Where Does Your Family Go for the Healthcare That They Need?

Abdominal pain causes can be some of the most common or the most complicated. The fact that abdominal pain causes can range from the simplest reaction to an upset stomach to the more serious pain of tumors, appendicitis, and other concerning conditions means that they literally can keep patients up at night.
The fact that these abdominal pain causes can affect both young and old alike means that many families spend sleepless nights worrying and wondering if they need to go in for a medical examination. In an infant or small child, for example, this pain and the resulting vomiting and diarrhea can turn to a life threatening situation within hours. Instead of waiting for an office appointment with the family physician or pediatrician, many families choose to instead make a quick trip to an urgent care health clinic setting.
And while past generations may have relied on two traditional settings for treating their medical needs like finding the answer to abdominal pain causes, today many patients are considering a third and newer health care model. although generations of families have relied on the traditional family physician or family pediatrician for everything from an upset stomach to vaccinations and fracture care to well visits, more and more patients find the limited office hours of that setting too restricting. Scheduling an appointment weeks and sometimes months ahead of time does not always work. And with a limited number of open times for last minute emergencies, a family doctor simply does not always work with today’s hectic schedule and the unexpected nature of some health concerns.
In the past the place that many families turned for emergency health situations was the local hospital emergency room. And while this is still a choice for some, two things keep some families from considering the ER as their health care choice. First of all, hospital bills are high and often carry extra fees that simply are not covered by insurance. Secondly, receiving care at a hospital emergency room can be a time consuming process. When other more serious patients are brought in by ambulances, for example, the patient with a possible broken arm often moves to the bottom of the triage list.
Family and Pediatric Urgent Care Clinics Serve as a Viable Option for Many Families
You only have to turn on the television news or scan the internet headlines to understand the changing face of healthcare in America. And while many families may have turned to traditional family physicians and hospital emergency rooms in the past, many are now looking for a different healthcare platform to serve their needs. For many, the answer is a quick care clinic that is staffed by board -certified doctors and nurses who can provide everything from imaging services to flu shots.
In a country where more and more people are gaining access to health insurance, some statistics indicate that the nation will be short more than 90,000 physicians by the year 2020 and 130,000 physicians by the year 2025. these projections provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges, indicates that as a nation we must look toward other options for providing healthcare services.
Quick Care Clinic Formats Deliver Reliable and Affordable Treatments
According to a private study conducted by the research group Milliman, somewhere between 44% and 65% of all ER episodes could have been treated in urgent care clinic settings. That statistic combined with a cost analysis of the the two locations, indicates that the ER is not always the best choice for after hour and weekend health visits. in fact, an urgent care-treatable case handled in a hospital emergency room costs an average of $2,039. The same case treated in an urgent care facility, however, would only cost approximately $226. It simply does not make sense to pay nearly 10 times as much for a healthcare visit, even if part of the fees are covered by insurance.
For these reasons and the realization that the nation will soon be facing a doctor shortage, it makes sense America is looking at quick care clinics as an alternative to traditional office and emergency room visits. The next time you are looking for care for someone in your family, you may consider a stop at a healthcare clinic.