The Services of Walk-In and Urgent Care Clinics

Many who are ill or injured want to see a doctoradults. Some illnesses that are commonly treated
but don't feel their health concern is severeat walk-in clinics include cold and flu, sinus
enough to go to the Emergency Room or theinfections, allergies, burns, sore throat, headaches,
hospital. Walk-in and urgent care clinics offer suchringworms, sprains, bronchitis, and ear infections.
patients valuable services without the long waitMany clinics even provide health screenings,
and inconvenience of a hospital.physical exams, and vaccinations to prevent
For those who need medical attention, but do notfuture illnesses.
necessarily feel that they need to go to theAnd if a walk-in clinic is also advertised as an
Emergency Room at the hospital, may considerurgent-care facility, then patients can also expect
going to a walk-in clinic or an urgent care clinic.personnel to run lab tests, perform x-rays, and
These medical clinics often provide many of theeven perform minor surgeries. Urgent-care clinics
same services as hospitals and even emergencyfunction much like emergency rooms in this
rooms, but the wait is often shorter, and in someregard, but people should be aware that major
cases, the cost is lower as well.injuries or serious illnesses should be treated at a
As its name implies, walk-in clinics are healthcarehospital and not at a clinic. However, if you're not
facilities that see patients who walk in without ansure if an illness or injury is serious and it doesn't
appointment, which makes them ideal for thoseseem to be life threatening, an urgent-care or
with unexpected illnesses or injuries. Most walk-inwalk-in clinic can provide information to let you
clinics provide a wide range of preventative careknow how severe the problem is.
services as well as treatments to children and