Chances are, there is at least one urgent care clinic in your area. In fact, there might be more than one. After all, urgent care clinics are popping up all throughout the United States. As of 2016, there were well over 7,000 of them, a number that has likely grown immensely in the years that have transpired since. In addition to this, the patient load seen by the typical urgent care clinic is higher than ever before. As a matter of fact, up to three million people frequent various urgent care locations over the course of just one week alone, clinics that are now staffed by as many as 20,000 doctors. And again, these are numbers that are only growing with time.

But should you frequent your local urgent care clinic if you have a medical issue? The answer is yes, and that yes is resounding for a number of different reasons. For one thing, urgent care centers are open each and every day of the week – in up to 85% of all cases, that is – making them highly accessible no matter when you might develop a medical concern. Unfortunately, going to the ER for a minor medical issue is likely to be costly in terms of time and money alike. Therefore, having access to something like an urgent care clinic can be life changing for many people out there, especially those who might be struggling to make ends meet.

For many people, an urgent care clinic is all that is needed, as urgent care clinics are actually able to treat up to 97% of the cases that they see, only ultimately needing to transfer around 3% of all cases to a local emergency room center. This means you can save time and money by going to an urgent care clinic, as more and more people are choosing to do. In fact, even fracture cases can be handled in more than 80% of all urgent care clinics found throughout the country. Various other high quality medical treatments can also be performed at the typical urgent care clinic, of course. For instance, it is quite commonplace indeed for urgent care clinics to provide IV fluids for those who might be in need of them. In addition to this, urgent care clinics can provide various diagnostic testing as well. And all of the above can prevent people from ever needing to go to their local emergency room, which will most certainly save them time and money alike.

Various forms of preventative care can also be provided at your typical urgent care clinic. For instance, STD testing can be performed. STD testing is absolutely necessary for most people who are sexually active, as STD testing can allow for more overall comprehensive knowledge of one’s overall health. And when you know that you have an STD, you can much more easily take the necessary steps towards treating it. Ultimately, the stigma surrounding STDs is one that has faded quite dramatically over the course of recent years – and in part this is thanks to more and more people getting the necessary testing and caring for their bodies before some of the more permanent impacts of having an STD even really set in.

Even vaccinations can often be given in the typical urgent care clinic found here in the United States. One great example of this is the flu vaccine. After all, the flu is an incredibly common illness, one that can impact as much a a full 20% – a full fifth – of the American population throughout the course of the year. And the flu is a nasty virus, one that is certainly best to avoid if at all possible. For many people, getting a flu shot is, by and large, the best way to do this. Fortunately, the average urgent care clinic can offer flu shots for free to most who have insurance – and for a relatively low and affordable cost even to those that do not. At the end of the day, getting your flu shot is critical for protecting yourself and those around you.