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The ER or urgent care: What's the difference?

Emergency departments are for conditions which need immediate attention. Urgent care is for less pressing conditions that can't wait for the next day.

MINNEAPOLIS — It can be tough to understand the difference between an emergency department and urgent care, especially when you're ill and trying to make a decision about care quickly.

In this article, the Mayo Clinic says an emergency department "treats life or limb-threatening health conditions in people of all ages."

It's best when you need help immediately. The ER is open 24/7 and is often attached to a hospital, so it generally has access to anything you might need.

Meanwhile, urgent care, Mayo Clinic says, is for something that can't wait until tomorrow. Mayo says it's like the middle ground between your primary care doctor and the ER.

Urgent care clinics have set hours. They're not open all the time, but typically are open during off-hours, like evenings and weekends.

The Mayo Clinic gives examples of when you might go to each:

Urgent care: An earache, sprain, minor cut or burn.

Emergency department: Chest pain, head injuries or a broken bone.

"In general, urgent care is more like [a clinic]," said Dr. Nancy Waller, a pediatrician with M Health Fairview. "I sometimes direct people to the ER if it sounds to me like it might be likely that they need to stay in the hospital."

Now what about the cost?

This article from Michigan Health said what most people who have had to go to the ER already know: It's expensive. It says most people have a higher copay for ER visits compared to urgent care.

Related

When should your sick child see a doctor?

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