When to Go to Urgent Care vs. the ER
You slice your finger while cutting an onion; the cut looks deep, and you may need stitches. You have mild chest pains or a sprained ankle. Your child won’t stop vomiting, or the stomach pain that started out mild is getting worse.
When situations like this arise outside your primary care doctor’s regular hours, it can be difficult to determine whether you should go to an urgent care facility or the ER. Each illness and injury is different, so it’s important to assess the seriousness of the situation. Understanding the main differences between urgent and ER care and which one you should choose depending on your condition is key to prompt care.
If you experience a life-threatening emergency, you should call 911 or visit an ER as soon as possible.
What Does Urgent Care Treat?
Urgent care centers are ideal for non-life-threatening medical situations that require same-day care. They are especially beneficial when your primary care doctor’s office is closed or you are still seeking a primary care physician.
An urgent care center is an ideal choice if you have any common injury or illness, including:
- Allergies and mild asthma
- Back pain or muscle strain
- Bites or stings
- Blisters
- Bronchitis
- Cuts and scrapes
- Burning with urination
- Cold or flu symptoms
- Cough or sore throat
- Diarrhea
- Earache or sinus pain
- Eye irritation
- Fever
- Minor allergic reactions
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Rashes and minor burns
- Minor sprains and strains
- Upper respiratory infections
- Vomiting
Urgent care facilities are typically staffed with physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses, who can offer additional services including physicals, screenings, vaccinations, lab services, and stitches.
What to Expect at an Urgent Care Center
Knowing what to expect and being prepared for your urgent care visit can help ensure you get the best care possible. When you arrive, you’ll check in at the reception desk and be asked to describe your symptoms, review your insurance information, and complete any necessary paperwork.
If you’ve made an appointment, you’ll be shown to an exam room. If one is not immediately available, there should only be a short wait. After that, it’s very similar to a regular doctor’s appointment.
A nurse will take your vitals, and then a physician or nurse practitioner will review your symptoms and run any necessary tests. They’ll discuss medications they plan to prescribe, ensuring you understand how and when to take them. If your symptoms are more severe or require follow-up care, they will suggest you follow up with a primary care physician.
Benefits of Urgent Care
Urgent care centers offer numerous benefits to patients and the healthcare system, serving as a bridge between primary care physicians and emergency rooms. Some of the major benefits of urgent care for patients include:
- Urgent care clinics operate on a first-come, first-serve basis, so there’s very little wait time
- Urgent care is typically less expensive than a visit to the ER, and it accepts most major insurances, including Medicare, Medicaid, and workers’ compensation.
- Most urgent care locations are open evenings, weekends, and holidays.
What Does the ER Treat?
Sometimes, it’s obvious that you’re experiencing an emergency. Other times, it might not be so evident, so how do you know when to visit the ER? If you are experiencing any sort of trauma or life-threatening illness, including any sudden onset of pain, that’s a good indicator that you should visit an ER.
The following is not a complete list but guidelines of the types of conditions that may require an ER visit:
- Asthma attacks
- Broken bones or dislocated joints
- Burns with blisters
- Chest pain or difficulty breathing
- Coughing or vomiting up blood
- Fever over 103 degrees or fever with a rash
- Head injuries, loss of consciousness, fainting, confusion, or seizures
- Larger cuts that may require stitches
- Mental health crisis
- Poisoning
- Pregnant women in labor
- Severe abdominal pain
- Severe allergic reaction
- Severe dizziness
- Slurred speech, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, or other signs of stroke
- Uncontrolled bleeding
- Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
- Vision problems, such as double vision or loss of vision
- Vomiting or diarrhea that doesn’t stop
What Happens When You Go to the ER?
ERs are designed to treat emergencies quickly and efficiently. That’s why they follow a triage system, which means patients with the most urgent medical conditions are seen first. However, this can mean long wait times sitting in the lobby. Once you’re in the exam room, the physician will order any tests needed. Since it’s the ER, they have access to advanced imaging like MRI and CT scans, and you get all test results same-day before leaving.
Afterwards, the ER team will determine if you can be safely discharged to follow up with your primary physician or if you need to be admitted to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
Benefits of Emergency Rooms
Emergency Rooms (ERs) serve as a cornerstone of the healthcare system, offering life-saving services that are unparalleled in other medical settings. The primary benefits of an ER for patients include:
- 24/7 access to care—even on holidays.
- ERs accept most insurances; however, depending upon your deductible and your plan, your costs may be significantly higher than those of a visit to urgent care or a trip to your primary care physician.
- ERs are connected to hospitals, so they typically have access to more resources, including specialists and advanced imagining technologies.
- ERs have easy access to on-call surgeons if you need emergency surgery.
Urgent Care Services at AllCare
At AllCare, we make it easy to address your urgent medical needs with comprehensive exams, testing, and treatments provided by our expert team. Our patient-centric approach ensures you receive quality care. With primary care physicians in the same facility, follow-up care is seamless and convenient. Find an urgent care clinic near you, or schedule an appointment online today.