Once you’ve selected an urgent care facility, you might be confused about whether you need to schedule an appointment for your urgent care visit or directly walk in to get your checkup done. 

Sometimes, you’re juggling too many balls in the air that you forget to book an appointment or can’t wait for a longer time in urgent care. So can you go to an urgent care facility directly?

Hold onto your hat as you are about to explore the intricate details of an urgent care facility. In this blog, we’ll answer all your questions regarding booking an appointment for an urgent care visit, the average duration of your appointment, and the conditions that you get treated for in the center. 

Having said that, let’s first break down urgent care to help you understand better. 

Defining Urgent Care In Easy Words

In simple words, urgent care services are needed when you suffer from chronic or acute illness or injury that is not life-threatening. 

You can visit urgent care if you need immediate medical attention, cannot delay your condition longer than 24 hours, or if your primary care physician is out of town. 

According to Definitive Healthcare US, there are almost 10,200 active urgent care centers in the US alone. Therefore, you can visit any urgent care facility near you for illnesses like fever, cough, back pain, pneumonia, asthma attacks, or for any wounds, injuries, or fractures.

Do You Need An Appointment For Urgent Care?

No! Most urgent care centers allow walk-ins, meaning you don’t need to book an appointment before seeing a doctor. 

But, once you visit urgent care without an appointment, you might need to wait 20 minutes or even longer than an hour, depending on the people ahead of you.

A convenient option is to call an urgent care center and reserve a specific time slot so you won’t have to wait for a more extended period. 

Alternatively, you have another option to reduce your waiting time. Most urgent care centers allow booking appointments online for a physical check-up. To do so, you can go to the urgent care center’s official website and check if an online portal is available. 

After booking your slot from home, you can visit the clinic just before your scheduled time. As a result, your waiting time is reduced. 

How Long Is The Wait At Urgent Care?

Unlike emergency rooms, where an average waiting time is 2 hours or even more, you can go to urgent care centers and save your time to a greater extent. 

Your average waiting time at urgent care clinics can range from 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon the type of patients and their influx. 

Some centers have longer waiting times if a patient comes in with a severe problem or if the number of patients is more. 

How Long Does Urgent Care Visit Take?

Your urgent care visit with a healthcare professional can vary depending on several factors. If you need additional lab tests or have severe or complex conditions, the visit might last longer. 

Therefore, the time for an urgent care visit depends on your clinical condition. For instance, a diabetic patient experiencing uncontrolled blood glucose levels might need thorough examinations, diagnostic tests, or some other tests, which might take a longer time than usual for patients who come without any severe conditions. 

How Does Urgent Care Work?

The main objective of urgent care centers is to provide prompt medical attention by reducing waiting times and focusing on immediate healthcare needs. 

From stitching up minor cuts to providing a timely diagnosis with proper lab testing, you can find a quick solution to all your health concerns. 

Not to mention, most urgent care centers accept a wide range of insurance, keeping your visit more cost-effective than emergency room visits for non-life-threatening issues. 

Therefore, urgent care is a convenient option for those who don’t need extensive hospital emergency room facilities. 

What Does Urgent Care Treat?

Urgent care facilities can offer a broad range of services that involve treating acute and chronic illnesses, minor injuries or fractures, infections, and all common medical issues like cold and flu, sprain, respiratory diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, and more. 

However, note that urgent care centers cannot treat life-threatening conditions that require a visit to an emergency room, like chest pain, severe burns, or difficulty in breathing. These conditions might require emergency care facilities and extended hospital stays. 

How Can Family Urgent Care Help You? 

Feeling a bit puzzled about which urgent care you should visit? If you live near Schererville, Rogers Park, or Lincolns Park, you can easily walk into our urgent care facility and get your checkup done by a board-certified doctor. You can also book a prior appointment for a physical checkup by calling the helpline or from the home page on our website. 

Also, you do not have to worry about high costs as we cover a wide range of insurance, ensuring your urgent care visit is easy on your wallet.  

All in all, opting for family urgent care would benefit you in the following ways:

• Experienced healthcare team: Board-certified medical experts with over 15 years of experience in their respective fields. 
• Available for seven days: Our urgent care facility is available seven days a week, so you do not have to wait for weekdays to get your checkup done.
• Telehealth appointment: You can also book an online appointment and connect with a doctor if you’re too busy to leave your office or home. 
• Online prescriptions: You can get online prescriptions or refill your existing medicines if you have booked a telehealth consultation with Family Urgent Care.