HEALTH
Urgent Care or ER – WHICH IS BEST?
L E T ’ S FA C E I T – T H E R E ’ S N E V E R A C O N V E N I E N T T I M E TO N E E D H E A LT H C A R E .
Emergency rooms are important and needed for many conditions, but a trip to the ER isn’t always the best option. Sometimes, an urgent care is more appropriate. How do you know which is best for you? Asking yourself these two questions may help you decide.
Is it life-threatening? The biggest difference between an urgent care center and an ER is the type of cases they can handle. When people have a condition that is life-threatening or could cause disability, they should go to the ER. If the problem is not that serious, urgent care may be a better choice.
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Iredell Urgent Care (of Iredell Health System) is open 24 hours a day and is located at 653 Bluefield Road, Suite A, in Mooresville. You can reach them at 704.360.6500 or give them a virtual visit today at www.IredellUrgentCare.com.
It’s always best to go to an emergency room or call 9-1-1 if the condition could get worse on the way to the hospital, or moving could cause further injury. Anyone concerned they may be having a heart attack or stroke should always call 9-1-1 right away. While an urgent care clinic may be able to assist in an emergency, medical care available in a hospital environment is needed for medical emergencies like heart attack and stroke. An urgent care will save you money. Copays and deductibles for urgent care visits are typically less compared to an emergency room. For those who are either uninsured or underinsured, urgent care visits are much more affordable.
While many people utilize emergency rooms as their primary source of healthcare, using an urgent care instead, when appropriate for the care that is needed, has several benefits, such as:
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Visits take less time. Unlike emergency rooms, who see patients based on the
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Can it wait until the next day?
Urgent care is a good option for individuals with health concerns that cannot wait until their healthcare provider’s office is open, or for those who are concerned something more serious may be going on with their health that isn’t an emergency, but needs medical attention sooner rather than later. These may include conditions that cause an individual to not be able to continue with their normal lifestyle without medical help. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: • Animal bites • Broken bones • Coughs, sore throats, high fevers, and flu • Cuts that require stitches • Earaches and sinus pain • Eye problems
severity of their conditions, urgent cares treat patients on a first-come, first-served basis. That means you’ll spend less time potentially sitting in a waiting room. It also means the healthcare provider likely won’t be tied up seeing other patients with more serious conditions for long periods of time. The end result? You get in and out in a timely manner.
• Minor burns • Minor headaches or breathing problems • Rashes and skin problems • Sports injuries • Urinary tract infections • Vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach or belly pain
You still get quality care by competent providers. Urgent care centers are staffed by trained healthcare providers, including those who have specialized in emergency medicine. That means you can expect to be treated with the same level of expertise you’d receive at an emergency room. w
WRITER IREDELL URGENT CARE (IREDELL HEALTH SYSTEM)
