4 Mistakes To Avoid When Going to Urgent Care

Mistake #1: Going to The ER When You Could go to Urgent Care

Before the opening of urgent care facilities, emergency rooms would easily become “clogged up” with these non-emergent cases. Nowadays, ERs can care for more emergencies thanks to urgent care clinics. Urgent care clinics are designed to handle non-life-threatening medical issues. Some things that are usually considered non-life-threatening include:

• Sore throat, and other symptoms of cold or flu

• Most Symptoms of COVID-19

• Ongoing congestion from colds or allergies

• Symptoms of UTI

• Symptoms of STDs

• Mild to moderate vomiting or diarrhea

• Fever

• Small cuts or lacerations that may need stitches

• Simple fractures

• Back pain

• Mild to moderate allergic reactions and skin rashes

• Routine physicals (like sports physicals or DOT physicals)

• Immunizations

• Sprains or strains

• Minor burns (including sunburns)

• Ear pain

On the other hand, emergency rooms are equipped to handle more severe injuries and illnesses, such as:

• Symptoms of a heart attack

• Symptoms of a stroke

• Difficulty breathing

• Severe allergic reactions (like anaphylaxis)

• Severe bleeding

• Traumatic injuries (like burns, complex fractures, internal injuries, and head injuries)

If you go to an ER with a non-emergent condition, you may have to wait longer to be seen. This is because most emergency rooms use triage as a way to organize their patient intake. You can avoid the long wait times and added expense of an ER by understanding what conditions can be taken care of at urgent care. If you still aren’t sure which option is right for you, you could call your local urgent care or nurse line and ask for their advice.

Can Urgent Care Send You to The Hospital?

Many urgent care facilities are able to stabilize patients and provide treatment for a wide range of medical issues. However, if your condition requires hospitalization or further medical attention, they can recommend that you go to an emergency room. Sometimes they can coordinate a transfer to the ER, but this may vary on the location, your clinical condition, and the resources available.

When Should I Go to Urgent Care?

If you are experiencing a non-life-threatening medical problem, such as a minor injury, or symptoms of the flu, urgent care may be a great option for you. However, if you are experiencing chest pain, difficulty breathing, or other life-threatening symptoms, you should go to the emergency room immediately, according to the NIH.

What is The Difference Between Urgent Care and the Emergency Room?

Urgent care centers are designed to diagnose and treat injuries and health conditions that are not life-threatening but need to be addressed sooner rather than later. For many people, an urgent care center is a faster option than waiting for an appointment with their primary care physician. Injuries that require simple treatment like small lacerations and simple bone fractures can usually be treated or stabilized in an urgent care center as well.

Emergency rooms, however, are designed for those experiencing a life-threatening medical emergency or who have a severe injury. Emergency rooms work to quickly stabilize these emergencies and then usually transfer patients for in-patient care at a hospital, or refer them for surgery or specialized care.

Mistake #2: Thinking All Urgent Care Clinics Are The Same

Most urgent care clinics can provide treatment for a wide range of non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. However, there are some things they cannot provide. In these cases, they may refer you to another healthcare facility (such as the ER, or a larger urgent care clinic) or a specialist.

Getting Common Treatments at Urgent Care

Cortisone Shots

Some urgent care clinics can provide cortisone shots for joint pain, but it's important to note that they may not be able to provide them for certain conditions. If you are having joint pain or you have a medical condition that affects your joints, you may want to consider orthopedic urgent care, notes the NIH.

IV Antibiotics

Some urgent care clinics may be able to provide IV antibiotics for certain conditions, such as infections that require immediate treatment. However, they may not be able to provide them for more complex infections or conditions that require ongoing treatment, notes the NIH. Also, some urgent care clinics may not be able to provide this treatment at all. You can learn more about the specific services and treatments your urgent care can provide by calling them or looking on their website.

Narcotic Pain Medication

Every urgent care clinic will have its own policy regarding the use and prescribing of narcotic pain medication. This varies widely from one clinic to another, so if you are anticipating the need for narcotic pain control, you may want to call ahead to ask about their policy.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) shot

Similar to narcotic pain medication, most urgent care clinics will have their own policy regarding NSAID shots. People who have complex conditions or who deal with chronic pain should consider working with a primary care physician for pain management and treatment for ongoing pain.

Getting Common Medications at Urgent Care

All urgent care clinics can differ in the services they provide. Some can stitch you up in cases of bleeding and offer STD testing on-site, while others might not.

When you visit an urgent care clinic, it's important to understand that they have limitations on what medications they can prescribe. Although urgent care clinics are designed to provide immediate care for a long list of conditions, they are not intended to replace primary care physicians or specialists. Here are some common medications that may require a primary care provider or specialist to prescribe, according to the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC):

• Any controlled substance

• Muscle relaxers

• Adderall

• Beta-blockers

• Birth control (other than refills - if indicated)

• Blood pressure medication (other than refills - if indicated)

• Insulin

• Thyroid medications

These medications are best prescribed and monitored by a primary care physician who can understand and monitor your condition closely. Although some urgent care providers may be able to help you if your prescription runs out or if your primary care physician is unavailable.

Healthcare Professionals at Urgent Care vs. the Emergency Room

Because urgent care and emergency rooms are set up differently, you will encounter different healthcare professionals at each. Because emergency rooms need to be ready for anything, they typically staff medical doctors that include emergency physicians and have access to other specialists like anesthesiologists, surgeons, radiologists, and critical care specialists. They will also have support staff, such as registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, nursing assistants, paramedics, EMTs, unit coordinators, lab technicians, x-ray technicians, and more.

Urgent care clinics are designed to treat non-life-threatening conditions and usually have a less chaotic environment (compared to ERs). You will still find highly knowledgeable and licensed medical professionals, but may not encounter ones who are specialized in emergency or critical care. Urgent care clinics usually employ medical doctors

who are board-certified family physicians, as well as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, X-ray and lab technicians, and nursing assistants.

No matter where you go, you can expect to be cared for by a licensed medical provider who has your best interest at the forefront of your care.

How to Find an Urgent Care That’s Right for Your Needs

While many urgent care clinics can care for most health conditions, it's important to note that some urgent care locations specialize in certain conditions. For instance, there are urgent care clinics that specialize in the treatment of women’s health conditions and urgent care clinics that specifically treat orthopedic cases. It is also important to note that urgent care clinics may not be open 24/7 like an emergency room. To find an urgent care clinic that is right for your needs, you should consider the kind of care you need to receive and the hours of operation for those around you.

Check-in for Urgent Care Online

Many urgent care clinics offer an online check-in nowadays. You can usually find this option by searching for the urgent care you wish to visit online, and then filling out some basic information about yourself and your condition. Checking in online can help you get faster care by giving the urgent care a heads up that you’re coming in and what they may need to have on hand to treat you.

Mistake #3: Using Urgent Care For Primary Healthcare

While urgent care clinics are a convenient and affordable option for many medical issues, they should not be used to replace primary healthcare. It is important to establish care with a primary physician who can get to know you and your unique healthcare needs.

Urgent care clinics are designed to provide immediate medical attention for conditions that are not life-threatening, such as minor injuries or illnesses. Because of this, they are a great supplement to your primary care, if your primary care physician is unavailable.

Mistake #4: Forgetting to Bring Important Information

When you go to urgent care, it's important to bring certain items, to ensure you get the best possible outcome to your visit. Here are some things you should consider bringing with you:

• Your ID and insurance card

• A list of any medications you currently take

• Your medical history (including any previous surgeries, allergies, and chronic conditions you may have)

• A list of your current symptoms

• Payment method (if you don't have insurance, be prepared to pay for your visit out-of-pocket)

In addition to the items listed above, you should also consider bringing the following things to help make your visit smooth and comfortable:

• Comfortable clothing

• Forms and paperwork (including any referral paperwork, if you were referred to urgent care by another healthcare provider)

Does Urgent Care Take My Insurance?

Most urgent care clinics take insurance—so the price for a visit may not be as steep as you might think. However, you’ll still need to make sure that your specific insurance plan has urgent care coverage and that your chosen walk-in clinic accepts it. If you want to avoid surprise costs, you should call your insurance provider to discuss your coverage plan and any urgent care payment options before heading to the clinic.

When is the Best Time to go to Urgent Care?

Of course, you can’t control or predict when you’ll get sick or injured. So the best time to go to urgent care is always when you need to go. But if your situation allows flexibility and you’re hoping to avoid a longer wait, you might consider timing your visit during a time of day when most urgent care clinics are less busy. According to Allina Health, this is usually the middle of the day—from late morning to early afternoon. This is because many people have to time their visit around a work or school schedule.

Can Urgent Care Prescribe Medication?

Most providers at urgent care can prescribe medications to patients who qualify and need them. However, some urgent care clinics may have policies that limit certain medications (such as narcotics), according to the AJMC.

This underscores the fact that urgent care clinics are not a substitute for regular primary care. If you have a chronic condition that requires ongoing medication management, it is best to establish care with a primary care physician who can handle all your ongoing prescriptions and refills.

Final Takeaways

Urgent care clinics play a huge role in bringing quality healthcare to Americans. But it can be overwhelming when you or a loved one are not feeling well. This is why it's important to understand what urgent care clinics can do for you and what to bring with you for a smooth visit. To recap, five common mistakes people make when it comes to urgent care are:

1. Not knowing when to go to urgent care

2. Thinking all urgent care clinics are the same

3. Using urgent care like an emergency room

4. Using urgent care to replace primary care

5. Forgetting to bring important items

If you’re reading this, chances are you are preparing to visit urgent care in the near future. To help you have the best experience possible, we’ve compiled a list of questions that you should ask before your appointment.

Questions to Ask Before Going to Urgent Care

Before going to any urgent care, it is important to research the facility and understand what services they offer. There can be major differences between small, independent urgent care clinics and larger urgent care clinics that are affiliated with a hospital system. Knowing what to expect can help you prepare and make informed decisions about your healthcare. Here are five questions you should ask, according to Agile Urgent Care:

• Do I need an appointment?

• Do you have lab and x-ray services available on-site?

• How long is your current wait time?

• Can I check-in or hold my place in line online?

• Do you take my insurance?

• What is my co-pay for a visit?

• What is the cost of a visit without insurance? Do you offer payment plans?

• What type of provider will I see?

• Can you prescribe or refill my prescriptions?

• Do you offer telehealth services?

Need to find urgent care near you? Solv can help you find urgent care clinics in any zip code, and even help you make an appointment at some of our affiliated clinics.