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Published on: 10/31/2025
What factors determine whether to seek treatment at the ER or urgent care?
Deciding between the ER and urgent care depends on the severity and type of your health issue, with the ER handling more serious conditions and urgent care managing less severe problems. See below to understand more.
What brings you in today?
Explanation
When deciding whether to go to the ER or urgent care, consider the seriousness of your health problem.
Emergency Room (ER):
- Go to the ER for life-threatening issues like chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, or broken bones.
- The ER is equipped to handle serious conditions that need immediate attention.
Urgent Care:
- Visit urgent care for less severe issues like minor cuts, sprains, or fevers.
- Urgent care centers are great for quick treatment when you can’t see your regular doctor.
According to research, many people choose the ER over urgent care even for non-emergencies, which can lead to longer wait times and higher costs. Understanding where to go can help you get the right care faster and more efficiently.
(References)
- Coster JE, Turner JK, Bradbury D, & Cantrell A. (2017). Why Do People Choose Emergency and Urgent Care .... Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, 28493626.
- Weinick RM, Burns RM, & Mehrotra A. (2010). Many emergency department visits could be managed at .... Health affairs (Project Hope), 20820018.
- Almulhim N, Almulhim F, Al Gharash A, Alghannam Z, Al-Ghamdi RS, Alghamdi MH, et al. (2021). Preference for Visiting Emergency Department Over .... Cureus, 34900498.
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