Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care: When to Go, Differences, Costs, Treatment

Emergency Room vs. Urgent Care: When to Go, Differences, Costs, Treatment

Deciding between seeking care at the emergency room versus an urgent care clinic can seem confusing, but it doesn’t need to be. You should only go to an ER if you are experiencing an imminent, serious, and/or life-threatening medical complication. Alternatively, you should go to an urgent care clinic if you are experiencing mild symptoms that do not pose an immediate threat to your survival. 

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When to Go to the ER vs. Urgent Care

The decision to visit the ER versus an urgent care clinic should largely depend on your symptoms and situation. While an emergency can provide all the services that an urgent care clinic can, it may be more cost-effective to visit an urgent care center for medical care if you believe it is suitable. 

ER’s are meant for serious, life-threatening medical issues that pose an immediate threat to survival. This includes symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath. If you are doubting whether your medical issue merits the level of care offered at an emergency room, you should trust your gut. If personal instinct tells you that it is serious, don’t hesitate to go to the nearest emergency room. 

While it may be clear that emergency care is required, whether or not to call 911 adds another layer of complexity to accessing care. If your medical condition may prevent you from traveling to the emergency room safely and/or quickly  (e.g. severe bleeding or fainting), you should call 911 immediately and wait for an ambulance to arrive. It can seem intimidating to call 911, but for many medical emergencies, an ambulance and paramedics can help save an individual’s life. 

Urgent care is not meant for emergency care. Many people visit emergency departments without realizing that urgent care clinics are an option merely because their doctors’ offices are closed. However, urgent care clinics can oftentimes treat medical issues that require immediate attention but are not true emergencies. Some of these issues include minor cuts that may require stitches and low-grade fevers. 

We outline a few of the symptoms that necessitate emergency or urgent care below. 

When to Visit the Emergency Room vs. ER, by Symptoms

*Please note this is not a comprehensive list. The symptoms described above are merely meant to serve as a framework to help you decide which medical location is better suited to help you. 

Differences Between the ER and Urgent Care

The difference between emergency and urgent care can certai