Know Where to Go

Should a sprained ankle or chest pains send a person to the emergency room, or is an urgent care center more appropriate?

Well, as the name suggests, emergency rooms are for emergencies: situations that could result in permanent impairment, loss of limbs or death if not treated promptly. ERs typically have long wait times and are costly — and if your insurance company determines you visited an ER for a non-emergency, you’re footing the bill yourself. So, if you don’t need to be in an ER, stay away from the ER.

An urgent care center is a medical clinic with expanded hours that is specially equipped to diagnose and treat a broad spectrum of non-life- and non-limb-threatening illnesses and injuries. Urgent care centers typically have short wait times and the out-of-pocket costs are comparatively low — and the care is usually excellent.

An urgent care visit is billed to a patient’s insurance, just as if one saw a specialist. An emergency room visit is billed with a higher deductible, co-pay and cost.

Urgent care centers provide easy access to quality health care when your primary care physician’s schedule is full, or the office is closed. They are not, however, a replacement for a primary care physician (PCP), so don’t go looking to get a flu shot or regular check-up at urgent care. A PCP can treat many of the same conditions as urgent care, however, the doctor may not be able to see a patient immediately or the office may be closed when treatment is sought.

Which to Choose

Urgent Care

Urgent medical conditions require care within 24 hours but are not life threatening.

• Accidents and falls
• Minor wounds that may need stitches
• Mild to moderate asthma
• Diagnostic services (X-rays, laboratory tests)
• Eye irritation and redness
• Fever or flu
• Minor breaks/fractures in fingers or toes
• Moderate back problems
• Severe sore throat or cough
• Skin rashes and infections
• Sprains and strains
• Urinary tract infections
• Vomiting, diarrhea or dehydration

Emergency Room

An emergency is a situation that is a threat to life or limb, or could result in a permenent disability. Dial 911 immediately for any medical problem that appears life-threatening.

• Compound fracture
• Convulsions, seizures or loss of consciousness
• Deep knife wounds or gunshot wounds
• Fever in a newborn less than 3 months old
• Heavy, uncontrollable bleeding
• Moderate to severe burns
• Poisoning
• Pregnancy-related problems
• Serious head, neck or back injury
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Heart attack symptoms, including chest pain that lasts longer than two minutes
• Stroke symptoms (vision loss, sudden numbness, weakness, slurred speech, confusion)
• Suicidal or homicidal thoughts

The bottom line: Emergency room visits are necessary for true emergencies, such as chest pain and severe injuries. For regular check-ups, see a primary care physician. Minor injuries and illnesses should be examined by urgent care physicians.