Imagine for a moment that you are sick or injured. And for whatever reason, you’re unable to get to the emergency room or doctor’s office. You start to worry– but then you remember hearing about mobile urgent care. And you think to yourself, “what is that, anyway?”
Urgent care can now be mobile. Mobile urgent care is a healthcare service for urgent illnesses and injuries that sends medical providers such as physician assistants or nurse practitioners to the patient. Rather than evaluating a patient in a free-standing urgent care clinic or medical facility, mobile urgent care services travel to homes, apartments, assisted living facilities, and other residences.
The convenience of mobile urgent care makes it an attractive option when you want to see a doctor, but is it the same as traditional urgent care in terms of cost, services, and quality? Mobile urgent care is a good thing. But it is not the best choice when you need a doctor or have a chronic medical condition. Read on. I’ll explain.
In general, the cost of a mobile urgent care visit is similar to that of an in-person urgent care visit. According to Dr. Franz Ritucci, President of the American Academy of Urgent Care Medicine, the average cost of an urgent care visit is $100-$150, depending on the insurance co-pay and the level of treatment. Depending on how the mobile urgent care bills the visit with your insurance, the cost is typically the same.
If you don’t have health insurance, ask your provider about the out-of-pocket responsibility. Mobile urgent care visits usually include diagnostic testing. For example, the provider might collect a urine sample. The price for additional tests varies. However, some mobile urgent care services perform visits based on a flat fee.
Nearly a century ago, it was standard practice for a doctor to visit a sick or injured patient at their home. House calls declined in the 1950s but are making a resurgence, and for good reason. Many of the tests and treatments that patients need can now be administered in the home setting.
When you seek urgent care for an illness or injury, you want to find out what is wrong with you. That may mean lab work or diagnostic scans to determine how to proceed with treatment. Thanks to advancements in medical technology, many diagnostic tests can now be performed in the home.
Some of the treatments that mobile urgent care provides include:
In addition, mobile units can administer medications like injections or antibiotics. If you need an X-ray to check for a bone fracture, you can even have a mobile X-ray done in your home. Echocardiograms, ultrasounds, and pulmonary function tests can also be obtained without leaving home. One recent study in the American Journal of Cardiology found that mobile echocardiograms were an effective way to reduce in-person visits to the emergency room and hospital.
So far, mobile urgent care seems like a great alternative to a doctor’s visit, right? Well, not quite. Patients want to know that they are getting the best treatment. Here’s where you will see that mobile urgent care might not be the best choice.
Walk-in urgent care clinics are managed by doctors, nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician assistants (PAs) who diagnose and prescribe treatment for patients. You will most likely get an NP or PA, but you might get to see the doctor.
Mobile urgent care services use NPs and PAs to perform in-home visits. While they are experienced and are good at what they do, there are some more serious injuries or illnesses that should be seen by a doctor.
If you live in the state of Nevada, you have another option. It’s called the Mobile Virtual Physician Visit.
My Virtual Physician, the leader in telemedicine, recently launched a unique solution for Nevada residents who need mobile care and want to see a doctor. Their home visit program gives patients the best of both worlds. They get the convenience of an in-home visit and the presence of a top-rated, board-certified medical doctor.
Like the mobile urgent care model, the Mobile Virtual Physician Visit sends a medical professional to the home. But unlike other mobile urgent care providers in the area like Dispatch Health and Doctor Oo, My Virtual Physician allows patients to talk to a highly-rated doctor in real-time through video technology. A medical assistant performs the “hands-on” services, like vital signs and lab draws. They serve as a go-between for the patient and the doctor.
The best part about this option is that it is ideal for all patients. If you have a sudden injury or a long-term health problem and need more than an urgent care visit, the Mobile Virtual Physician is a good choice for you. Even if you don’t have a serious illness and you just want to skip the waiting room to see a doctor, now you can.
Next time you need to visit urgent care, consider using mobile urgent care instead– or, if you’re in Nevada, think Mobile Virtual Physician. These are truly the best options when it comes to quality, services, and cost.
To find out more about the Mobile Visiting Physician, click to chat now.
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“Emergency Rooms vs. Urgent Care Centers”. debt.org. Accessed May 3, 2022.
“Usefulness of Mobile Electrocardiographic Devices to Reduce Urgent Healthcare Visits”. Sciencedirect.com. Accessed May 3, 2022.
