Where should you go when you or a family member needs immediate medical attention? Should you head to the nearest emergency room or visit an urgent care center? Your choice affects the care you receive, but also how long you wait and how much you pay.
This is the bottom line: Emergency rooms handle serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies. If the patient is severely injured or potentially experiencing a health crisis such as a heart attack or stroke, you should go to the ER.
In contrast, urgent care centers provide on-demand healthcare for non-emergency conditions. That includes common illnesses and minor injuries that need same-day attention but aren’t life-threatening. You’ll be seen faster at an urgent care than at an ER and treatment will cost less.
Understanding the difference between ERs and urgent care clinics will help you to get the right level of care. Let’s take a deeper look at when to choose each option and why it matters.
What is an Urgent Care Clinic?
Urgent care centers are walk-in facilities that treat non-emergency medical conditions that need prompt attention. Think of it as a bridge between your regular doctor’s office and the emergency room. You don’t need an appointment, but, unlike the ER, you won’t face the high costs or long waits associated with emergency care.
Many urgent care clinics offer extended hours, including evenings and weekends, making them convenient when your regular doctor’s office is closed. They’re staffed by qualified medical professionals, including doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
Services typically include:
- Treatment for illnesses like strep throat, ear infections, sinus infections, flu symptoms, and urinary tract infections
- Care for minor injuries such as sprains, burns, cuts that may need stitches, and minor broken bones
- Diagnostic services including X-rays, routine blood work, and fast lab tests, such as COVID and flu tests, strep tests, pregnancy tests, and urinalysis, among others
- Physical exams for school, sports, or employment
- Routine medical services like flu shots, a wide range of vaccinations, and blood pressure checks
If you need prescription medications, most urgent care providers can write prescriptions that you can fill at your local pharmacy.
The key advantage of urgent care centers is their ability to provide quality medical care for non-emergency conditions without the wait and expense of an emergency room visit. Many visits are completed within an hour, depending on demand, and the cost is similar to what you’d pay at your regular doctor’s office.
What is an Emergency Room?
Emergency rooms handle life-threatening emergencies and severe medical conditions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They’re usually attached to hospitals and staffed by emergency medicine physicians, trauma surgeons, and a wide range of medical specialists who can be called in at a moment’s notice.
Unlike urgent care centers, emergency rooms have advanced life-support systems, operating rooms, and intensive care units. They’re designed to treat serious conditions that could result in death or permanent disability if not addressed immediately, including:
- Heart attacks and severe chest pain
- Strokes and severe head injuries
- Major trauma from car accidents
- Severe burns
- Heavy bleeding
- Poisoning
- Life-threatening allergic reactions
- Serious breathing difficulties
- Major broken bones and dislocations
One of the key advantages of an emergency room is immediate access to specialists. If you arrive with symptoms of a heart attack, a cardiologist can be at your bedside within minutes. If you need emergency surgery, operating rooms and surgical teams are always ready.
Emergency rooms prioritize patients by the severity of their condition, not on a first-come, first-served basis. If you go to the ER with a non-emergency condition, you may wait several hours while more serious cases are treated first.
Additionally, emergency room care is significantly more expensive than urgent care, with costs often running into thousands of dollars, even for relatively simple treatments.
When to Go to Urgent Care
If you are a parent, you know that illnesses and injuries often happen at inconvenient times — after your doctor’s office has closed, during weekends, or when you’re away from home. Many common childhood illnesses can be safely and effectively treated at an urgent care center. If your child wakes up with a fever or starts complaining of ear pain in the evening, an urgent care center is often your best choice.
Beyond childhood illnesses, urgent care centers are equipped to handle a variety of everyday medical needs. If you’ve twisted your ankle during a weekend soccer game, cut your finger while cooking, or developed a urinary tract infection, an urgent care center can provide the care you need.
The key is to remember that if the condition isn’t life-threatening but needs prompt attention, an urgent care center is likely your best option.
When to Go Straight to the ER
There are times when only the advanced care, specialist expertise, and sophisticated medical equipment of an ER can save your life. If you’re having chest pains or symptoms of a stroke like sudden confusion or difficulty speaking, don’t hesitate — call 911 or get to the nearest emergency room immediately. Every minute counts in these situations.
When it comes to infants, it’s better to be cautious. If your baby has a high fever, is having trouble breathing, is unusually lethargic, or has taken a serious fall, go to the emergency room. Infants can deteriorate quickly, and emergency rooms have specialized equipment and pediatric specialists to provide the intensive care a baby might need.
Severe injuries from car accidents, falls from heights, or other major trauma need emergency room care. If you have a broken bone that’s pushing through the skin, a deep cut with heavy bleeding that won’t stop, or a head injury that’s causing confusion or loss of consciousness, you need the level of care only an ER can provide.
The Benefits of Going to an Urgent Care Center
Cost-Effective Care
Most urgent care visits cost 60–80% less than emergency room visits. You’ll typically pay a regular office visit copay rather than an expensive ER copay, potentially saving hundreds of dollars on your medical bill.
Shorter Wait Times
While emergency rooms may keep you waiting for hours, most urgent care centers get you in and out within an hour. Patients are treated on a first-come, first-served basis, so you won’t be bumped down the line when more serious cases arrive.
Convenient Locations
Urgent care centers are located in neighborhood shopping centers, near residential areas, and other easily accessible locations. You’ll likely find several options within a short drive from your home.
No Appointment Necessary
Just walk in when you need care. Many centers are open seven days a week with extended evening hours, making them a convenient choice when your regular doctor’s office is closed.
Comprehensive On-Site Services
From X-rays and lab tests to stitches and splints, urgent care centers provide most of the services you need in one location. They can also write prescriptions and provide follow-up care instructions.
Find an Urgent Care Center Near You
Do you need treatment for a non-life-threatening illness or injury? Find an urgent care in your city.
