Urgent care places - safe?

[MuirWannabe]

So, doing a backyard project and managed to cut my thumb pretty deep with a hacksaw. Seemingly the older I get the more lessons I still need to learn. Came back in house to tell DW and we immediately headed out to the local urgent care place. You know, the neighborhood doc in a box type place, located between the drive thru bank, the nail salon, and the donut store.

Six stitches in my thumb went fine. Except during the procedure I 'vagaled'. That's apparently medical slang for almost passing out at the sight of blood or needles. I've always considered myself a reasonably tough guy and never had anything like that happen before. But believe me it was scary and horrible feeling.

It sure got the doctor and staff at the urgent care excited. They hooked me up to an EKG among other things. A few minutes later after I'd semi recovered from my vaso vagal experience the doc comes in and tells me the EKG she read shows my heart is skipping every other beat. Says it's very serious and they've already called an ambulance and I'm needing to go to the hospital. Mind you I'm feeling okay at this point. And I'm thinking about the sequence of events that had so quickly led from a finger cut to now an ambulance ride and hospital visit.

The ambulance arrives and they crate me off. DW follows in the car bewildered and a little scared. During the ambulance ride they hook me up to another EKG and almost immediately tell me they don't see anything wrong. The young lady ambulance tech (very impressive, competent, and cute but that's off topic) then looks at the printout from the urgent care EKG. Again, very quickly she shakes her head and says one of the leads on the EKG had a bad voltage indicator and they weren't reading it right.

By this time I'm at the ER. They wheel me in and the hospital does a third EKG on me. Again all is fine. After a couple hours observation they let me go. Btw, don't get hungry in an ER they won't feed you.

So, my question is about these urgent care places. Have you ever been? Impressions? Are they safe? Right now I'm thinking they might be okay for very minor matters. But I wouldn't trust them for almost anything remotely serious. Then again, my finger cut still triggered a series of events that got out of control.

Muir

 

[Big_Hitter]

I went to one when I had my PE - if I wouldn't I'd probably not be typing this

 

[Meadbh]

You are comparing apples and oranges. At an urgent care centre, they are generalists: jacks of all trades, but masters of none.

 

[GrayHare]

It's hit and miss with those places. At the last one I visited the nurse who treated me was wearing, I am not making this up, cutoffs and a Mötley Crüe sweatshirt.

 

[Just_Steve]

I go when I get my annual bronchitis or strep but the medical group I use runs their own urgent cares.
I might go for a few stitches or something minor but thats about it.

 

[joeea]

At the last one I visited the nurse who treated me was wearing, I am not making this up, cutoffs and a Mötley Crüe sweatshirt.

That sounds horrible!

Which impacted your care the most - the cutoffs or the sweatshirt?



Seriously, though. I've been to a local urgent care center many times. First class each visit, never had any problems.

 

[zinger1457]

Urgent Care facilities are good for the services they provide, usually cheaper and faster service then an ER, but not a place you would go for a serious emergency. These are the services my local Urgent Care advertises for:

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Bites and Stings
• Common Colds and Flu
• Cuts and Scrapes
• Fractures (non-displaced) and Falls
• Gastritis or indigestion
• Headaches – migraine and tension
• Sprains and Strains

 

[RunningBum]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "safe". I think you're more likely to get in quickly at a place like that, which may in itself be safer. It's also good that when they saw something they couldn't handle, they didn't try, and instead sent you to the hospital. Unfortunately they weren't competent with the EKG and it wasn't necessary, so it was more expensive and inconvenient, but that's not unsafe. Just bad luck since it the bad reading came when you also nearly passed out.


I had my own bad EKG experience in a hospital a couple years ago. I had dislocated my shoulder skiing, and the medic at ski patrol wouldn't relocated it, and said an urgent care place probably wouldn't either, as they'd want to x-ray it and make sure they wouldn't cause more harm. The ER staff planned to put me under, even though I said I knew it would hurt but bring relief and just wanted them to do it, which the doc eventually did. But in the meantime they hooked me up and noticed an irregular EKG, and called in a cardiologist. Soon as he found out I was an endurance runner he said it was normal, but it cost me some extra $$ for something I wish the ER doc would have known to ask me about.


If I know something is serious, I'd go to the ER. But if it was minor (stitches, for example), or something I just wasn't sure about, I'd go to urgent care.

 

[AllDone]

Sure, they're safe. Doctors are human and make mistakes. Urgent Care isn't set up for acute heart problems and the protocol when something like that is encountered is to call 911 and kick it up to a higher level of care. Better to send you for something you don't need than to send you home with a problem.

That was kind of a boneheaded mistake to make, though!

 

[Big_Hitter]

we have good docs and PAs at my urgent care - it's run by one of the two hospitals in town

when I had the PE, they did nebulizer, took chest xrays (negative) and then took blood draw

he asked me which ER I wanted to go to after they took the blood draw thinking it was a PE, so I went home and they called me and told me to get to the ER aslap as my d-dimer was off the charts

 

[imoldernu]

One source:
Industry FAQs - Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA)

Difference Between Urgent Care, Walk-in Care, Immediate Care, and Convenient Care
In general these terms all refer to urgent care, which is differentiated from other healthcare delivery models based on: no appointment necessary to see a medical provider; evening and weekend operating hours; X-ray on site; and capability to perform procedures like suturing and casting. Additionally urgent care centers tend to be positioned in high-visibility, consumer accessible locations, have a strong customer service orientation, and focus on getting patients in and out quickly. Whether a center chooses to call itself “urgent care,” “immediate care,” “walk-in care,” “convenient care”—or to brand itself in such a way that connotes the same concept of on-demand medical care —the name chosen is up to the individual practice and should not be inferred as differentiating the center’s scope or quality of services. Non-urgent conditions can generally wait to be treated by scheduled appointment in a primary care office and medical emergencies involving trauma or resuscitation should go straight to a hospital emergency room.

FWIW... An experience.
Some time ago, DW and I were at the local Walmart, when my wife became very tired and weak... Since she had had a stroke back in 1993, I was very aware of the possible consequences. Fortunately, (I thought) there was a "Fast Care" center in the store. Two customers waiting. I went to the person at the desk and told her my fears, and was told I'd have to wait our turn. Knowing the possible consequences, I asked at least for an aspirin. "Sorry, no aspirin... but I do have a Tylenol."
I raced to the pharmacy, and took an aspirin bottle off the shelf and gave it to my wife, and demanded they call an ambulance. Worked out okay, it wasn't a stroke, and after 15 minutes in the ambulance, and basic tests, all was okay.
We don't use Fast Care any more. We DO have an Urgent Care center in two nearby locations, one with Doctors and the other headed by a Nurse Practitioner. Have used both for minor problems, with good success.

For future reference, would check in to any center... BEFORE... to be sure that it would qualify for our needs.

 

[LOL!]

My daughter cut her forehead in a basketball game that required stitches. We went to the local ER on that Saturday and it was full, so we went to a doc-in-a-box. The stitchwork was amazing and no visible scar years later.

Now I'm the guy that usually has sushi delivered while I'm getting stitched up, but I do ask the staff if they want any.

 

[bradaz2488]

Hope so. Just went last week for earache. $75 for visit and $30 for antibiotics and drops. If I did not have insurance it would have cost me $15 more for the visit. Thank god I pay all that money for healthcare insurance Love the Urgent Care by us. It is really close, clean and never have to wait too long. People are very nice. Would go there all the time if I knew they could handle all emergencies. Sounds like stitches and sprains they can handle. Not sure about broken bones. I'm sure anything heart related you go pass "GO" to hospital.

Does anyone know if they can do full physicals and blood work?

 

[bbbamI]

I sure hate to hear what you and your wife had to go through.

I went to an ER Urgent Care facility about two years ago. It was top notch...no complaints from me.

Maybe there's a difference between an ER Urgent Care and Urgent Care..I'm not sure.

 

[MuirWannabe]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "safe". I think you're more likely to get in quickly at a place like that, which may in itself be safer. It's also good that when they saw something they couldn't handle, they didn't try, and instead sent you to the hospital. Unfortunately they weren't competent with the EKG and it wasn't necessary, so it was more expensive and inconvenient, but that's not unsafe. Just bad luck since it the bad reading came when you also nearly passed out.


I had my own bad EKG experience in a hospital a couple years ago. I had dislocated my shoulder skiing, and the medic at ski patrol wouldn't relocated it, and said an urgent care place probably wouldn't either, as they'd want to x-ray it and make sure they wouldn't cause more harm. The ER staff planned to put me under, even though I said I knew it would hurt but bring relief and just wanted them to do it, which the doc eventually did. But in the meantime they hooked me up and noticed an irregular EKG, and called in a cardiologist. Soon as he found out I was an endurance runner he said it was normal, but it cost me some extra $$ for something I wish the ER doc would have known to ask me about.


If I know something is serious, I'd go to the ER. But if it was minor (stitches, for example), or something I just wasn't sure about, I'd go to urgent care.

This is probably a good way to think about it. Thanks for the response.

I'm a runner as well, and didn't mention it in my OP but my lower pulse had them concerned also. I run about 50 as a resting heart rate and recovering from the 'vagaling' my pulse was in the mid 40's. Told them I was a runner but at that point they were in alarm mode.

Muir

 

[MuirWannabe]

Now I'm the guy that usually has sushi delivered while I'm getting stitched up, but I do ask the staff if they want any.

Lol (no pun intended) That's hilarious and disgusting all at the same time.

 

[MuirWannabe]

I sure hate to hear what you and your wife had to go through.

I went to an ER Urgent Care facility about two years ago. It was top notch...no complaints from me.

Maybe there's a difference between an ER Urgent Care and Urgent Care..I'm not sure.

Thanks bbbami! Not sure. I imagine it gets down to the quality of the individual staff at each location. Not sure how you research that.

Muir

 

[athena53]

I LOVE Urgent Care centers because, thank heaven, my medical crises are typically limited to raging poison ivy (although now I've found an expensive cream called Zanfel that has kept my last 2 episodes from spreading). They were also good for DH- if he developed a bad cold (which he typically did on our major trips), we pretty much knew it would go away and then he'd get pneumonia or bronchitis. Urgent Care people could check him over, get hm on the right meds, and then he'd follow up with his regular doctor. We were always grateful that we could keep him out of the hospital and the ER.

The only "fail" was when I tried to set up an appointment on-line for him after he'd had a fall the night before. They called back immediately and said they couldn't handle it- 77-year old guy with a back injury from a fall was more than they wanted to deal with. It turned out they were right- he ended up needing a vertebroplasty for a compression fracture of 2 vertebrae.

As an aside- those places must be a gold mine. My last visit was for a very persistent cold, because I was about to go off to Central America and wanted to make sure I didn't have anything alarming. The doc gave me a prescription for antibiotics, which fortunately I didn't need but was happy to have. I think I paid $130 for that visit. When I compare that to the negotiated rate DH's docs got for a typical office visit ($30-$50), running an Urgent Care center where you can turn away anything messy (and anyone who can't pay up front) seems a lot more profitable.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I went to an urgent care, they also called an ambulance for me. I walked out.

 

[MuirWannabe]

That was kind of a boneheaded mistake to make, though!

Which one [emoji39]. Mine when I cut myself, or the doc mis-reading the faulty EKG?

 

[Just_Steve]

As an aside- those places must be a gold mine. My last visit was for a very persistent cold, because I was about to go off to Central America and wanted to make sure I didn't have anything alarming. The doc gave me a prescription for antibiotics, which fortunately I didn't need but was happy to have. I think I paid $130 for that visit. When I compare that to the negotiated rate DH's docs got for a typical office visit ($30-$50), running an Urgent Care center where you can turn away anything messy (and anyone who can't pay up front) seems a lot more profitable.

At all of the Urgent Cares I have been to I just pay my $20 copay and call it a day.

 

[athena53]

At all of the Urgent Cares I have been to I just pay my $20 copay and call it a day.

OK, so they do get lower revenue for some visits. I've got a High Deductible plan and I guess this place was out of their network, so no negotiated rate. They sent me something just a couple of weeks ago touting an Urgent Care place that was in their network but it was half an hour from here and there are plenty (out of network) much closer.

 

[mystang52]

The last time I went to the hospital ER (hit by a car while on my bike) I vowed that next time I would go to an Urgent Care clinic for any severe cut or orthopedic type injury.
At this particular ER visit, since I wasn't a bleeder and didn't have chest pains or breathing issues, I was a non-priority. Not only was it a very long wait, but I was waiting near sick people coughing; not good for someone like me with a compromised immune system.
So, I intend to try the nearby Urgent Care facility if the need arises.

 

[zinger1457]

If you go to an Urgent Care facility and have a HDHP you might be better off paying cash for the service and not going through your insurance for the negotiated rate. I needed a cut stitched and went to the local Urgent Care facility, the attendant had a sheet with cash prices for typical services, they quoted me $80 cash to stitch the cut. I used my HDHP thinking the negotiated rate wouldn't be any higher but was wrong, they billed my insurance $190 and the negotiated rate was $125. I went to their billing department with my credit card and got them to accept an $80 payment.

 

[sengsational]

Interesting that all of these cuts needing stitches were managed at the doc in the box....

When DD cut her finger prepping food in the kitchen, they just said they wouldn't take the case, and she ended up having to go to the hospital ER. Maybe a staffing issue at the time.