Urgent care centers are designed to provide immediate medical services for the treatment of acute and chronic illnesses and injuries that don't seem to be life-threatening, but can't wait until the next day. Urgent care medicine is a broad and comprehensive field that requires a deep understanding of the patient's condition and close collaboration between emergency physicians, specialists, and general practitioners. It's important to note that urgent care is not the same as emergency care. Urgent care centers are same-day clinics that can treat a variety of medical problems that need to be treated right away, but are not considered true emergencies.
Urgent care is the middle ground between your primary care provider and the Emergency Department. If you have a minor illness or injury that you can't wait until tomorrow, urgent care is the best option. In addition, it's a good option if you have illnesses or injuries with no other symptoms, or if you have no other underlying health conditions. For example, an earache can be easily treated at Urgent Care. However, if it is accompanied by a high fever (104°F or higher), if you have a history of cancer, or are taking immunosuppressive medications, it is important to have it checked in the emergency department. Urgent medical conditions are those that aren't considered emergencies, but that still require care within 24 hours.
Urgent care providers can request basic laboratory tests and imaging tests, such as x-rays, to help them provide diagnoses and develop treatment plans. The extended hours and the immediate availability of care at urgent care centers provide comfort to patients. The practice area of emergency medicine that differs from urgent care medicine involves the definitive care of critical patients and the ability to observe patients for an extended period of time. Emergency medicine specialists are experienced in evaluating and treating these patients only with simple in-office laboratory tests. As a result, urgent care clinics tend to be less expensive and have shorter wait times than emergency departments. People who go to an urgent care center and who, in the opinion of the Emergency Medicine specialist, require it, are transferred to the emergency department of a hospital. Before going to an urgent care center, you can contact your primary care doctor's office in case you can schedule a same-day appointment.
Emergency rooms are designed to treat urgent, acute, and life-threatening conditions, and are not the place to receive routine care or for minor ailments. In most cases, the out-of-pocket costs of visiting a retail health clinic or urgent care center will cost less than the trip to the emergency room, but it's always a good idea to check that the location you select is covered by your plan. For most patients seen in an ambulatory medicine setting, the emergency medicine specialist can fully address the problem that arises, either independently or in consultation with another specialist. Scripps offers urgent care services for children and adults seven days a week at Scripps Coastal Medical Center Jefferson (in Oceanside), Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo and Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines.
