgent care options and, let's face it, with today's deductibles and rising healthcare costs, research may be very valuable. While a center may be more convenient, the patient may not receive quality medical care from a board certified or eligible provider in a safe and clean environment. Asking a few questions before choosing an urgent care may be the most important phone call you make.
Offices that are not accredited may be staffed by providers who are not eligible for or have not passed applicable board exams or physicians who have trained in unrelated fields (Think; ENT treating foot pain). Some centers may care for children, but may not have providers on staff who have any pediatric training.
Most urgent care centers can evaluate basic injuries, such as ankle or wrist injuries and have x-ray equipment. While the working provider usually gives an initial x-ray report, not all centers have a radiologist (someone who specializes in reading x-rays, preferably board certified) to confirm the reading. Many urgent care centers will splint a broken bone, but some will send the patient to the emergency room for splinting.
Hours of operation can vary widely among offices advertising themselves as an "urgent care". Some are open 24 hours a day, most are open on weekends and evenings, but some, particularly primary care offices that have extended hours, may close relatively early in the evenings. These primary care offices may treat chronic conditions during the urgent care hours, however this can vary by office. "Pure" urgent care centers refer the care of chronic conditions to the primary care physician. Not all urgent care centers will send a discharge note to a patient's usual physician, which is an important communication step to maximize care.
Most customers shopping for a new car will diligently research the choices before committing to a purchase. Just as automobiles can differ, so can urgent care options and, let's face it, with today's deductibles and rising healthcare costs, research may be very valuable. While a center may be more convenient, the patient may not receive quality medical care from a board certified or eligible provider in a safe and clean environment. Asking a few questions before choosing an urgent care may be the most important phone call you make.
