Kids urgent care near me – Learn more with Healthier Baby Today! Kids’ illnesses and accidents don’t always happen during regular primary care office hours.
If your child requires medical attention, a kids urgent care near me can be a convenient choice.
Trained medical professionals staff these clinics to diagnose and treat various illnesses and injuries.
Whether your child is experiencing a fever, sore throat, ear infection, or a minor injury, you can count on a kids urgent care near me to provide prompt and adequate medical care.
However, with so many options available, you want to feel confident that you’re making the right choice when selecting kids urgent care near me.
Below are the top 10 facts to look for when choosing an urgent care clinic for your child:
Table of Contents
1. Convenience
Research to find open evenings and weekends when your primary care doctor’s office is closed, including one open clinic on holidays.
In a severe emergency, you should always go to the closest ER.Do you know the location of your nearest emergency room? Are you aware of which hospital your pediatrician is associated with?
If your child is taken to an urgent care center or ER without pediatricians or specialists on staff, they may need to be transferred to a hospital, depending on their condition.
Children’s hospitals are designed to provide an environment that is child-friendly. They have colorful rooms and murals, waiting room toys, and TVs that display kids’ shows.Â
Additionally, child-sized furniture is also available. Child life specialists trained to help children cope with the stress of hospitalization and illness are available at some children’s hospitals and pediatric emergency departments.
Child life specialists can be an excellent resource for families during their child’s stay in the ER.
They provide support and bridge the gap between the hospital and home. They also help ease your child’s anxiety before, during, and after procedures.
2. Quality Kids Urgent Care Near Me
Clinics should be staffed by board-certified doctors or pediatricians and specially trained advanced practice nurse practitioners.
The clinic team should be dedicated to quality improvement and evidence-based medicine to treat your child with the best care in the area.
Physical exams and Ultrasounds. If you find waiting for an appointment with your primary care provider inconvenient, consider visiting an urgent care facility for a physical examination.
Types of physical examinations that can be done in the clinic include work, school, or sports physicals.
If your employer requires a drug screen, urgent care also covers you. You should make an appointment with your primary care provider if you need certain vaccines.
If you have an ailment that may require ultrasound imaging, some kids urgent care near me do ultrasounds.
They can check for ovarian cysts, appendicitis, or other causes of stomach pain. For more severe pain, you may be directed to the emergency department.
3. Kid-friendly Staff
Most children don’t look forward to seeing a doctor for various reasons. The staff at the clinic should be specially trained to work with children of any age.
The facility should have some form of entertainment for the kids, i.e., Coloring books and crayons, and TV with kid-friendly programs.
Making your child feel comfortable and at ease in an unfamiliar place is essential. If there’s something special that your child needs to rest or feel calm, don’t hesitate to bring it with you.
A favorite toy, cozy blanket, or a good book can distract your child from the pain and reduce their anxiety.
4. Cost and Time Savings
Compared to an emergency room visit, charges and co-pays at clinics are almost always less with kids urgent care near me.
Wait times are also usually shorter. However, if your child has a severe injury or illness and needs emergency care, take them straight to the nearest emergency department.
5. Technology
The clinic should use a state-of-the-art electronic health record system. This lets us quickly find and share information with your child’s care team.
The critical care reservations system helps you see approximate wait times at each of our locations and even reserve a time slot for a specific time and place.
You can make a reservation directly from your computer or mobile device. Online reservations can reduce wait times in the clinic and let you stay in the comfort of your home until you need to come in.Â
This option can also help you find the closest or most convenient clinic, even the one with the shortest wait.
6. Referrals
You may know your problem but need help determining where to seek proper medical care. Urgent care providers can refer you to specialists for more specific treatment.
7. Education
Clinics will provide thorough discharge instructions that give you plenty of information on your child’s condition, what to do at home, and when and where to follow up.
Your providers and nurses must take the time to make sure you understand everything you need to do to care for your child.
8. Prescriptions for Treatment
Urgent care providers can prescribe medications. That means you can get the prescriptions you need when you need them. Antibiotics can even be prescribed for symptoms such as tooth pain or infections.
9. Bring Your Child’s Medical History and a List of Medications
Having critical information readily available is always a good idea, as providers and staff may ask for it multiple times.
When you go to a doctor’s clinic with your child, it’s essential to have some vital information at hand.Â
This includes the following:
- Name and contact information of your child’s pediatrician and any other doctor
- Their health insurance details
- Any known allergies
- Their past medical and surgical history
- List of all current medications they are taking (including prescriptions, over-the-counter painkillers, homeopathic medicines, vitamins, and supplements).
It’s also helpful to provide a chronological sequence of events that led to your child’s clinic visit. This information will help the doctor provide the best possible care for your child.
It is also essential to know the time your child last ate. Patients must wait for the doctor’s approval before eating or drinking.
The main reason is to protect your child if he needs a procedure and/or receives any medications requiring an empty stomach. It’s a good idea to refrain from eating in front of your child during this time.
10. ERs are Not First Come, First Serve
It’s important to understand that the ER prioritizes patients based on their level of sickness, so waiting times may vary. However, if your pediatrician calls the hospital before your arrival, it can help speed up the process.Â
Pediatricians are busy, sometimes leading to excessive waits before an appointment. Urgent care is the place to go if your child’s illness or injury needs immediate attention but isn’t an emergency.Â
A walk-in or virtual visit can likely diagnose and treat your child’s issue. In addition, depending on how sick your child is, they may need blood work and/or imaging.Â
Realize that lab work and/or imaging results can take a long time to return. As they say, patience is a virtue!
Important Facts About Finding Kids Urgent Care Near Me…
Urgent care isn’t replacing emergency services or routine preventive checkups with your primary care provider.
If your emergency needs include chest pain, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, severe dizziness, confusion or headache, stroke symptoms, or a severe allergic reaction, go to the nearest emergency department.
