How is 24-hour urgent care different from an ER?
An urgent care clinic is a type of medical facility that treats pressing, but not life-threatening, injuries and illnesses. Compared to a hospital emergency room, urgent care is more accessible, more convenient, and more affordable. Most urgent care clinics are open five to seven days a week but are closed on weekends, while ERs are open 24/7; however, certain urgent care clinics, like Florida MedCare Clinic and Urgent Care, are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Because of this, it may be confusing knowing which clinic to visit when experiencing a medical situation late at night. Thankfully, it is easy to learn the difference between 24-hour urgent care and the ER. Hospital emergency rooms are set up to handle the most extreme and life-threatening medical emergencies, from major blood loss to stroke and heart attacks. ERs are continuously staffed with multiple medical professionals, oftentimes teams of specialists. On the other hand, urgent care is equipped to handle non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, so virtually any injury or illness that does not put the life of the patient (or the permanent function of their body) at risk can be treated at one of these clinics. Furthermore, urgent care clinics are typically staffed by a small team of medical professionals, oftentimes one or two physicians, a nurse, and possibly lab technicians. Because urgent care clinics have less intense demands for treatment and fewer (but not less qualified) medical professionals, the care offered at these clinics is much more affordable when compared to the care offered at a hospital emergency room for the same treatment.