In 2023, 2.6 million private-industry workers received nonfatal workplace injuries, which was a decline of over 8% from the previous year. It’s still a lot of workers receiving injuries on the job. When you’re injured at work, you need to be seen by a doctor. ERs often lead to long waits, and your doctor may not be able to see you for several days. Urgent care centers help with workplace injuries, and the waits are rarely more than
In the U.S., 8 out of 10 people live within 10 minutes of an urgent care clinic. The average wait time for care is less than an hour, while emergency departments have an average wait time of 162 minutes. Urgent care physicians and nurses treat your workplace injuries quickly to help you get back to work. The benefits you receive are plentiful and cover the following.
Be Seen Quickly by Medical Professionals
When you go to an urgent care, doctors are there for extended hours. It’s not a 9-to-5 practice typically, and weekend availability makes it easy to be seen outside of the traditional work week. Not everyone works 9 to 5, and a workplace injury can be hard to treat the same day when you can’t find an available doctor.
That’s why people go to the ER. However, ERs are designed for emergencies, and a lot of emergencies happen every day. Car accidents, assaults, and other violent acts can cause severe injuries that are prioritized by ER staff.
If there is an emergency with injuries greater than yours, you will spend hours in the waiting room. In Urgent Care, you can check in before you arrive and prioritize how quickly you’re seen by the doctor. Even if you walk in, you’ll be seen by a doctor faster than in an ER.
Get Expert Medical Diagnoses and Treatments for a Variety of Issues
The staff in an urgent care center is a mix of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses. Due to the varying skill sets, they’re able to treat many issues and even offer routine vaccinations, blood tests, and DOT physicals.
When it comes to workplace injuries, they’re equipped to treat most ailments and issues, including:
- Allergic Reactions
Working in fields like pharmacology, manufacturing, landscaping, and food preparation exposes you to many different substances, foods, and chemicals. The chance of an allergic reaction is always there, whether you experience a skin rash from exposure to something like latex or difficulty breathing triggered by a seafood allergy.
Urgent care doctors help treat allergies and skin reactions. If needed, a consultation with an allergist can help uncover what caused the reaction in order to help prevent accidental exposure to that substance in the future.
- Burns
Both chemical burns and heat-related burns need immediate treatment. Urgent care doctors help diagnose burns and provide the proper treatment to protect your skin from additional damage and help you avoid infection.
If the pain is severe, a doctor offers guidance on the best way to ease pain. You also end up with advice on caring for your burn at home and whether the burn will prevent you from working for several days or weeks.
- Eye Injuries
Safety glasses protect your eyes, but they slipped down or you took them off and ended up with something in your eye. You might have had a piece of equipment shift abruptly and hit you in the eye, causing trauma. Eye injuries are another work-related injury that urgent care physicians help treat through treatments like eye washes or sutures.
Doctors determine if there is lasting damage and come up with a treatment plan that protects your vision. If a referral to a specialist is needed, you’ll have it before you leave the urgent care building.
- Lacerations and Wounds
When you get a cut that is deep enough that it cannot heal on its own, sutures are needed to close it up while it heals. Urgent care physicians can clean and suture deep lacerations. If the wound isn’t deep but is full of particles like broken glass, the urgent care team can remove the tiny particles, clean the wound, and bandage it to prevent infection while it heals.
If the wound is related to an animal bite, such as a delivery driver getting bitten by a loose dog, the wound is cleaned to prevent bacterial infection, and rabies shots may be needed if there’s no proof that the dog was vaccinated against rabies.
- Musculoskeletal Injuries
The musculoskeletal system includes your bones and muscles, and many workplace injuries involve bone fractures, sprains, and strains. Doctors in an urgent care clinic can x-ray an injured area and determine the best treatment. For a severe fracture, you may be referred to a hospital for surgery or bone setting services. Small fractures are splinted at the urgent care facility.
Before you leave, you’re told how to take care of your injury at home, whether physical therapy is necessary, and how long you need to be on light duty or stay home from work to allow your bone, muscle, tendon, or ligament to heal.
- Respiratory Complaints
When conditions in your workplace trigger an asthma attack or respiratory issue, urgent care is ready to help. Doctors have the tools and medications needed to diagnose your issue and ensure you have the right medications to help you breathe easier.
Plus, you have expert guidance on what to do to prevent future respiratory issues. You might need to wear a mask at work or carry an inhaler. An urgent care doctor helps you determine the best path forward.
Receive Follow-Up Care in the Same Place
If your workplace injury requires you to be seen again in a few days, instead of having to go see your family doctor, you can return to the same urgent care. You don’t have to explain what happened to a new doctor who isn’t up-to-date on the situation and treatment you underwent.
Simplify the Workers’ Compensation Claims Process
After a workplace injury, any time off while you recover requires you to put in a workers’ comp claim once you’ve alerted your employer. There are several steps you must follow to ensure your claim is approved the first time. Urgent care helps you with the claims process.
- Seek medical treatment ASAP after telling your employer.
- Fill out the claims form accurately and completely.
- Attach medical paperwork to prove you saw a doctor and received treatment.
- Return the paperwork to your employer or the insurance company.
- Stay in touch with your employer regarding the status.
- Receive medical clearance that you’re able to return to work.
Save Money
Compared to emergency room visits, urgent care centers are far more affordable. According to Procedure Rates, the cost of Fresno urgent care services ranges from $1,236 to $6,078. Go to urgent care for the same treatments and pay $44 to $169. It’s a huge savings.
Premium Urgent Care Treats Fresno-Area Workers
Even a minor injury could lead to lasting damage if you don’t see a doctor and follow medical guidance to ensure you heal correctly. A small bump on the head could lead to a concussion. A laceration that won’t stop bleeding needs to be cleaned and stitched to prevent infection from setting in.
Workplace safety only goes so far. Accidents happen, and when they do, it’s in your best interest to alert your supervisor and see a doctor at Premium Urgent Care. Your health and wellness depend on you being able to do your job safely and accurately. If you’ve been injured, it’s best to be seen and treated ASAP. Check in before you arrive and see a doctor even faster.