Should You Go to the Emergency Room (ER) or Urgent Care?

Urgent Care or ER?

You’re out doing some yard work, fall and twist your ankle. The pain isn't terrible, but you think you might need x-rays. Do you go to your local hospital's emergency room (ER) or the nearest urgent care clinic? This is the kind of decision patients needing immediate care have to take every day. So how do you decide if your injury or illness could be treated at an urgent care or directly head to the ER?

When to go to an urgent care near you

Urgent care clinics, like Prognify Urgent Care and Walk-In Clinic are perfect for non-emergency illnesses and injuries. They're also a great option to get immediate care when your Primary Care Physician (PCP) isn't available. You should visit an urgent care if you experience any of the following:

• Animal Bites
• Back Pain & Neck Pain
• Boils & Abscesses
• Crutches, Splints, & Braces
• Cuts, Scrapes & Stitches
• Household Accidents
• Insect & Tick Bites
• Minor Burns
• Rashes & Skin Disorders
• Sports Injuries
• Sprains, Muscle Pains, Fractures & Dislocations
• Sunburn
• Workplace Injuries & Accidents
• Wound Care
• Allergies
• Asthma Treatment
• Congestion & Respiratory Infections
• Cough, Cold, COVID-19, Fever & Flu
• Ear Infections & Earaches
• Flu
• Headaches & Migraines
• Nausea, Diarrhea, & Vomiting
• Pink Eye
• Sexually Transmitted Infections & Diseases (STIs & STDs)
• Sinus Pain & Congestion (Sinusitis)
• Sore Throat & Strep Throat
• Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
• Viral Infections

Of course it's true that your local hospital's emergency room (ER) would be able to treat all these too. So why go to an urgent care?

• Wait times - Your typical wait times at most urgent care clinics, including Prognify Urgent Care is less than 30 minutes.
• Visit time - At Prognify Urgent Care, your visit time is usually less than an hour.
• Walk-ins are welcome - While scheduling ahead of time is a good idea, it's not necessary to get immediate medical care.
• More affordable care - A provider visit at Prognify Urgent Care usually costs 1/5th the cost of an ER visit.
• Conveniently located - Urgent Care Clinics are usually conveniently located in shopping centers and commercial plazas. Prognify Urgent Care is located on 4563 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor.
• Payment options - Most urgent cares offer self-pay option for immediate care and also accept most insurance plans. For example, Prognify Urgent Care is in-network with most major private insurance providers in Michigan, Medicare, and Medicaid.

When to go to an Emergency Room (ER)

When you feel that the illness or injury could be life-threatening, you should directly go the nearest Emergency Room (ER). Some of the conditions are:

• Severe chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Intestinal bleeding
• Stroke
• Severe bleeding
• Paralysis
• Severe dizziness or unconsciousness
• Vaginal bleeding with pregnancy

Key Takeaway: Urgent Care or ER?

On average, it is cheaper to go to an urgent care than the ER. Choosing an urgent care near you or an ER depends on the severity of your medical condition. If it's life-threatening, go to the ER. For any non-emergency medical care you can depend on us to make sure that you get the care you need, when you most need it.