Urgent Care vs Emergency Room

It’s Friday evening, and you’re heading home from a long day at work. You stop to get some groceries, then pick up your youngest child from daycare. You notice your son is a bit sluggish, is not as talkative and is a bit irritable. The daycare attendant mentions that he may be coming down with a fever.

You monitor his temperature throughout the night. Early the next morning, you realize that it is now 101˚F and he has a slight cough. You immediately begin to panic. You head over to your nearest Emergency Department (ER), and there’s an incredibly long wait.

With so many medical options available for patients, it can be hard to decide which one to visit based on your needs. Here are six differences between an urgent care clinic and an ER that will help you to make a more informed decision the next time you or your little one becomes ill. 

An urgent care visit can be beneficial when it comes to illnesses and injuries that should be treated immediately but are not life-threatening. Our pediatricians can offer treatment solutions for illnesses including sore throats, fever, flu, cold symptoms, stomach viruses, allergic reactions, skin rashes, pink eye, ear infections and other conditions. Reserve a Spot today or simply walk in to have your child seen by a trained pediatrician now.

How do urgent care centers compare with ERs?

Urgent care centers or acute care clinics are walk-in clinics designed for after-hours outpatient care. Patients are served on a first-come, first-served basis, and scheduled same-day visits may be offered. Urgent care centers have multiple exam rooms that are staffed by nurse practitioners, physician assistants and medical assistants. Most centers have a full-time, onsite licensed physician. Urgent care clinics such as Pediatrix Urgent Care fill patients’ needs when pediatrician offices are closed or booked.

An ER, on the other hand, is an area in the hospital or a free-standing building equipped and staffed for the prompt treatment of acute illness, trauma or other medical emergencies. ERs include several exam rooms and extensive diagnostic testing equipent (CT scan, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, etc.) and sub-specialist support.

Is the wait at a pediatric urgent care center and an ER the same?

The wait times at urgent care centers for walk-in patients average 15 to 45 minutes. At an ER, you may wait two hours or more to see a provider. Because the ER is for severe emergencies, patients who are in dire need of medical care are usually seen first. This means that those with minor or even moderate illnesses may have a wait time that is much longer than average.

How much money will I save by going to a pediatric urgent care center?

Typically, if you have insurance, you’ll notice that your co-pay for an ER visit is more than a visit to an urgent care center. Not only do urgent care centers have a lower co-pay, but you can also save money if you do not have insurance. At Pediatrix Urgent Care, the starting self-pay rate for medical care is $160, and the maximum we charge for our medical services is $400 regardless of the amount of testing or treatment the patient needs.

Note: Some urgent care centers are affiliates of major hospitals. Be sure to ask if they are billing you as an urgent care facility or emergency department. The cost of medical care at the ER can be substantially more for the same treatment. ER visits also may include multiple medical charges, which may not be covered by your insurance. The bottom line: An urgent care visit is substantially cheaper than an emergency room visit.

If you are looking for virtual urgent care for kids, you are in luck. Pediatrix Urgent Care now provides the convenience of online pediatrician appointments so you can easily call or video chat with our pediatricians right from your home.

What services are offered in a pediatric urgent care clinic?

Services can vary depending on the type of urgent care clinic you visit. In general, urgent care clinics treat pressing injuries or illnesses that are not life-threatening. Urgent care clinics also offer higher-level diagnostic equipment, such as X-rays, laboratory testing and phlebotomy (blood tests). At Pediatrix Urgent Care, we provide services for more serious conditions than most urgent care centers.

These conditions include:

• Pneumonia, cellulitis or dehydration requiring intravenous (IV) or intramuscular antibiotics or  IV fluids
• Moderate allergic reactions, anaphylaxis and angioedema (swelling under the skin)
• Abdominal pain
• Mild head injury, such as concussion
  Eye injuries
  Diarrhea and vomiting
  Sprains, broken bones and lacerations
  Fever
  Ear, nose and throat infections
  Asthma, bronchitis and respiratory illnesses
  Chronic illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease, glucose deficiencies and sickle cell disease.
  
  Additional services at Pediatrix Urgent Care for newborn to 21 years of age patients include:
  

• Onsite lab and radiology services
• STD testing
  

ER visits are necessary when a patient is suffering from a life- or limb-threatening medical condition or severe wounds. If symptoms arise suddenly and you believe that a life is in jeopardy, call 911.

ERs specialize in managing catastrophic illnesses and injuries such as:

• Signs of heart attack, including chest pain
• Signs of stroke, such as sudden onset of numbness in the arms or legs
• Severe shortness of breath
• Poisoning
• Major life- or limb-threatening injuries
• Severe wounds and amputations
• Coughing up or vomiting blood
• Suicidal or homicidal feelings

Where can I get kid-friendly urgent care?

Some urgent care clinics cater to all age groups. Pediatrix Urgent Care specialize in medical care just for children and adolescents. Care delivered here is supervised by fellowship-trained pediatric critical care specialists with 100 years of combined medical experience. Specialty facilities like ours are designed to be child-friendly and serve as an alternative to the ER for minor to moderately severe health issues. All our offices are equipped with medical devices suitable for newborns, which is not the case is most all-ages urgent care centers. We also offer telemedicine services. 

Note: We do not perform school physicals, workers’ compensation evaluations or give routine immunizations.

How do pediatric urgent care clinics work?

Doctors in the ERs have the capability of calling different specialists needed to care for the severely ill.

At Pediatrix Urgent Care, we have a good relationship with and access to many specialists, including orthopedic, pediatric surgery and ear, nose and throat specialists. We can facilitate early follow-up appointments with specialists. We also have excellent relationships with hospitalist groups at the premier children’s hospitals in our area, so we can facilitate full hospital admissions or admissions for observation.

Meet the Author
Ayodeji Otegbeye, M.D., better known as “Dr. O,” is the president and founder of Central Florida Pediatrics Intensive Care Specialists and Pediatrix Urgent Care Urgent Care in Orlando. He is the former medical director of Children’s Medical Services in the Central Florida Region (Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Brevard counties), where he oversees the care of children with special health care needs, and the former medical director of Leesburg Regional Hospital Pediatric Hospitalist Program.