ER or urgent care? A doctor explains how to choose

When an illness or injury needs attention, some people think first of the emergency room -- perhaps because it’s where they’ve always gone or the only option they’ve considered.

Should you visit an urgent care clinic or head straight to the emergency room?

The answer often depends on how serious your symptoms are.

Dr. Justin Williams, an emergency physician with Methodist Healthcare in San Antonio, explained what to consider when choosing where to seek care.

What urgent care can handle

Methodist Healthcare’s CareNow clinics offer walk-in care for common illnesses and minor injuries that need prompt attention but aren’t life-threatening, with 35 locations across San Antonio and surrounding communities.

Common reasons to visit urgent care include:

• Cold, flu and COVID-19 symptoms
• Sore throats and ear infections
• Minor cuts, sprains and strains
• Minor burns or possible simple fractures

“The clinicians who work in the urgent care are very well prepared to handle those general complaints,” Dr. Williams said.

While some services and equipment vary by location, Dr. Williams said urgent care clinics don’t have the type of advanced imaging, such as CT scans, that are available in emergency rooms.

If a patient needs further evaluation, a CareNow clinician can help coordinate the next level of care through Methodist Healthcare’s network of emergency rooms, hospitals and specialists.

If you’re planning a visit, CareNow also offers Web Check-In, so you can let the clinic know you’re coming and how they can help, then wait wherever is convenient until it’s time for your visit.

When to go to the ER

Methodist Healthcare emergency rooms are equipped to treat serious injuries and potentially life-threatening conditions that may require advanced testing or immediate treatment.

Go to the ER for symptoms such as:

• Chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Signs of stroke, including sudden weakness or trouble speaking
• Severe abdominal pain
• Uncontrolled bleeding or serious injuries
• Severe burns or broken bones with visible deformity
• Fever in an infant younger than 3 months

Dr. Williams said the severity of an injury can also guide the decision. A suspected broken toe or a sore arm after a minor fall may be appropriate for urgent care if the pain is manageable and there are no signs of a severe injury. However, a bone protruding through the skin, uncontrolled bleeding or unbearable pain calls for the ER.

“If you’re overly concerned, you should go to the emergency room,” Dr. Williams said. “And if you’re really worried that it’s life-threatening, call 911.”

Freestanding ERs are another emergency-care option

Not every emergency room is located inside a hospital.

Dr. Williams said a freestanding ER, which is an emergency department located outside a hospital, has emergency medicine physicians and diagnostic resources similar to those at a hospital-based ER. These facilities are extensions of the hospital, often located in neighborhoods for convenient access to emergency care. If a patient needs a higher level of care, staff can coordinate a transfer to a hospital.

Methodist Healthcare has 10 freestanding ERs across San Antonio, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Find a Methodist Healthcare freestanding ER.

Wait times and costs

An important note Dr. Williams added is that emergency rooms see patients according to how urgently they need care. Someone with possible stroke symptoms or serious bleeding will be seen before a patient with a less urgent concern, even if that person arrived first.

“We see people based on severity of illness first,” Dr. Williams said.

Urgent care clinics generally see patients in the order they arrive, so they may be a quicker option for a non-emergency concern.

Costs vary by insurance plan, facility and services received, but urgent care is often less expensive than an ER visit. Freestanding ERs provide emergency-level care and generally have ER-level costs, rather than urgent care pricing.

Methodist Healthcare offers a pricing estimator and information to help patients understand potential costs.

Know where to go

Choosing the right care setting can help you get appropriate treatment while avoiding unnecessary costs. But when symptoms could be serious, don’t delay emergency care.

To learn more about symptoms that may require emergency treatment and explore Methodist Healthcare’s emergency services, visit SAHealth.com.