Dr Oz: Walk-In Medical Clinics
Dr Oz said that walk-in medical clinics are open 365 days a year, 12 hours a day, and wanted to know if they were safe and able to handle all of your medical needs. To find out, he put investigative reporter Elisabeth Leamy on the case.
When Nina punctured her finger, she went to the doctor and got an x-ray and tetanus shot without an appointment and without waiting, all by going to her local urgent care center. Within a few years, there will be just as many walk-in medical clinics in the U.S. as there are Starbucks. Now even drugstores and grocery stores offer medical clinics called retail clinics, where you don’t need an appointment to see a nurse or physician assistant.
Dr Oz asked Elisabeth Leamy to report whether walk-in clinics were safe and reliable for treating certain medical conditions. (natrot / Shutterstock.com)
But that doesn’t mean you should completely forgo your primary care physician, because they’re the ones who know you and your history.
Dr Oz: Have You Used A Walk-In Clinic?
Elisabeth joined Dr Oz and shared that she’s used a clinic before because her daughter was projectile vomiting but her pediatrician was out of town. A woman in the audience shared that she visited a walk-in clinic before because it takes three weeks to get an appointment with her doctor and sometimes she doesn’t have three weeks to wait. She cut her finger and needed stitches, visited the clinic, and was in and out in an hour.
Dr Oz: Cost Of Walk-In Clinics Vs Primary Care
Dr Oz then wanted Elisabeth to walk through how expensive it is to visit a walk-in clinic versus other options. For those on the “Dr. Oz plan,” a co-pay at urgent care would cost $40. At a retail clinic, the co-pay is also $40. At the ER, the co-pay is $150 and the average time is four hours. To see a primary care physician, the co-pay is just $25.
If you go to a clinic, be sure to get the records from the clinic to take to your primary care physician, so they know what happened.
Dr Oz: Where To Go For Medical Issues
Dr Oz then wanted to explain where you should go for certain things. He explained that you should take a trip to the emergency room for a serious injury, severe chest pain, or a temperature over 103.
You should see your primary care physician for your annual checkup, a chronic condition, or a persistent condition. You can go to a retail clinic for routine vaccines and lab tests, or easy-to-diagnose illnesses.
Urgent Care is good for when you’re away from home or it’s after hours or a weekend. They’re also good for animal bites, cuts, or non-severe allergic reactions.
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