When people fall ill they realize that their health is to most important thing in their lives. No amount of money or possessions can compensate for good health. This is of little consolation to the poor however. When they fall ill or injure themselves they have very limited options. The cost of medical treatment has soared to heights where very few people can afford it without comprehensive medical insurance. Thankfully, at least at a walk in physician clinic Annandale VA patients can expect basic medical treatment.
The more than eleven thousand clinics in the United States are spread over some nine thousand regions. This makes them fairly accessible to most people. Some of these clinics are run by pharmacies in shopping centers, others by charities and churches and a few of them by local authorities such as town councils. The majority of these clinics are free of charge but a few charges a small fee.
The level of care offered by these clinics differs from one to the other. Some will only attend to emergencies. Others offer a wider range of services, including the treatment of minor wounds and diseases. Yet others only deal with family planning issues and the immunization of infants. Those without medical insurance should make sure that they know where these clinics are and, more importantly, what services it offer.
Even though the majority of clinics offer very limited services, they remain extremely popular. Almost everyone lives reasonably close to one. None of these clinics ever discriminates in any way such as insisting on proof of residency. Anyone can go to a clinic and expect to be helped without having to answer awkward questions. Another benefit is that most clinics are open from early to late.
Critics say that while the intentions of those running these clinics are admirable, they do not offer proper medical care at acceptable standards. They accept too many patients and waiting times can therefore be many hours. At the same time, these clinics are short of all resources. They do not have enough staff and patients are therefore processed as quickly as possible which inevitably result in inferior service.
Another issue worrying critics is the fact that precious few clinics have a doctor in attendance on a regular basis. Patents are seen by nurses who are not trained to make diagnoses and who are not authorized to prescribe medication. A shortage of vital equipment such as X ray machines makes matter even worse. The result is that most clinics cannot do much more than treat symptoms instead of the real problem.
Critics are particularly worried about the fact that clinics treat patients without any access to their medical histories. They do not know what medication they used in the past, whether they suffer from allergies or whether they have a family history for certain conditions. Without this history it is often extremely difficult to decide upon a treatment regime and it is easy to make mistakes.
It is lamentable that so many people have to suffer from diseases and injuries simply because they cannot pay the high fees demanded by doctors, specialists and hospitals. Clinics at least try to help and in many cases they make a real difference in the lives of their patients. Hopefully access to decent medical care will become a higher priority with the authorities.
The more than eleven thousand clinics in the United States are spread over some nine thousand regions. This makes them fairly accessible to most people. Some of these clinics are run by pharmacies in shopping centers, others by charities and churches and a few of them by local authorities such as town councils. The majority of these clinics are free of charge but a few charges a small fee.
The level of care offered by these clinics differs from one to the other. Some will only attend to emergencies. Others offer a wider range of services, including the treatment of minor wounds and diseases. Yet others only deal with family planning issues and the immunization of infants. Those without medical insurance should make sure that they know where these clinics are and, more importantly, what services it offer.
Even though the majority of clinics offer very limited services, they remain extremely popular. Almost everyone lives reasonably close to one. None of these clinics ever discriminates in any way such as insisting on proof of residency. Anyone can go to a clinic and expect to be helped without having to answer awkward questions. Another benefit is that most clinics are open from early to late.
Critics say that while the intentions of those running these clinics are admirable, they do not offer proper medical care at acceptable standards. They accept too many patients and waiting times can therefore be many hours. At the same time, these clinics are short of all resources. They do not have enough staff and patients are therefore processed as quickly as possible which inevitably result in inferior service.
Another issue worrying critics is the fact that precious few clinics have a doctor in attendance on a regular basis. Patents are seen by nurses who are not trained to make diagnoses and who are not authorized to prescribe medication. A shortage of vital equipment such as X ray machines makes matter even worse. The result is that most clinics cannot do much more than treat symptoms instead of the real problem.
Critics are particularly worried about the fact that clinics treat patients without any access to their medical histories. They do not know what medication they used in the past, whether they suffer from allergies or whether they have a family history for certain conditions. Without this history it is often extremely difficult to decide upon a treatment regime and it is easy to make mistakes.
It is lamentable that so many people have to suffer from diseases and injuries simply because they cannot pay the high fees demanded by doctors, specialists and hospitals. Clinics at least try to help and in many cases they make a real difference in the lives of their patients. Hopefully access to decent medical care will become a higher priority with the authorities.
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