It is easy to panic when your child unexpectedly gets hurt or falls sick, and it is outside of regular business hours. With your regular pediatrician unavailable, your first instinct might be to rush to the emergency room at your nearest hospital for immediate medical care. However, remaining calm and having an established plan to handle emergencies will stand you in good stead. Unless it is a life-threatening emergency, it does not make sense to go to the ER and end up with high medical bills.

Instead, it might be a better idea to head for an urgent care pediatric office. If you do not already have one on your list, you can search online for “urgent care for pediatrics near me” and contact a reputable and experienced doctor closest to your location.

Choosing a pediatrician as an urgent care pediatric

There are four main reasons for choosing a pediatrician as an urgent care pediatric:

1. They are open to patient visits on short notice

You may not be able to see your regular pediatrician outside of their specified business hours or even get a same-day appointment for your child. However, you can conveniently do that in an urgent care pediatric clinic. You can phone them at any time, including on weekends and holidays, or turn up with your child at a moment’s notice. A friendly team will greet you and provide your child with the essential medical treatment.

2. They are experienced in treating children of all ages

The pediatrician at an urgent care pediatric clinic will have experience treating children of all ages, from infants to 18-year-olds, and that will make a difference in the treatment they provide. Your child will feel more comfortable being examined by someone competent and knowledgeable, and you will feel reassured too. Furthermore, the pediatrician will know which treatment will best serve to alleviate your child’s symptoms. It will be unrealistic to expect the same personalized care and attention in a chaotic emergency room at the hospital.

3. They have modern facilities and are affordable

When you search online for “urgent care for pediatrics near me,” it is advisable to find out about their facilities and medical equipment. You can even visit the premises and talk to the staff long before your child ever needs emergency care. Based on your findings, you can consider if you would like to go there in an urgent situation.

Fortunately, many urgent care pediatric clinics have clean facilities, the best available equipment, and well-trained, competent staff who knows how to provide high-level pediatric care to children. That can help to put you at ease and also make the visit less traumatic for your child. And the best thing is that whatever the treatment your child receives, the medical fee will be less than what you might have to pay in the ER at the hospital.

4. They offer fast and efficient services

If you take your child to the ER and the ailment turns out to be a low-priority one, you will have to wait for your turn until the doctor has finished with the more urgent cases. That can sometimes take hours, and, in the meantime, your child will be in a waiting room filled with sick people and at risk of catching a contagious disease. It could just be a recipe for disaster. A minor health issue could turn into something serious.

On the other hand, the pediatrician at the urgent care pediatric will see patients on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you arrive first, they will see your child almost immediately and be quick in their examination. They understand that children are often scared or overwhelmed in an emergency, and, so they will try to keep the visit as brief as possible.

In some cases, if the ailment is minor, the pediatrician might even suggest a phone or video consultation rather than an in-person visit. They will speak directly to your child, examine them remotely over the video call, and understand what the issue is. They will then advise a treatment plan and prescribe medication. That can usually suffice for many minor ailments like cuts, bruises, allergies, cold, fever, ear infection, diarrhea, or dehydration.