Understanding the Difference between an ER & Urgent Care Clinic

While no one wants to think about the circumstances that would lead them to require emergency care, understanding the differences in emergency facilities helps ensure appropriate treatment is received. For most Americans, they have the choice between a hospital emergency room (ER) and an urgent care clinic. To understand the difference between the two, we caught up with Dr. Derek Farley of Methodist McKinney Hospital (MMH).

The essential difference between the two facilities, according to Dr. Farley, involves the ability of each entity to handle different types or severity of cases. For example, a hospital ER is usually able to handle more complicated medical and trauma cases, such as motor vehicle collisions involving loss of consciousness, pneumonia requiring hospitalization, chest pain and severe abdominal pain. An urgent care facility is limited in its ability to work up complicated trauma, and instead would have to transfer such cases to a hospital ER. Another difference to keep in mind is that urgent care facilities oftentimes are limited in the hours that they are open, whereas hospital ERs are open 24 hours daily.

Another factor to consider when deciding between an ER and an urgent care facility is cost. Hospital ER visits are typically more expensive but the service level is more comprehensive. While an urgent care facility may appear to incur fewer out-of-pocket expenses, if there is an issue requiring transfer to a hospital, then the cost of the ambulance ride has to be factored in as well. Additionally, if an urgent care facility cannot provide the types of tests required to determine a diagnosis, then the patient may have to pay for those separately at another facility.

In some emergency situations, however, a trip to a hospital ER is absolutely the only choice. Dr. Farley lists these situations as:
• Severe abdominal pain
• Any form of chest pain
• Loss of consciousness
• Acute neurological symptoms
• Suspicion of stroke or seizure

In contrast, an urgent care facility would be preferred for relatively minor complaints, such as sore throat, colds and flu, ankle sprains, mild to moderate headaches, or rashes. Some patients may feel they are overreacting if they decide to go to a hospital ER. However, it is better to be safe than sorry. Dr. Farley believes symptoms that should never be ignored include chest pain; neurological symptoms, such as new onset weakness of the face, extremities or other symptoms of a stroke; severe new onset headaches, shortness of breath, severe abdominal pain or extremely high fever.

In Dr. Farley’s opinion, the ER at MMH is set apart from other facilities in that it offers modalities such as CT, X-ray, ultrasound and lab work, with results available quickly. As a smaller facility, the staff is able to focus on each patient’s immediate needs. Essentially, the ER at Methodist McKinney combines the immediate access of an urgent care facility while still possessing the advantages of a hospital ER in its ability to handle more complicated cases than a standard urgent care clinic.