The ER, Urgent Care or Telemedicine?

Now that you read through the three situations, let’s find out which facility is best for treating each issue.

Situation #1

John is driving home from work and gets side-swiped by another driver. Which medical facility should he visit to treat his chest pain and labored breathing?

The emergency room (ER) – Chest pain and difficulty breathing typically requires a trip to the ER. No other medical facility can handle the variety of illnesses and injuries that an ER sees in a typical week. But, because they see so many patients with various levels of illnesses, the less severe patients end up waiting while the most severe are treated first. Also, it typically costs more to visit an ER than any other emergency facility – click here to see how much an ER visit may cost you.

Situation #2

It’s the weekend and suddenly Kathy feels like she may have a fever, chills and has a cough. Which medical facility should she visit?

An urgent care clinic – Urgent care clinics, also known as “minor emergency” or “walk-in clinics” deal with many less severe health problems and are often open on the evenings and weekends. No appointment is necessary and they are often operated by hospitals. Wait time can be two to three times shorter than the ER. Care at an urgent care clinic is often covered by insurance at a higher level than the ER, too (for a non-emergency situation) – click here to see how much an urgent care visit may cost you.

Situation #3

Which medical facility should Michelle utilize for her five month old?

Telemedicine – MDLive offers U.S. board certified doctors available by phone or video, at any time of day or night! It’s convenient, confidential care for non-emergency conditions including respiratory infections, allergies, urinary tract infections, cold and flu symptoms, cough, pink eye, fever, rashes, etc. Therapists are also on-staff to help you through behavioral health needs like addiction, financial hardships, grief, stress and much more. Click here for more MDLive information.