When a family member needs medical care, it’s often difficult to decide whether to go to the doctor’s office, an emergency room, or a community walk-in clinic. Where can you go if a medical situation arises late at night or over the weekend? Orange Beach Walk-In Medical Care in Orange Beach, AL, offers convenient and affordable medical care in a professional, welcoming environment. Their extended service hours make it easy to fit the treatments you need into your schedule.

Below, the clinic staff shares the top three benefits of after-hours medical care—and the next time you need medical attention, you’ll have a better understanding of how a walk-in clinic can help.

3 Reasons to Choose After-Hours Medical Care

Professional Help Is Always Available

Your regular doctor’s office is most likely only open during regular business hours on weekdays. They may have a message service to call when the office is closed in the evening and over the weekend, but what should you do if you need a doctor right away? The after-hours medical care provided by urgent centers is available day or night and on weekends. You can also visit a walk-in clinic for care without a referral from your doctor, a critical benefit for patients who may not have a primary care provider. Many after-hours clinics make a point to be fully staffed and prepared to see patients at times when regular offices are not open.

The Waiting Room Is Less Crowded

When in doubt, many people head straight to the nearest emergency room. Unfortunately, this leads to overcrowding and longer wait times. In the emergency room, doctors have to triage patients, meaning they determine which patients need the most immediate attention based on the severity of their condition. At facility that offers after-hours medical care, patients are still treated according to how serious their situation is, but the smaller number of people visiting the clinic and the availability of doctors and nurses help reduce the time you have to wait.

Care Is Less Expensive

For many people, the cost of care determines where they go for medical attention, or if they go at all. Not everyone has health insurance, which means going to the doctor or an emergency room can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. One study found that a trip to the emergency room for a case of strep throat could cost over $500. Going to an urgent care clinic for testing and treatment of strep throat, however, cost a little over $100.  For many family medicine needs, walk-in clinics are a cost-effective alternative to emergency room visits.

Call Orange Beach Walk-In Medical Care at (251) 964­-7425 to ask about their extended hours, and visit them online for more information about the types of health care services they provide.