Urgent Care versus Emergency Room Facilities

• The decision between an urgent care vs ER facility is one that many people deliberate on. Both see patients and diagnose their conditions, but each is equipped differently. 
• Urgent care is best suited for common ailments and ones that do not require immediate medical intervention. 
• An emergency room is designed to handle life threatening situations. 

Urgent Care vs ER

Illness and injury are inevitable parts of life.   

Whether it’s with intense and excruciating abdominal pain, a fall down a flight of stairs, or a child with a high fever on the weekend, life happens.  

 These occurrences will happen and when they do, it is important to know where to go – urgent care or the emergency room.   

While the answer is not always simple, knowing the difference between these facilities can guide individuals in making the best choice. 

Organizational and Staffing Differences

One of the main differences between urgent care and emergency rooms is the type of staff that are present at each facility.   

Most urgent care facilities are staffed by physician assistants (PAs) and nursing assistants.  Most emergency rooms (ER’s) are staffed by emergency room doctors and intensive care unit nurses, as well as imaging experts.  

 If an individual has suffered a non-life-threatening injury and needs immediate medical attention, an urgent care facility may be the best.   

Urgent care facilities provide dedicated care to patients with routine ailments and minor injuries that may include but are not limited to: 

• Allergies 
• Common cold 
• Rashes 
• Migraines 
• Minor infections 

Emergency rooms are equipped to treat children and adults for both major and minor medical emergencies such as: 

• Heart attack 
• Chest pain 
• Major burns 
• Chemical exposure 
• Fractures 
• Appendicitis and similar issues 
•  Overdose 

Typically, an emergency room can perform various imaging techniques such as x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, and laboratory testing.   

Insurance companies typically accept visits to both urgent care facilities and emergency rooms; however, it is important to remember that the average cost of an urgent care visit is much less compared to the cost of an emergency room visit.   

Generally, the wait times are also shorter at urgent care vs ER, so this is important to consider as well.   

Factors to Consider When Choosing Urgent Care vs ER

Whenever an illness or injury occurs, one needs to decide how serious the issue is and how soon to get medical care at an urgent care facility versus the emergency room.   

Keep the following factors to keep in mind when trying to consider the best option:

Urgent Care

• Treatment costs much less 
• Best if problem is non-life-threatening and cannot wait to be seen by a primary care provider 
• Symptoms: colds, flu, earaches, migraines, high-grade fevers, sore throats, limited rashes, sprains, back pain, minor broken bones, minor lacerations and burns, and minor eye injuries  

Emergency Room

• Treatment costs much more 
• Best if problem is life-threatening 
• Trouble breathing 
• Fainting 
• Unusual headache 
• Pain in the arm or jaw 
• Sudden inability to speak, walk, or move 
• Sudden weakness on one side of the body 
• Dizziness or weakness that does not go away 
• Sudden confusion 
• Inhalation of smoke or poisonous fumes 
• Heavy bleeding 
• Broken bones or sudden loss of movement 
• Deep wounds 
• Serious burns 
• Severe pain anywhere on the body 
• Coughing or throwing up blood 
• Severe allergic reaction – trouble breathing, swelling, and hives 
• High-grade fever with headache and stiff neck 
• Vomiting or diarrhea that will not stop 
• Suicidal thoughts 
• Seizures 
• Poisoning or overdose of drugs or alcohol  

Differing Nursing Practices

While urgent care facilities serve as a valid bridge between one’s primary care provider and emergency room services, there are a few differences among nursing practices.  

No appointment is needed at an urgent care facility. They’re primarily staffed by family care and emergency room physicians.   

However, urgent care facilities do not: 

• Keep medical histories like a primary care office  
• Have high-tech medical equipment and staff expertise found in emergency rooms that can handle life-threatening conditions

   

There are typically physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and nursing assistants that work at urgent care centers at both urgent care facilities and emergency rooms. 

 However, an emergency room is staffed and equipped to perform specialized testing and intense treatments needed for life-threatening situations. This is not the case at an urgent care facility.   

The Bottom Line

The decision of whether to attend urgent care vs ER should be made based on the severity of a patient’s condition, medical issues, if it can wait to be evaluated by a primary care physician, and cost.   

 A question that should always be considered and asked when deciding between an urgent care vs ER is “Why am I going?”  If the answer is: “Because I have life-threatening injuries or symptoms”, the choice should be to go to the emergency room.  Otherwise, an urgent care facility should suffice.  

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