Ten Reasons to Visit an Emergency Room Instead of an Urgent Care : Cost
When you’re not feeling well, an urgent care facility may seem like the right place to go, but that isn’t always the case. An emergency room can be exactly what you need in some situations, so it’s important to know which one to choose and when they’re appropriate. Check out these ten reasons why you should visit an emergency room instead of an urgent care when you aren’t feeling well.
Emergency rooms may also take walk-in patients—but only up until a certain number per time period. Once that limit is reached, they stop taking walk-ins and begin treating those who already arrived before them. They won’t turn away people in dire need though—if necessary they will treat them outside or bring them into another department inside if their conditions warrant immediate intervention.
. Typically, however, walking in doesn’t mean you automatically see a doctor within minutes. Some emergency departments staff their halls with nurses who triage incoming patients from behind windows at reception desks; others park patients in hallways until beds become available. It isn’t uncommon for these waiting areas to resemble something akin to an arena’s food court: Some sit quietly reading while others pace aimlessly between snack stations or stand by televisions mounted high on walls which play muted news broadcasts.