Emergency doctor visits can happen for just about any reason, from over-night ear infections to post-accident check-ins. While offices are often mistaken for your typical emergency room, most agree that a trip to an urgent care is often more beneficial than a visit to the ER. Why exactly is it that these smaller urgent venues are so much more convenient, flexible, and helpful than the standard emergency room?

The answers are simple. In comparison to the ER, which can take hours on end in the waiting room before you even get to see a doctor or nurse, an urgent care clinic has a faster turnaround. Most wait times for visits in an urgent care never exceed 60 minuets. In fact, 57% of patients report having to wait 15 minuets or less to be seen by a medical professional. This quicker waiting room turnaround means that, from the moment you are in the door, you are already that much closer to being evaluated, assisted, and sent on your way to recovery.

Don’t think these urgent care centers are as good as your local doctor’s offices?

Believe it or not most of these small local urgent care clinics are self-owned by physicians. Urgent care centers are comprised of doctors who actually love what they do and care about giving their patients their utmost attention. With urgent care services being their key practice it means that the long nights of chaos in the ER are nights that these medical professions have not had to endure. They are wide-awake and ready to be of service to their patients.

Urgent care centers are permitted to do the same services that the ER is permitted to, as well including provide fracture care, the administration of intervention fluids, and even prescribe prescriptions for any pains or aliments when necessary.

Though these facilities are not open twenty-four hours, they typically open at or prior to 9 am with closing times at 7 pm or later, so they are always there to treat you for any health issue or injury that occurs during the standard work day.

So the next time you’re in a blunder and looking for quick care, urgent care centers should be on your radar of places to visit for your aliments before ever stepping for into an ER.