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.
There are approximately eleven thousands clinics spread across nine thousand regions across the United States. Many of the clinics, especially those run by churches and charities are free of charge. Others, such as those run by pharmacies and local authorities charge a nominal fee. These clinics are not formally organized in any way and there is no or little central coordination. Patients cannot make appointments but simply have to wait their turn.
These clinics are not coordinated or regulated in any way. They all operate independently from each other. The services offered by the clinics also differ from one to the other. Some only work with pregnant women and infants, others treat only emergency cases and many will address a wide range of ailments and complaints. Patients need no appointments but they have to wait their turn.
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 do praise the efforts of those trying to help the poor but they nevertheless maintain the position that these clinics simply do not provide proper medical care. They have too little staff and most patients have to wait for many hours to get helped. The long queues make it impossible to spend sufficient time with every patient. Under those circumstances proper medical care is simply not possible.
Only a very small number of clinics enjoy the services of a full time doctor. The others are mostly staffed by nurses that are not trained to make diagnoses and that are not allowed to prescribe medication. As a result, only the symptoms experienced by patients can be treated and all too often the underlying disease is never identified and treated.
Another point of contention for critics is the fact that clinics never keep accurate medical histories of their clients. These records and a medical history are important, as any house doctor will testify. It is often very difficult to make accurate diagnoses or to decide upon a treatment plan if there are no records related to medication previously used by the patient or conditions previously treated.
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.
There are approximately eleven thousands clinics spread across nine thousand regions across the United States. Many of the clinics, especially those run by churches and charities are free of charge. Others, such as those run by pharmacies and local authorities charge a nominal fee. These clinics are not formally organized in any way and there is no or little central coordination. Patients cannot make appointments but simply have to wait their turn.
These clinics are not coordinated or regulated in any way. They all operate independently from each other. The services offered by the clinics also differ from one to the other. Some only work with pregnant women and infants, others treat only emergency cases and many will address a wide range of ailments and complaints. Patients need no appointments but they have to wait their turn.
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 do praise the efforts of those trying to help the poor but they nevertheless maintain the position that these clinics simply do not provide proper medical care. They have too little staff and most patients have to wait for many hours to get helped. The long queues make it impossible to spend sufficient time with every patient. Under those circumstances proper medical care is simply not possible.
Only a very small number of clinics enjoy the services of a full time doctor. The others are mostly staffed by nurses that are not trained to make diagnoses and that are not allowed to prescribe medication. As a result, only the symptoms experienced by patients can be treated and all too often the underlying disease is never identified and treated.
Another point of contention for critics is the fact that clinics never keep accurate medical histories of their clients. These records and a medical history are important, as any house doctor will testify. It is often very difficult to make accurate diagnoses or to decide upon a treatment plan if there are no records related to medication previously used by the patient or conditions previously treated.
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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