Everyone should have a primary care doctor. However, sometimes minor emergencies or issues come up that require urgent attention. When this situation arises, it may be time to look into a walk-in Clinic in NJ. Below are a few tips about what to bring, and what to expect, when heading to an urgent care clinic near NJ for treatment that can help patients make the most of their visit.
At Check-In
Those with medical insurance should be sure to bring their insurance card, as they will require it to fill out relevant paperwork. Co-pays are typically due upon arrival, just like at the doctor’s office. Some clinics also provide in-house medication dispensing, which can be extremely helpful for those who are visiting, rather than local, and need to get new prescriptions for controlled medications while on the Island. Be sure to bring a photo ID.
During the Visit
It’s important to keep in mind that an urgent care clinic is not the same thing as a primary care doctor. Although there are plenty of things their trained physicians can assist patients with, including both diagnostic testing and treatment of a variety of diseases and acute injuries, they don’t usually provide routine physicals.
Since the doctor will not know each patient’s medical history, as a primary care physician would, it’s helpful to bring medication lists and to make a point of differentiating between acute symptoms that may be related to whatever problem the patient is having and chronic symptoms that are unpleasant, but not abnormal for the patient.
Walk in treatment should be available for patients suffering from minor emergencies and, typically, the wait times are comparable to, or even less than, those at the emergency room. It’s important to note that, although they are extremely helpful, there are some services that walk-in clinics just can’t provide. Clinics in NJ such as My Insta Doc Urgent Care can provide emergency care if the situation is not life-threatening. Those that are experiencing symptoms such as chest pain, deep puncture wounds with excessive bleeding, or loss of consciousness need to go immediately to the emergency room instead.