It is widely accepted that, when it comes to getting fast health care attention, urgent care centers are faster and more affordable than a trip to the emergency department. As such, to date, it is estimated that the field of urgent care is growing.
There were over 8 thousand centers in America as of 2018, and another five or six hundred are expected to be added to the industry in the next few years.
From a cost perspective in the management of both time and finances, urgent care visits cost on average ten times less than an emergency department visit. But knowing when to use urgent care and when to visit emergency is a question frequently plaguing Americans today.
Find out the top seven times you should go to urgent care over the emergency room below.
1. Know When to Use Urgent Care
Generally speaking, knowing when to use urgent care will save you both time and money.
One study examining the differences between urgent care and the emergency department examined the financial cost difference. It was found that emergency room costs averaged at approximately $2200 per visit and approximately $168 per visit for urgent care.
But this alone should not be the deciding factor when choosing urgent care.
Most doctors recommend you visit an emergency room over urgent care when your life is in danger or the life of a child is in danger.
But you can still have health care problems arise without your life being in danger. In those events, you should visit urgent care.
If you can’t breathe, suspect a stroke or heart attack, or are bleeding profusely, for example, an emergency room is the best response. But if you have broken bones, the flu that won’t go away, or a problem that can be managed quickly, visit urgent care.
The best rule of thumb to know when to use urgent care is the urgency of the problem. If you need immediate medical attention but are not experiencing anything life-threatening, then urgent care is your best choice.
For any other serious medical problem or those involving children, a pregnancy, or the elderly, visit the emergency department.
2. Serious and Prolonged Bleeding
It is very easy to sustain a cut or a wound doing almost anything in life. But when should you get medical attention for this?
If the bleeding will not stop, see a doctor as soon as you can. The longer you have an open wound, the more you risk infection.
If the bleeding is spurting or you see the bone in the cut, then you have an emergency department visit in your future.
But overall, minor cuts and scrapes that can be resolved with a stitch or two can be handled quickly and at a lower cost when you visit MedNow Urgent Care centers or others like it.
3. The Flu or Rash That Won’t Go Away
Very few people want to spend money out of pocket treating a cold or the flu that can be managed with over the counter medications. But if you have the flu with a fever that has gone on for several days, it is time to see a doctor.
A dry cough that has gone on for longer than a few days should be presented to a doctor, and an urgent care doctor can usually help you here. But if you are spitting up blood or can’t stop coughing, you’ll need to visit an ER.
A rash is another one of those health care mysteries that confuse us when we are deciding when to use urgent care.
If the rash is spreading over a day or two or is accompanied by other or more serious symptoms, then you may need to visit an emergency room.
4. Explainable Chest Pain
Most doctors will tell you that chest pains or difficulty breathing presents a problem that should be taken to 9-1-1 or an emergency room.
But not all chest pains are created equal. And if you have just had a strenuous workout, you don’t want to fork over two thousand dollars to be told that by a doctor.
If you are fairly young and have chest pain and an idea of what is causing it, then wait it out, unless you are having problems breathing. If you are over the age of 55, you should see urgent care or emergency room for any kind of chest pain.
Heartburn is another form of chest paint that too often consumes ER resources from critical care patients.
5. Minor Bone Fracture
There are occasions in life when we experience a minor fracture after a slip and fall. But a fracture that is considered open or compound, or feels extremely serious, is the only kind of bone break that should send you to a hospital.
Most of the time that we injure ourselves in a fall, we can’t even tell if it is a break or a sprain. Both of these types of injuries manifest with similar symptoms as well, such as swelling and bruising.
A compound fracture is a bone break in multiple locations on the same body part. An open fracture is one where the broken bone has pierced the skin.
Not every break needs to be handled at the emergency room, but if you have an open fracture or suspect multiple breaks, visit your hospital.
6. Excessive Diarrhea or Vomiting
When your body loses fluids at a rapid rate, such as through profuse sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea, you run the risk of dehydration. Dehydration is a serious problem that can be life-threatening.
For minor cases of dehydration, often drinking fluids will help you to overcome excess vomit or diarrhea. But if you are even having problems keeping a few ounces of water down, you should visit an emergency room.
All other minor instances of diarrhea or vomiting should be handled with urgent care.
7. Pain Management
We all have pain management issues at different points in our lives. But how do you know when to seek emergency attention for it or attend urgent care?
When you are being treated for pain, you will frequently be asked to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10—10 being the worst form of pain you have ever experienced.
If your pain levels are near the 10 mark, attend a hospital right away. But if they are near the 1 or 2 mark, you should be able to treat it on your own with over the counter help.
All other forms or ratings of pain should be assessed on a case by case basis, particularly if you know the underlying cause. If you have pain but aren’t sure why, that is another factor to consider when you are trying to determine when to use urgent care for pain management.
Take Control of Your Your Health Care
When a serious health problem arises, you will likely be torn over whether or not to use the emergency department or urgent care. When you are deciding when to use urgent care, the answer will always depend on the seriousness of your health problem.
If the matter is life-threatening, an immediate call to 9-1-1 or a visit to your nearest emergency room is your best choice. But if you have a serious problem, that isn’t life-threatening, an urgent care center will save you both time and money.
Over 160 million people use urgent care clinics in America annually. Approximately 136 visits to the emergency department occur in the United States every year.
At the end of the day, the decision will always be yours. For more lifestyle and wellness tips, take control of your health care by visiting the rest of our blog today!