Is Urgent Care the Same as a Walk-in Clinic?

The difference between a walk-in clinic and urgent care revolves around a few aspects.
 
Patients who get care at a walk-in clinic require less complex treatment. This can be provided by nurses or health care practitioners, but not necessarily physicians. Urgent healthcare clinics are required to have a physician permanently on-site.

Walk-in clinics focus treatment on those types of illnesses that are common and relatively minor, such as colds, flu, and sore throats. They may also provide services for physical exams and vaccinations. Walk-in clinics tend to have limited space and equipment for testing and screening.

Urgent care clinics provide services when the doctor’s office is fully booked or closed. Urgent care is care for important acute conditions and non-life-threatening injuries. Urgent care clinics are open later and operate on a first-come-first-served basis. They can take appointments and also take patients who have not booked an appointment.

Urgent care facilities tend to offer tests and screening that walk-in clinics aren’t able to provide.  Due to the fact that they have larger facilities and offer tests with advanced medical equipment, they may be the option you need when healthcare events arise.

Urgent care is sometimes seen and placed between your primary care provider and going to the emergency department. If your injury is minor, but can’t wait till tomorrow, urgent care is the best choice.
 
Urgent Care clinics will treat a number of conditions including:

• Back or muscle pain
• Bronchitis
• Cuts and minor burns
• Diarrhea
• Earache
• Skin conditions
• Sprains or joint pain
• Upper respiratory infection
• Urinary tract infections
• Vomiting

Priority Urgent Care and Walk-In Clinic provide many more services than the ones listed here. Check the Services area for a more complete list.
 
If your condition is much more critical or complicated, you wish to choose an emergency department; or if your condition has compounding factors, such as migraine and a high fever, then consider going to an emergency department. If you are having difficulties breathing, such as shortness of breath, serious injury to a limb or something that is life-threatening, or showing signs of a heart attack or stroke, call 911 because emergency services may be required.

A walk-in clinic is a medical facility that sees patients without requiring an appointment. Walk-in clinics include community health clinics, retail clinics, or free clinics. Walk-in clinics are a good choice for many people since they are often inexpensive and accessible. There may be as many as 11,000 walk-in clinics in America. 
 
Many people confuse walk-in clinics with urgent care clinics because they will both take patients on a walk-in basis. It is the care that they provide that is the defining factor as to what type of clinic they are in.

Walk-in clinics are often seen as the least expensive option for some health care needs, but their services can be somewhat limited due to the staff they have and the amount of space and testing equipment they have on-site. Urgent care clinics are often seen as in the middle, between walk-in clinics and emergency rooms. 
 
The caring and compassionate medical professionals at Priority Urgent Care and Walk-In Clinic in Oxford CT and Newington CT are your best choice for urgent care needs! We serve patients from Ellington CT, Unionville CT, East Haven CT, Cromwell CT, Oxford, CT and Newington, CT, and BEYOND!