What Is the Difference Between an Urgent Care Clinic and An Emergency Room?

Whether it’s a minor or major health issue, both need your attention. Urgent care clinics and emergency rooms are the most common places offering immediate treatment. Choosing between the two can be a daunting task. Knowing the severity of your symptoms and the level of care you need can help you choose between the two.

Urgent Care Clinics can act as a proxy when your regular doctor is not free or on an off. These clinics are stand-alone and typically open in the evenings, on weekends, or even on holidays. They can be your go-to place when your symptoms need quick treatment and aren’t life-threatening. In many cases, the clinics are not fully equipped with all kinds of modern machines and technology. Urgent care clinics are the better option to use your time and resources efficiently if the situation is not very serious. The clinics in most cases don’t offer stay-ins for patients but may offer simple lab tests.

Emergency Room

When to seek aid from Urgent Care Clinics?

Urgent care clinics serve you best for the non-life-threatening illness and injuries such as fever, ear pain, sore throat, vomiting, nausea, painful urination, diarrhea, mild asthma, minor burns, minor bumps, rashes, skin irritations, infections, scrapes, cuts, stitches, animal bites, dehydration, lacerations, simple fractures, sprains, strains, nose bleeding, seasonal allergies, eye irritation, lab tests- flu or strep tests.

Medical professionals at urgent care centers work hand in hand with ER and may extend the level of care if needed.

Most urgent care clinics have a website, where you could check beforehand the services they offer and the insurance policies they comply with.

If your situation is life-threatening, Emergency Rooms may be a better choice. They offer immediate and advanced treatment backed by their team of board-certified and skilled physicians, surgeons, and nurses. ERs assist 24/7 and have fully functional radiology labs, ultrasounds, CAT scans, MRIs, operating rooms, and beds for patients to stay over.

When to seek aid from Emergency Rooms?

Emergency Rooms are the go-to places for life-threatening illness and injuries such as head injury, severe burns, severe cuts, coughing blood, severe chest pain, breathing issues, spinal injuries, loss of vision, severe allergic reaction, out of control bleeding, severe vomiting, seizures, over-dosage, paralytic attack, heart attack, change in mental state, difficulty in speaking, etc.

Wait times for urgent care clinics and emergency rooms differ significantly. You would get to see the doctor within 30 mins at an urgent care unit as patients with minor illnesses can be treated quickly, while it may take 3-4 hours in the ER as they offer services on a priority basis. Patients with the most serious illness are considered first to be offered treatment.

Urgent care clinics are cheaper than ERs. A good health insurance plan can go a long way in getting the right care without burning a hole in your pocket. You can choose a medical billing services company to minimize claim denials and maximize your benefits, whether you choose an urgent care clinic or an ER.

Atlantic RCM is one of the leading multi-specialty medical billing companies in USA that serves 25+ major medical billing specialties. Our experts work across your practice in billing, collections and account receivables management, to help you succeed.

Get in touch with the leading medical billing outsourcing company to learn more. Call us at (469) 501-1500 or write to us Info@atlanticrcm.com