Should I Go to Urgent Care or a Freestanding Emergency Department?

Sudden chest pain? Deep cut? Possible broken arm? High fever? When you have a medical emergency, you know you need treatment, but from where? Not all emergencies require an emergency room visit and possible hospital stay, but some needs are more urgent than can be addressed by urgent care centers.

Hospital ERs and urgent care centers aren’t the only choices. Freestanding emergency departments (FSEDs) present another option for medical care. These resources are not located in hospitals—they are standalone buildings, but may be located in convenient areas of a community—much like urgent care centers. But unlike urgent care centers, FSEDs operate 24/7 with access to a board-certified emergency physician, emergency nurse, laboratory and radiology technicians who can do more complex blood testing, and advanced imaging capabilities, such as ultrasound and computed tomography.

With typically shorter wait times than at hospital ERs, FSEDs give patients another healthcare choice. But between FSEDs and urgent care centers, how do you tell which one you should visit? All too often, people abide by the idea of “better safe than sorry” — which is understandable — but sometimes certain conditions or injuries can be handled outside of the emergency room. According to a National Center for Health Statistics study, 48 percent of people went to the ER only because their doctor’s office wasn’t open. But not every illness or injury that occurs after doctors’ hours is worth the time and expense of going to a traditional ER setting. If you can’t get to your regular doctor right away and are not in a life-threatening emergency, an urgent care center is another option for evaluation and treatment.

The Difference Between a Freestanding Emergency Department and Urgent Care

If you have trouble breathing, chest pain, a sudden mind-numbing headache, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, heavy bleeding, a deep wound or a serious burn injury, it’s best to go to an emergency room setting like a FSED for treatment. ERs are designed to handle these types of life-threatening illnesses, conditions or injuries. FSEDs are designed to perform the same way, but may be more conveniently located in communities, so they are easier to access. Because there are more of them, they may also have shorter wait times. A variety of other symptoms also can lead to an ER visit, including seizures, severe allergic reactions that obstruct your airway, drug or alcohol overdoses, and high fevers that don’t get better with medication or that are accompanied by a stiff neck or headache. The bottom line is that if you feel your life is at risk, or if you’ve experienced a serious trauma like a car accident or fall that may lead to permanent disability, go to the nearest ER immediately. 

There are about 7,100 urgent care centers across the country, most of which see dozens of patients every day. Similar to a FSED, these centers are staffed with trained doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. A majority of urgent care centers have multiple experienced clinicians, including doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, so an urgent care center will still be able to provide you the care you need.

The main difference between a FSED and an urgent care center is the type of conditions and injuries each facility treats. An urgent care center is designed to handle non-life threatening emergencies. If you have a sore throat, a cold, the flu, a minor sprain, cut or burn, an urgent care center is the best place to seek care if you can’t see your regular doctor within 24 hours.

These centers also have another advantage: cost and wait times. Similar to an emergency room located at a hospital, a FSED has a standard protocol for evaluating the urgency of each patient's condition and allocating resources accordingly. It will strive to treat every guest as soon as possible, but sometimes, when there are a multitude of patients in the emergency room, wait times can be longer than usual. Wait times for FSEDs may also fluctuate, but their convenient locations are a benefit. FSEDs operate on a similar cost structure as ERs, so a visit at an FSED may be more expensive than going to an urgent care center.

Although urgent care centers cannot perform as many medical procedures as FSEDs, most urgent care centers have transfer agreements or work closely with hospitals. This means that if someone requires a higher level of care, they can facilitate the transfer in an urgent fashion, which will also help avoid the wait in the ER if they are more severely ill. Likewise, if you need longer-term care than a FSED can provide (i.e. patients who need to be admitted to a hospital), the FSED can transfer you to a hospital.

For true emergencies, it’s best to call 911 so an ambulance can transport you to the closest ER, either at a hospital or a FSED near your home. If you have serious symptoms, such as chest pain, a deep cut, or others like those mentioned above, the ER is the best place to seek care.

Urgent care centers are a great option if you have an “urgent” condition, meaning one that requires care within 24 hours but isn’t life threatening.

However, these centers aren’t a substitute for regular doctor’s visits and shouldn’t be used for primary care. Instead, they can bridge the care gap when your condition or injury requires care outside of regular office hours or if your primary care physician is away or unavailable to treat you. Even if you go to an urgent care center, it doesn’t hurt to schedule a follow-up visit with your doctor. That way, you know you’re getting the most comprehensive care possible.

Learn more about two brand-new freestanding emergency rooms in your neighborhood:

• Leesburg: Orlando Health South Lake Hospital Emergency Room and Medical Pavilion – Blue Cedar
• Four Corners: Orlando Health South Lake Hospital Joe H. & Loretta Scott Emergency Room and Medical Pavilion