If you’re suffering an illness or injury, you probably want to start feeling better as soon as possible.
Both ER and walk in clinic provide fast care whenever you need it, but how do you know which is better? The answer primarily depends on the severity of your symptoms, but there are a number of other factors to consider.
Consider the following reasons why a walk in clinic may be better than an emergency room in many cases:
If you’re experiencing an emergent, life-threatening, or complex illness or injury, you should go to an emergency room (or call 911 if necessary). Examples of serious symptoms may include:
However, if your illness or injury is minor, simple, and/or not life-threatening, you can likely go to a walk in clinic.
An appointment is not necessary at either an emergency room or a walk in clinic.
In some cases, in the time you’d still be waiting at an ER, you may have been able to be seen, diagnosed, treated, and on your way home from a walk in clinic.
Even if you have health insurance, you should be prepared to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a trip to the emergency room. Coverage and cost depend on the care you need, but emergency room visits are not cheap.
Walk in clinics, on the other hand, are typically much more affordable, often charging a fraction of what you’d pay for an ER visit. Not only do walk in clinics usually have lower copays, but they often just charge less for services and treatment.
When you don’t feel good or are hurting, it’s important to be able to get care when and where you need it. Emergency rooms are usually located in your neighborhood and are open 24/7, but walk in clinics are also conveniently located for most patients.
Many walk in clinics are open during evening hours, on weekends, and even during some holidays. This means if your condition isn’t severe enough to go to an emergency room, but you don’t want to wait to see your primary care provider, you can get care at a walk in clinic.
Emergency rooms are part of a hospital or medical center, giving them access to a wider array of providers, technology, and services to treat a greater range of medical issues. This is especially beneficial for patients who require fast and/or advanced treatments only available in a hospital setting (like surgery), or if they must be admitted for additional testing, care, or monitoring.
While walk in clinics aren’t equipped to handle rapid, emergent, or advanced treatments, most do have basic X-ray, imaging, and lab technology to help diagnose and treat minor conditions. walk in clinics may also provide access to other services such as:
If you’re experiencing a serious, severe, emergent, or life-threatening injury, illness, or other health concern, you should go to an emergency room.
In most other cases, a walk in clinic is the better option. walk in clinics have shorter wait times, are more affordable, and may offer a variety of other services that make getting care faster and more convenient.