Some people might not be aware there is a difference between an urgent care facility and a hospital emergency room. While urgent care might sound as if it is the same as emergency care, there are huge differences between the two that everyone should be aware of. M.D. Express Urgent Care shares the difference between an urgent care center and an emergency room.
What is Urgent Care?
Urgent care facilities exist for the purpose of getting people seen by a doctor when their general practitioner is unable to see them. Maybe you have the flu or a really bad sore throat, but your usual doctor is unable to see you without an appointment. Those who do not know what an urgent care facility is would probably find themselves in an emergency room in order to get help. These people have very likely wasted the time of the E.R. staff that should be dealing with true emergencies. If your problem is not life threatening, you should be seeing an urgent care doctor instead of going to the hospital.
Why go to an Urgent Care Facility Instead of an E.R.?
The most important reason for most people to visit an urgent care facility instead of an E.R. is the immense difference in cost. If you go to an emergency room for a common illness or injury you could easily expect to see a large cost that is billed to you, especially if you are uninsured. The same treatment at an urgent care facility is much less expensive while the quality of care is excellent. The cost difference alone is a good enough reason for most people to visit an urgent care facility instead of an emergency room, but even if you have great insurance that will cover the majority or all of the cost, you should consider the other people in the emergency room. There are people in emergency rooms who are facing life threatening illness or injury, and every second counts for those people, as well as for the doctors taking care of them. By visiting an emergency room instead of an urgent care facility, you could be taking up precious time that is better spent on people who really need it. You should always visit an emergency room if you face a life threatening injury or illness. However, you should always ask yourself if you would be better off visiting an urgent care facility instead of an emergency room.
MD Express Urgent Care offers outstanding medical care for non life threatening injuries and illness with 6 convenient locations to serve our patients. At MD Express Urgent Care, the doctor is always in!
