Walk-in Clinic

26 Aug 2021 admin

Telemedicine Walk-in Clinics vs. Urgent Care Clinics: Know What to Expect

Virtually every Canadian understands that they can go to a hospital emergency room if they need immediate care for major injuries and illnesses. But what many Canadians may not realize is that there are two alternatives to visiting a crowded emergency room if they don’t have life-threatening injuries: an urgent care clinic and a telemedicine walk-in clinic. They might sound like they perform similar functions, but they do vary. A telemedicine walk-in clinic allow patients to speak with a doctor virtually and get immediate care for non-emergency or non-urgent situation. An urgent care clinic doesn’t treat life threatening injuries or illnesses, either, but they are equipped to treat minor burns, broken bones that need a cast, and stitches. You will also see a doctor in person, although wait times could be long. Below we take a more comprehensive look at the differences between a telemedicine walk-in clinic and urgent care clinic and what you can expect.

What Is a Telemedicine Walk-In Clinic?

A telemedicine clinic is just like a traditional clinic, only the doctor will appear on a large screen using secure video conferencing technology. A telemedicine walk-in clinic provides immediate, same-day care for non-urgent, non-life-threatening emergency situations. With a walk-in clinic, you can skip waiting around an emergency room or waiting for the doctor’s office to open. Patients are registered and triaged upon arrival by a telemedicine coordinator (nurse) who will also assist with facilitating the visit. Many walk-in clinics also have extended hours and are open on weekends, which is an excellent option since people don’t always get sick or injured during regular office hours. MD Connected’s telemedicine clinics are open from 8:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Not only are walk-in clinics convenient they also provide the same kind of high-quality care you’d find at a hospital or emergency room. That’s because medical doctors or nurse practitioners provide, or oversee, the services and are governed under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1992, and Health Profession Acts. Telemedicine is safe, secure, private, and confidential.

What Is an Urgent Care Centre?

An urgent care centre bridges the gap between a walk-in clinic and hospital emergency room. Designed to treat complex or urgent health concerns, urgent care clinics provide extended hour access for people who have unexpected but non-life-threatening health concerns that require same day treatment. At an urgent care centre, you can either arrive on your own or be transported there by an ambulance. Because urgent care clinics treat more serious health issues, they work on a triage system, not a first-come, first-serve basis and you do not make an appointment ahead of time. This means patients at an urgent care centre are seen based on their medical condition and severity of their health, with the sickest patients being seen first. Urgent care centres are run by a team of nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians. They also have an on-site laboratory and x-ray department.

Available Care at a Walk-In Clinic

The health professionals at a telemedicine walk-in clinic are trained to provide you with personalized end-to-end care, through a diagnosis, assessment, and treatment plan. Some non-life-threatening ailments that get treated at a walk-in clinic include:

• Sever cold or flu
• Sinus infection
• Serious earache
• Allergies & asthma
• Migraine
• Fever
• Bruises
• Vaccinations
• Minor cuts and burns
• Mild eye injury
• Back pain
• Sprains

Available Care at an Urgent Care Centre

An urgent care centre provides a transitional step of health service between doctor’s offices and hospitals. They provide a much broader and deeper range of services than a doctor’s office and walk-in clinic. But they are not the same as a hospital emergency room. If you’ve fractured a bone, need stitches, or are experiencing sever flu-like symptoms and your regular family doctor isn’t available, you should get yourself to an urgent care centre. Some other reasons you might visit an urgent care centre include:

• Fractures or sprains
• Burns
• Lacerations
• Dehydration
• Rashes
• Urinary problems
• Vomiting
• Pain
• Infections

Your Guide to Choosing between a Walk-In Clinic & Urgent Care

Oftentimes, the scope of an illness or injury can overlap, which can make deciding on whether to go to a telemedicine walk-in clinic, urgent care centre, or hospital emergency room difficult or confusing. Below is a guide to help make the decision easier.

MD Connected Walk-In Clinic	Urgent Care Centre	Hospital Emergency Room
Sunburn	Moderate Burn	Severe Burn
Sprains & Bruises	Minor Break	Major Break & Head Injury
Mild Fever, Cold, or Cough	Moderate Fever, Vomiting	Severe Fever, Poisoning
Seasonal Allergies	Asthma, Short Breath	Chest Pain
Mild Skin Rash	All-Over Body Rash	Rash with Anaphylaxis

MD Connected Ltd. – Canadian Healthcare Made Simple

With MD Connected, you can see a doctor or nurse practitioner without needing to go to the doctor’s office. Through its dedicated and partnership walk-in clinics serving Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area, MD Connected provides a full spectrum of care for patients of every age that are not experiencing a life-threatening emergency. Convenient, fast, and friendly, the nurses at MD Connected’s walk-in clinics can help you set up a virtual call with doctors and specialists. Just because the doctor is remote, doesn’t mean you sacrifice quality. You still get the same high level of care as you would visiting a doctor in person. If you can’t make it to one of our walk-in clinics, you can always connect with a doctor or nurse practitioner through our website. Simply click the “book a virtual visit” button on our website and request an appointment and connect with one of our doctors. It’s that simple. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have used MD Connected for general consultations, prescription renewal, sexual health, mental wellness, travel health, and sick notes and forms. MD Connected is led by a diverse team of doctors with varying backgrounds and provides its specialty services in multiple languages. To learn more about MD Connected, contact us by visiting www.mdconnected.ca or e-mail us at mydoc@mdconnected.ca