When Should I Go to Urgent Care?

Urgent care clinics were created to fill a gap in accessible health care that is between primary care and emergency care, which includes a large proportion of unplanned medical situations. However, with several different healthcare provider options available, it can be difficult to determine which type of clinic is best suited to treat your specific condition. If you require medical attention within the next 24 hours or so in order to prevent your situation from worsening or developing into a severe condition, but the condition is not currently life- or limb-threatening, an urgent care clinic will be able to provide you with the most time and cost-efficient care provided by highly qualified medical professionals. The majority of clinics that provide urgent care will offer either telemedical appointments, same-day appointments, or walk-in care to ensure that all patients are able to receive the required medical care as quickly as possible.

When trying to find convenient and fast high-quality health care for a medical situation that does not require immediate attention, if you have the flexibility during the day, there are some times when your nearest urgent care clinic will be less busy offering much faster wait times than others. Typically, patients will try to go to urgent care first thing in the morning or right after work, so if you are able to, visiting in the middle of the day often proves to be a bit faster. Many clinics will encourage patients to call their office ahead of time to check the estimated wait time or to book an appointment online to minimize the time that each patient will have to spend in their waiting room and so that they can schedule their health care providers accordingly.

While there may be some variance from clinic to clinic, the majority of urgent care clinics will be able to treat most medical situations that do not require emergency services or surgical procedures, that are not life- or limb-threatening, but that should be seen by a health care provider within the next 24 hours to prevent the condition from worsening or increasing the risk of side effects. Many urgent care clinics will also be able to provide primary care, making it much more accessible for those who do not have access to a regular primary care physician or are not able to get in to see one soon enough. Conditions that typically require urgent medical care include:

• Minor cuts and lacerations
• Minor burns
• Mild to moderate contusions
• Infections (UTIs, STIs, eye, ear, sinus infections, etc.)
• Minor strains, sprains, and fractures
• Cold and flu symptoms

Some other services that many urgent care clinics will often provide include laboratory services for accurate diagnoses and screenings, vaccinations and immunizations, and regular check-ups including general, school, and work physical examinations, making them a great option for those who do not have access to a primary care physician.

Urgent care clinics are growing in popularity throughout the entire country due to the increased accessibility that they provide and the strain that they take off of emergency medical care, making it much more likely that you will have an urgent care clinic located conveniently near you. Our highly experienced medical staff here at Mesquite Medical Clinic are excited to offer quality urgent and primary care for all patients located throughout several locations. Additionally, our clinic now offers telemedicine for those who are unable to physically visit our clinic, making high-quality and necessary medical care accessible to everyone. For more information contact us today or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 5115 N Galloway Ave #203 Mesquite TX 75150. We serve patients from Mesquite TX, Garland TX, Dallas TX, Rowlett TX, Balch Springs TX, and Plano TX.