Health is of the utmost importance during any season. Just as important as maintaining your health is finding the right type of care. While it is essential to have a primary care doctor, and it is equally essential to visit your doctor at least once a year, urgent care provides immediate healthcare for many health issues. Here are the reasons why visiting urgent care may be right for you:

More Common Symptoms

Urgent care is a vital resource for patients who have illnesses or injuries but cannot immediately see their primary care doctor. In 2016, the average urgent care clinic gave a diagnosis of cough, upper respiratory infections, and acute sinusitis. There were two other main diagnoses as well: pharyngitis and fever. It is common to get your flu shot at an urgent are as well, and for every patient 6 months or older, the CDC recommends getting an annual flu shot. If your doctor cannot immediately see you but you experience these symptoms or need these immediate care options, urgent care may be the right choice for your healthcare visit.

Wait Time

During the fiscal year of 2016, the U.S. Urgent Care Association reported over 15,000 patient care visits on average to an urgent care center. The wait time and patient visits are significant enough to care for those who are sick or injured at a relatively fast pace: according to the Urgent Care Association, urgent care centers see about three patients per hour and about 50 patient visits per day. Also, when a patient felt that medical professionals at an urgent are would be able to treat them in a timely manner, 22% of those who went to an urgent care assumed their wait time would be shorter. About 21% of those who went to urgent care felt the location was more convenient for their visit than other locations.

Quality Care

Urgent care centers provide quality care for patients who are looking for an immediate medical professional. In fact, more than a quarter — about 27% — of U.S. patients reported that they sought out healthcare services at an urgent care clinic within the last two years, as of 2016. Also, according to a survey taken in 2016, about 75% of patients who visited urgent care stated their care was excellent or good, meaning many patients who used urgent care were satisfied with their quality of care.

Urgent care is a great way to get more common, non-life threatening care in a fast way when your primary care doctor is unavailable immediately. For life-threatening emergencies and illnesses, please visit an Emergency Room. However, urgent care is a fast, safe, and quality form of care for your immediate healthcare needs.