When you have a medical problem and your regular doctor isn’t available, should you head to an urgent care clinic or go straight to the emergency room? Certain conditions always call for a trip to the emergency room, while other medical problems could be treated at an urgent care facility. Which medical problems lead to the need for treatment at an emergency room?
Life-Threatening Conditions
If you have chest pains or other symptoms of a stroke, call 911 or head straight to the ER. Serious bone breaks, cuts, and burns also require immediate medical attention, so consider calling an ambulance to visit the emergency room. If an animal bites you and you are bleeding profusely, head to the ER and call for medical transport if you have a serious injury to the head, neck, or spinal cord. Any person who vomits or coughs up blood should go straight to the hospital to be seen. When your infant is running a high fever, take them to the ER, as a fever in a child can quickly escalate.
Which to Choose?
When you need to be seen by a doctor and can wait up to 24 hours, choose an urgent care clinic such as Instacare rather than the ER. By visiting the clinic, you leave the ER open for those who require immediate care. Over 30 percent of emergency room visits could be handled at an urgent care clinic.
The American College of Emergency Physicians conducted a survey. This survey found that almost half of those patients who visited an ER when an urgent care clinic could treat them did so because they believed the ER would provide better care. Over 30 percent of patients who went to the ER felt their symptoms required immediate attention and just under 20 percent didn’t know enough about urgent care to determine when that would be a better option. However, each facility is designed to treat specific types of cases.
When to Visit an Urgent Care Facility
Certain medical conditions are easily treated at an urgent care center. The following ten conditions call for a visit to the urgent care provider:
- Ongoing eye discomfort
- Sprains
- Strains
- Moderate breathing difficulties
- Minor cuts that require stitches
- Digestive issues that persist
- Rashes
- Ear pain
- Severe muscle or joint pain
- Cold or flu symptoms, such as a cough, fever, or sore throat
The Cost of Receiving Care
Many people visit the ER because they won’t be expected to pay before being seen. Urgent care centers often require payment upfront, particularly if you don’t have health insurance. Before heading to the ER because you don’t have the money for an urgent care clinic, think about how much the ER visit will cost. While you won’t have to pay today, you could be paying for weeks, months, or even years after the visit to cover the cost of the ER treatment.
Final Words
Stop and ask yourself whether a trip to the ER is necessary. If you aren’t experiencing a true medical emergency, the answer is no. Not only will you probably wait longer to be seen, but the bill will be much higher than one from an urgent care clinic. Know when to use each treatment option to ensure every person has access to the appropriate level of care when needed. You’ll appreciate urgent care centers more when you need immediate medical attention and ER doctors aren’t tied up with less urgent matters. They can attend to your needs promptly.
Beth is Cloudmineinc’s senior health editor and a certified personal trainer. She has over 10 years experience as a science journalist and is the author of two books. She deadlifts over 315 lbs.