{"id":11133,"date":"2020-04-30T17:59:03","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T21:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=11133"},"modified":"2020-07-02T12:53:22","modified_gmt":"2020-07-02T16:53:22","slug":"urgent-care-vs-emergency-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/urgent-care-vs-emergency-room\/","title":{"rendered":"Urgent care vs. emergency room visits: What’s the difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever had a moderate to severe health problem, you\u2019ve probably been to an emergency room or urgent care center. One particularly difficult part of dealing with a health problem is deciding where you should go for treatment. Let\u2019s take a look at the difference between urgent care centers and emergency rooms\u2014and their costs\u2014so you are better informed about where to go should the need arise in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Urgent care vs. emergency room\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

With the lone exception of major hospital centers, walk-in clinics, urgent care centers, and emergency rooms are rarely placed together in the same building or location. Sometimes an urgent care center may be located near an emergency room, but this isn\u2019t always the case. Where you end up going will depend on the type of treatment you need, and different clinics are designed to treat different health problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Walk-in clinics <\/b>provide basic medical services like vaccinations. People with mild injuries and illnesses can typically go to a walk-in clinic without an appointment and get care from a nurse or physician’s assistant. Nurse practitioners and MDs sometimes may be available as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Urgent care centers <\/b>are designed to treat people experiencing non-emergency, minor illnesses, and injuries. They provide immediate medical care and outpatient services for people whose conditions could worsen without immediate care. Many urgent care centers are open 24\/7 and are great options for people who\u2019re unable to make a same-day appointment with their primary care physician. Urgent care centers are not designed to provide ongoing outpatient treatment beyond a single visit or limited, short-term treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Emergency rooms<\/b> (ERs) are for people experiencing life-threatening illnesses or injuries. They are meant to treat people with medical conditions that may be life-threatening if they\u2019re not treated within 24 hours. ERs are also the usual hospital entry point for people who require acute inpatient hospitalization for an illness or injury. Wait times at emergency rooms tend to be much longer than at urgent care centers.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are some of the main differences between walk-in clinics, urgent care centers, and emergency rooms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Walk-in clinics<\/span><\/h3>\n