Find Urgent Care today

Find and book appointments for:

Can You Make an Appointment at Urgent Care?

Key Points

  • Urgent care is a suitable option for acute symptoms that don't require an emergency room visit. It's important to ensure you're seen by a qualified doctor, get all your questions answered, and receive the best care at an affordable cost.
  • Booking an appointment for urgent care, while not mandatory, can significantly reduce waiting times. On average, people who book appointments with Solv wait less than 8 minutes, while walk-ins wait at least twice as long.
  • Booking online is preferred by 70% of urgent care patients, as it reduces uncertainty and waiting times. Solv allows you to book appointments round the clock, ensuring you get timely care when needed.
  • Solv offers benefits such as 24/7 appointment booking, creating an account to hold important information and easy re-booking, and managing your insurance details seamlessly.
  • Despite walk-in urgent care visits lasting anywhere between 15 minutes to 2 hours, they are still faster and more affordable than emergency room visits. Using Solv to book your urgent care visit online can save time and ensure quality care.

If you or your child have symptoms that are acute enough to seek immediate care but not so severe that you need to spend hours (and hundreds of dollars) at the emergency room, you’ll likely want to head to urgent care. Once you make the decision to go to an urgent care center nstead of the ER, you probably want to know how you can have the urgent care experience possible.

You want to make sure you are:

  • Seen by a qualified doctor

  • Get answers to all of your questions

  • Get the best care at the best cost.

An often overlooked right you also have as a patient is knowing how long is this going to take. The easiest way to get a realistic view of clinic availability and wait time is by booking an appointment with Solv before going to the clinic.

Do I Need an Appointment for Urgent Care?

The answer to this is two-fold. On one hand, you don’t technically need an appointment — virtually all urgent care clinics accept walk-in patients. On the other, booking an appointment for an urgent care visit can save you a ton of time.

In fact, the average time people who book an appointment with Solv wait is under 8 minutes (that’s only about 3 minutes longer than you’d wait for your morning coffee at Starbucks!). Walk-ins without an appointment wait at least 2 times longer than those who have an appointment.

Most importantly, you can book appointments around the clock. That means that when it’s 11pm, the clinic is closed, and your kids catch a virus, you can rest easy knowing you have an appointment first thing in the morning.

Still, the wait times at urgent care centers are far shorter than those at an emergency room (which can range from one to four hours), and you’ll receive care at a fraction of the cost.

Can You Make an Appointment at Urgent Care?

Key Points

  • Urgent care is a suitable option for acute symptoms that don't require an emergency room visit. It's important to ensure you're seen by a qualified doctor, get all your questions answered, and receive the best care at an affordable cost.
  • Booking an appointment for urgent care, while not mandatory, can significantly reduce waiting times. On average, people who book appointments with Solv wait less than 8 minutes, while walk-ins wait at least twice as long.
  • Booking online is preferred by 70% of urgent care patients, as it reduces uncertainty and waiting times. Solv allows you to book appointments round the clock, ensuring you get timely care when needed.
  • Solv offers benefits such as 24/7 appointment booking, creating an account to hold important information and easy re-booking, and managing your insurance details seamlessly.
  • Despite walk-in urgent care visits lasting anywhere between 15 minutes to 2 hours, they are still faster and more affordable than emergency room visits. Using Solv to book your urgent care visit online can save time and ensure quality care.

If you or your child have symptoms that are acute enough to seek immediate care but not so severe that you need to spend hours (and hundreds of dollars) at the emergency room, you’ll likely want to head to urgent care. Once you make the decision to go to an urgent care center nstead of the ER, you probably want to know how you can have the urgent care experience possible.

You want to make sure you are:

  • Seen by a qualified doctor

  • Get answers to all of your questions

  • Get the best care at the best cost.

An often overlooked right you also have as a patient is knowing how long is this going to take. The easiest way to get a realistic view of clinic availability and wait time is by booking an appointment with Solv before going to the clinic.

Do I Need an Appointment for Urgent Care?

The answer to this is two-fold. On one hand, you don’t technically need an appointment — virtually all urgent care clinics accept walk-in patients. On the other, booking an appointment for an urgent care visit can save you a ton of time.

In fact, the average time people who book an appointment with Solv wait is under 8 minutes (that’s only about 3 minutes longer than you’d wait for your morning coffee at Starbucks!). Walk-ins without an appointment wait at least 2 times longer than those who have an appointment.

Most importantly, you can book appointments around the clock. That means that when it’s 11pm, the clinic is closed, and your kids catch a virus, you can rest easy knowing you have an appointment first thing in the morning.

Still, the wait times at urgent care centers are far shorter than those at an emergency room (which can range from one to four hours), and you’ll receive care at a fraction of the cost.

When Should You Visit Urgent Care?

Urgent care facilities serve as a convenient alternative to emergency rooms for non-life-threatening medical issues that require immediate attention. They are also a great choice for when you are not able to wait for an appointment with your primary care doctor. Understanding when to visit urgent care can help you receive timely treatment while alleviating the burden on emergency services. Here are some common situations that warrant a visit to urgent care:

Flu, Cold, Sore Throat, Cough, Fever

If you're experiencing symptoms of the flu or a cold, like a persistent cough, sore throat, or high fever that are affecting your daily activities, urgent care can provide a quick assessment and treatment options, such as medications to alleviate symptoms or tests to rule out more serious conditions.

Persistent Eye Discomfort

Eye issues such as redness, irritation, or sudden vision changes can be concerning. Urgent care can help diagnose and treat conditions like conjunctivitis or foreign objects in the eye, ensuring you receive the appropriate care without long waits.

Sprains and Strains

Whether from sports injuries or accidents, sprains and strains can be painful and limit mobility. Urgent care can evaluate the injury, provide pain relief, and recommend a treatment plan, including possible imaging if necessary.

Moderate Breathing Difficulties

If you're experiencing moderate shortness of breath, wheezing, or other respiratory issues that are not severe enough for the emergency room, urgent care can offer treatments such as nebulizers or medications to help manage your symptoms.

Cuts That Don’t Involve Much Blood but Might Need Stitches

Minor cuts and lacerations that may require stitches or glue can be treated effectively at urgent care. Staff can clean the wound and provide proper closure to reduce the risk of infection and promote healing.

Nausea, Digestive Issues

If you're dealing with persistent nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that isn't severe enough to require hospitalization, urgent care can help assess your condition, provide hydration, and recommend treatments for relief.

Rashes or Itchiness

Skin irritations, rashes, or allergic reactions can be uncomfortable and concerning. Urgent care can help diagnose the cause of the rash and provide treatments such as topical medications or antihistamines.

Ear Pain or Discomfort

Ear infections or blockages can lead to significant discomfort. Urgent care can evaluate your symptoms, provide pain relief, and prescribe antibiotics if an infection is present.

Severe Muscle or Joint Aches

If you're experiencing significant pain in your muscles or joints due to an injury or overexertion, urgent care can provide pain management and assess whether further treatment or imaging is needed.

You Lack Health Insurance or Are Underinsured

For individuals without health insurance or those who are underinsured, urgent care centers often provide a more affordable alternative for immediate medical needs compared to emergency rooms, making healthcare more accessible.

Visiting urgent care for these conditions can ensure you receive timely and appropriate care, helping you get back to your daily life more quickly.

Benefits of Booking Online with Solv:

Emergencies happen and sometimes you need care fast. At Solv, we believe that you should be able to get last-minute, quality care without the wait. When you use Solv to make a same-day urgent care appointment, you’ll be seen even faster.

Less time spent waiting and knowing that you’re getting quality and affordable care? It doesn’t get much better than that! Here are the biggest benefits of booking with SolvHealth:

You can book an appointment 24/7

Let’s face it: going to urgent care is stressful. But you can cut down on the amount of additional stress you have to deal with by knowing exactly when you’ll be seen by a doctor. Less stress can also mean better health, according to some doctors.

You can create an account

Your Solv account holds all the important information you and your family need and makes it easy to book appointments for all your family members. After your first visit, re-book the same urgent care center in just a couple of clicks.

You can add and manage your insurance

Take a photo of your insurance card with your smartphone, have our system seamlessly transcribe it, and transmit your policy details to the urgent care clinic. Once it is in there for you and your family, you don't have to mess with it for your next visit, saving you time and hassle.

For more information on how to make the most of your visit to urgent care, check out our guide for urgent care appointments.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is the purpose of going to urgent care instead of an emergency room?

    Urgent care is designed for situations where you or your child have symptoms that require immediate care but are not severe enough to warrant a trip to the emergency department. This can save you both time and money as emergency department visits can be expensive and you may wait for a long time to be seen by a doctor.

  • Do I need to make an appointment before going to an urgent care clinic?

    While it is not necessary to make an appointment before going to an urgent care clinic, it can save you a significant amount of time. Patients who book an appointment with Solv wait an average of 8 minutes, while walk-ins without an appointment wait at least twice as long. To make your appointment go as smoothly as possible, check out our ultimate checklist for what to bring to urgent care.

  • What are the benefits of booking an urgent care appointment online?

    Booking an urgent care appointment online can reduce your wait time significantly. It also allows you to book appointments around the clock and reduces the uncertainty and stress associated with waiting for care.

History
  • Published on July 30 2018

    Written by Molly Frank

Solv App

Quality healthcare is just a
click away with the Solv App

Book same-day care for you and your family

Find top providers near you
Choose in-person or video visits
Manage visits on-the-go
Get the FREE App

Related Health Concerns

Abdominal Pain

Bloating

COVID-19 Test

COVID-19 Vaccine

Cataract Surgery

Daycare Physical

Dental Bridges

Gonorrhea

Gout

Herpes

Myomectomy

Pinched Nerve

Pneumonia

Pregnancy

Rotator Cuff Injury

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Stress

Urine Culture

This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By using Solv, you accept our use of cookies.