If you have a sudden illness or injury that needs urgent care and your provider is currently unavailable, the next obvious step should be visiting an urgent care clinic. However, many people have misconceptions about urgent care that might hold them back. Perhaps you’re not sure about which urgent care clinic is right for you. To help you get the best care you need, we have addressed multiple common urgent care myths, so you can make an informed decision.

Myth 1: Urgent Care Clinics and Emergency Rooms Are the Same Thing

Urgent and emergency are two words that sound similar enough that its’ easy to understand why patients might believe urgent care clinics and emergency rooms are one and the same thing.

However, while emergency rooms are for life-threatening conditions, such as serious bleeding and heart attacks, urgent care clinics handle non-life-threatening medical problems that can be handled quickly, like ankle sprains and vomiting.

Myth 2: You Can’t Get Quality Care At An Urgent Care Clinic

You can get the same quality care at an urgent care clinic that you would get with your provider or at an emergency room. That’s because most of the staff you see at urgent care clinics are the same providers and medical practitioners that work in other medical facilities. Most urgent care staff take extra shifts to supplement their regular work hours at other medical facilities.

Myth 3: Visiting An Urgent Care Clinic is Expensive

If you have a non-life-threatening medical problem, an urgent care clinic is one of the most cost-effective options. Your insurance policy can even cover your urgent care visit. Just be sure to check your insurance policy, so you know what’s covered and what’s not.

Myth 4: You Only Visit an Urgent Care Clinic On Weekends Or After Hours

Urgent care clinics also have traditional opening hours, besides also being open on weekends and after hours. So, even if your provider is available, you may not be able to quickly schedule an appointment but still be able to get quick treatment at an urgent care clinic.

Now that we have debunked the urgent care clinic myths, you can trust that you’ll receive the care you need whenever you visit such a facility to get emergency medical treatment.

In a recent survey, 22% of the patients who chose urgent care over other medical facilities did so because they believed there would be a shorter wait time. Additionally, another 21% believed the clinics were more conveniently located than other facilities. This fully supports the way urgent care clinics operate.