What are the differences.
Is urgent care and emergency room the same.
While they provide many of the same services they do not have the same pricing schedules or wait times.
The difference between urgent care and emergency rooms is the severity of the health problem.
Michael menna do is board certified in emergency medicine.
If the condition is a minor illness or injury take advantage of the convenience and affordability your local gohealth urgent care has to offer.
Also emergency rooms are open 24 7.
Here is information you need to know about the similarities and differences.
The difference between urgent care clinics and the emergency room er is the level of care and treatment that each facility are capable of providing.
The emergency department is also the place to go if you think you ve broken a bone as an urgent care center may be able to x ray it but if it s broken you ll likely need to be referred to an.
When you suffer life threatening injuries or very severe illness the emergency room is the best option for immediate care.
Many people see the terms urgent and emergency as being one and the same which can add to their confusion as to which to choose.
Nearly all the information on emergency room care is from 2016 or earlier and the data for urgent care centers is by observation from the american academy of urgent care medicine.
An urgent care facility is intended to fill in the gaps when patients become injured or ill but their regular doctor is unavailable and waiting.
An urgent care center provides quality care like an er but can save you hundreds of dollars.
If you have a life threatening situation go to your nearest emergency room or call 911.
If the condition is life threatening go to an emergency room.
Urgent care centers handle non life threatening situations and many are staffed with doctors and nurses who have access to x rays and labs.
Still it s safe to say that if you have a non life threatening condition urgent care centers can handle it cheaper and quicker.
If you need care for a concern that feels like a serious threat to your health the emergency room is a better option than virtual or even irl urgent care.
Recognizing the differences between emergency and urgent care can be confusing because both terms imply there is a medical need that needs to be addressed quickly says shawn evans md an emergency medicine physician at scripps memorial hospital la jolla.