Urgent Care: What to Expect

Urgent care clinics could ease your worries when your child needs urgent medical attention. Their primary goal is to provide urgent help in a timely and convenient way, making them an excellent alternative to your local emergency room or ER for issues that are not really true medical emergencies. They’re likewise great alternatives at times when you can’t visit your child’s pediatrician.

Here at Westchase Pediatric Care, we offer urgent care services in our Westchase, FL, and Clearwater, FL, clinics. In general, here’s what you should know about urgent care clinics so you know what to expect when you visit us.

Urgent Care DOES NOT Equal Emergency Care

Put simply, you should head to the ER for true medical emergencies, which are those that are life-threatening or very serious. Otherwise, you’ll be delaying the necessary treatment, as the urgent care clinic will just tell you to head to the ER.

That being said, urgent care clinics are capable of handling minor illnesses, including headaches, earaches, urinary tract infections, minor breathing issues, the flu, high fever, sore throat, and cough. They can likewise manage minor injuries like cuts that need stitches, minor burns, minor sports injuries, minor bone fractures, animal bites, and the like.

Ensure That You Have Sufficient Time

In most cases, urgent care clinics have a first-come, first-served policy. This means that your time will be dependent on how many people are ahead of you. So call in advance to check on the waiting time.

Prepare to Share Your Child’s Medical History

Unless you’ve visited our urgent care clinic in our Westchase, FL, or Clearwater, FL, location, we won’t have details about your child’s medical history, which is vital for the most accurate diagnosis and treatment of your child. In general, prepare to inform the doctor about any allergies, chronic conditions, past injuries or illnesses, as well as medicines your child is taking, including supplements, vitamins, OTC meds, and prescription meds.

Don’t Forget Your Insurance Card

Usually, major healthcare insurance places are honored in urgent care clinics. There’s a chance that you may need to shell out for a copay at the time of your visit, but visiting an ER is still way more expensive than going to an urgent care clinic.

Reach Out to Us To Learn More About Our Urgent Care Services

Walk-in here at Westchase Pediatric Care in our Westchase, FL, or Clearwater, FL, clinic or call us at (813) 818-1543 or (727) 461-1543 for more information. Dial our 24-hour number at (727) 346-4011 for more urgent concerns after business hours.