3 ms·
I mean yes, but also unhelpful. The majority of people aren’t going to urgent care for random checkups. The over reliance on urgent care in the US is a byprodu
by olliej 4y ago
I mean yes, but also unhelpful.
The majority of people aren’t going to urgent care for random checkups. The over reliance on urgent care in the US is a byproduct of a system that means people often have no other option (dr doesn’t take your particular insurance, your insurance doesn’t actually cover checkups, …) and the general cost of preventative care in the US meaning people don’t get things looked at prior to them becoming much bigger problems, where they do become urgent.
- tptacek 4y agoThe majority of people should go to urgent care for routine stuff. NPs are just as qualified to do that work as doctors, and have better escalation paths to the doctors. Just so we're clear: "urgent care" doesn't mean "ER".
- tharne 4y ago> The majority of people should go to urgent care for routine stuff Most medical providers would advise against this. Managing someone's health is not the same thing as changing the oil in a car. It's immensely helpful for the medical provider to develop a working relationship with the patient and understand the person's conditions and medications.
- tptacek 4y agoThe point of going to your provider's urgent care is that those links are already present. They're all working off the same charts.
- maxerickson 4y ago"routine stuff" probably isn't the best term to get people on the same page. You talk about availability in a couple other comments; at my provider, I can usually get an appointment with my PCP within a couple days, vs almost certainly waiting at least 30 minutes at the urgent care. I think the last routine thing I went in for was a sprain evaluation (I wanted advice on strengthening the joint more than I was expecting any immediately useful treatment). There wasn't any urgency there really, and I wanted to discuss it with the doctor. If I thought I needed antibiotics for something I would just go to the urgent care.
- tptacek 4y agoSore throats, fevers, rashes, allergic reactions, sprains, ear congestion, that kind of thing. Most people go to their PCP for these things, and urgent care is perfectly good at doing first line care for all of them; in fact, I've gotten more extensive care at the urgent care clinic than I ever have from a PCP. I won't go to urgent care for a physical.
- olliej 4y ago> Just so we're clear: "urgent care" doesn't mean "ER". Ok, that changes my response quite a bit - because there's a real issue in the US where the set up of the healthcare system means people have to go to the ER, but urgent care is substantially different. However a lot of my points still stand: many urgent cares are associated with specific insurance or medical groups which means they simply aren't available. Additionally urgent care typically comes with a significant increase in costs, ruling them out for most.
- tptacek 4y agoIf you're in a major metro, they're likely as available as your PCP, if not more so; your PCP is probably affiliated with a chain of them.