Is Urgent Care the Same As A Walk-in Clinic?

Walk-in clinics are staffed by a variety of medical professionals who can treat an assortment of ailments, injuries, and medical conditions.

A walk-in clinic operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with patients not being required to book an appointment and instead get seen by one of the doctors on staff in the order they come in.

The doctors employed at a walk-in clinic can include family doctors, among other areas of medical expertise. Patients can seek care at a walk-in clinic when their family doctor or primary care physician is not available, or if they don’t have a primary doctor and require medical attention.

While a walk-in clinic does have doctors on hand to diagnose and treat patients, they can be limited in what they are able to provide treatment for, based on the medical testing equipment on hand.

Walk-in clinics can treat minor injuries and illnesses such as cold and flu symptoms, sore throats including strep throat, minor cuts and abrasions, sprains, bladder infections, urinary tract infections, insect bites, bee stings, mild allergy attacks, and ear infections, among other conditions.

Urgent care operates on the same first-come, first-serve basis as a walk-in clinic with patients being able to walk in for medical treatment without the need for an appointment.

Urgent care can diagnose and treat all of the same illnesses and injuries as a walk-in clinic, as well as more complex conditions that require more diagnostic testing and more elaborate treatment options.

Many urgent care facilities have onsite diagnostic testing that is not available at a walk-in clinic, such as X-rays and laboratory services, to provide patients with urgent test results.

This allows doctors to quickly and accurately diagnose illnesses and injuries to provide the proper treatment plan, without the need to wait for additional testing or test results.

Urgent care centers are staffed with a variety of medical professionals, including specialists such as orthopedic doctors and pediatric doctors as an example, to provide more specialized treatment where needed.

Urgent care centers will often offer extended hours of operation, meaning they are open in the evenings and on the weekends, when many walk-in clinics are closed, providing patients with a convenient alternative to receiving medical attention when they need it.

At Prima Urgent Care, we are open 7 days a week, providing treatment to patients of all ages.

At an urgent care, you can expect to receive top-notch medical care for any minor to moderate medical condition. The team at Prima Urgent Care provides treatment of minor illnesses and minor injuries, as well as physical and occupational health on a walk-in basis.

Patients will be triaged to determine the severity of their condition to provide the doctors with a brief background on the reason for their visit.

Urgent care doctors are trained to diagnose and treat a wide assortment of conditions that are not life-threatening, giving patients a convenient and cost-effective option for an emergency room visit.

Many urgent care facilities, including Prima Urgent Care, have onsite laboratory services to provide patients with testing services when they are seeking medical treatment. This gives urgent care doctors the ability to quickly and accurately diagnose many illnesses and infections through blood tests, urinalysis, and other testing methods that can be run through the lab.

The decision on where to seek medical treatment will depend on the extent of the illness or injury that a person is experiencing, including illnesses and injuries such as cold and flu symptoms, sore throat, sprains, minor cuts, insect bites, and infections such as ear, bladder, and urinary tract.

Conditions that require more thorough diagnostic testing such as bloodwork or X-rays and more complex illnesses and injuries are better suited for diagnosis and treatment through urgent care.

Prima Urgent Care provides medical services to patients 7 days a week, with extended hours and onsite laboratory services. Life-threatening illnesses and injuries require urgent medical attention and care should be sought out through the nearest hospital emergency room. We serve patients from Fairfax VA, South Riding VA, Dulles VA, Chantilly VA, Stone Ridge VA, Oakton VA, Legato VA, Burke VA, Oak Hill, Lees Corner VA & BEYOND! Our Fairfax location is close to Fair Oaks Hospital, Fair Oaks Mall, and Greenbriar Shopping Center.