Thinking of changing to a concierge-style medical practice but still not sure about what the benefits are? Dr. Simoni Baid is here to help!
The growth of primary care in the United States in recent times is impressive. The sector is characterized by a boom in integrative healthcare options for patients. Urgent care centers such as Ahimsa MD in Miami are increasingly becoming popular. Interestingly, the total number of urgent care centers was 14382 as of July 2023 and 6100 in 2013, which indicates a forty percent increase in the last decade. Despite the unprecedented increase in alternative healthcare options, many people still get confused about where to go when accidents and emergencies occur at the most inconvenient time. In this article, you will learn about the difference between urgent care and emergency room visits, and when it is convenient to choose each.
What is the Difference Between Urgent Care vs. Emergency Care?
Urgent Care
Urgent care centers are walk-in clinics that offer prompt non-emergent medical healthcare to patients. Most are staffed with nurse practitioners, physicians, and physician assistants, and are equipped to handle lab work, X-rays, and basic diagnostic procedures. They are accessible and convenient hence suitable when a patient wants to save time and resources. Today, any patient can walk into an urgent care center like Ahimsa MD without an appointment and receive immediate attention. The most common reasons for a patient to seek urgent care include:
A sore throat that is suspected to be a strep throat or viral
Mild to moderate symptoms which are neither Respiratory Syncytial Virus nor Covid-19
A cold or virus symptoms that develop into an infection, like pneumonia or ear infections, and require antibiotic treatment
Emergency Room Visits
Emergency room services have been in existence as part of hospital services for a long time. They are utilized by patients with severe and life-threatening medical situations. Many patients do not find themselves or their loved ones in the emergency until it is declared that a patient is systematically sick and they require urgent medical attention to save their life. As a result, most emergency rooms are a go-to option for patients whose entire body is affected by sickness, and there is an onset of severe symptoms, severe pain, or a fever that doesn’t go away. Doctors in the ER are capable of handling patients who require critical care because of advanced diagnostic tools and collaborate with a team of other medical specialists.
The following patients might be considered for treatment in an emergency room:
A patient feeling a sudden and severe pain in the head, chest, or the abdomen
A patient who is unable to breathe normally or move an arm and part of the body
A patient experiencing signs of a heart attack and stroke
A patient with a major trauma such as head injuries, significant fractures, or injuries resulting from an accident
Tips for Choosing the Right Course of Action for Your Health Concern
Both urgent care and emergency rooms seek to provide patients with prompt medical attention but vary significantly in the range of their capabilities and services. To make a better decision about their health, patients must distinguish the two healthcare options to understand the most suitable level of care they need. The following tips might be useful to help you decide on the right course of action to take when faced with a situation that requires medical attention:
Carefully evaluate the cost of meeting your health needs: Have you considered the cost of seeking treatment for both? Notably, emergency visits can be expensive because of a higher level of care and specialized services while urgent care centers like Ahimsa MD are budget-friendly for non-emergencies. Nevertheless, you still need to decide based on the medical condition you are facing. Remember that in some instances, cost do not matter because your life is more important.
Compare the accessibility and ease of admittance: Before deciding, ask yourself how long it will take for them to admit me and can their facility be accessed urgently? For instance, while urgent care centers like Ahimsa MD are more accessible and patients can walk in anytime, emergency rooms operate 24/7 but they might involve complex administration procedures. It is therefore important to choose what works for your medical needs.
Evaluate the waiting times in each: You have to ask yourself whether you will be prioritized in an emergency room or in an urgent care center like Ahimsa MD. Average waiting times in urgent care centers is thirty minutes or less while in an emergency center, it is between two to four hours. Remember the wait times in emergency rooms can be longer based on the severity of the condition while in urgent care centers, you guaranteed a quick turnaround.
Emergency Room Services and Urgent Care at Ahimsa MD
With the help of Dr. Baid at Ahimsa, a board-certified physician, patients can get proper medical advice on the type of healthcare service they need for a specific medical condition. Ahimsa MD offers emergency room services for critical conditions and urgent care for non-emergent health issues. Through Dr. Baid’s expertise and experience in the industry, the facility offers patients a holistic understanding of the medical situation at hand and guides them on the best-suited healthcare alternative. Furthermore, Dr. Baid’s concierge-style practice allows her to see you and take cash for service.
The healthcare environment is fast changing and patients must be empowered with knowledge to make informed decisions about their health in times of medical uncertainty. At Ahimsa MD, patients are sure they are in safe hands because the incredible Dr. Baid assesses them for the most suitable healthcare option. As a highly experienced doctor, she can be trusted to offer both emergency healthcare services and urgent care services for patients from all walks of life.
Patients can find more information about the available services and peruse the doctor’s wide range of experience on the Ahimsa MD website. Everyone is free to contact Dr. Baid for all their healthcare needs and ask questions about healthcare services that best suit them. Appointments can be booked through the website and Dr. Baid is available 24/7.