[4 min read]
In this article:
- Whether it's cold or flu symptoms or a sudden illness or injury, it can be hard to know where to go to seek the right treatment.
- A Providence Swedish emergency medicine doctor has some advice on your symptoms to help you decide if virtual care, urgent care or the emergency department is the right place to get care when you need it.
- Choosing the right care setting helps ensure appropriate, timely and cost-effective treatment for your illness or injury.
You or someone you love is ill, maybe very ill, so do how do you decide where to seek treatment? Do you go right to an emergency department, head to the urgent care clinic or connect with your primary care practitioner?
Does it even matter where you go? The answer is yes.
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 155 million people visited emergency departments in 2022, while a 2021 study published in Health Services Research (HSR), found that up to 50 percent of emergency department visits are for conditions that could be treated elsewhere.
It feels like an emergency when someone you love is sick
"When someone gets sick or hurt, the first thing you think about is how serious it might be," says Alexandra Rackoff, M.D.,director of emeregncy medicine at Providence Swedish's Redmond campus. "The emergency department (ED) is the right place if you’re worried about something dangerous—like a major fall, a car accident, trouble breathing, chest or stomach pain, or a very high fever in someone vulnerable."
Seeking the appropriate level of care for your needs yields numerous benefits, including shorter wait times and significant cost savings. The average ED visit is four times as expensive as the average urgent care visit, according to the 2021HSA study. Still, when you're in the midst of an urgent health issue, decision-making can be challenging.
"The ED has the staff and equipment to quickly figure out what’s going on. For less serious issues like coughs, colds, simple cuts, minor injuries, or suspected urinary tract infections, urgent care is a great choice. If you're unsure how serious something is, urgent care can check you and let you know if the ED is the safer place to be," Dr. Rackoff affirms.
"Healthy children over 6 months old with mild symptoms—like a cold, sore throat, or minor injury—can usually start at urgent care, where the provider can decide if they need more advanced care. Very young babies, older adults, and people with serious medical conditions often need the extra support and testing available in the ED. They can get sick quickly, so it’s safest to have them seen there."
So how do you choose where to get care? Let us help you find the righ place to start.
One of the first and most obvious questions to answer when choosing where to go for care is 'what are your symptoms?'. The patient's age and severity of symptoms is also important.
Primary care
If you have care established with a primary care physician, you know it can take weeks to schedule a normal appointment. However, most clinics hold a few same-day or next-day appointments for their patients’ urgent issues. These concerns may include:
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
- Urinary tract infections.
- Minor burns.
- Asthma, sore throat and cold/flu or COVID symptoms.
Telehealth
Having established care with a primary care physician (and a good outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic) means telehealth appointments are typically available for many concerns. The secure video connection can reduce travel and wait times, increase your access to your doctor, and reduce the time needed to diagnose and treat some medical conditions. A surprising variety of conditions can be handled virtually, including:
- Common upper respiratory issues (cold/flu and COVID symptoms, allergies, etc.).
- Skin and nail infections.
- Gastrointestinal issues.
- Eye problems.
- Minor pains, strains, burns and insect bites.
Urgent care
If your primary care physician isn’t available or it’s after clinic hours, or you are very uncomfortable and want to be seen before appointments are available, an urgent care clinic may be the best step for faster care. Urgent care clinics do not require appointments and are open in the evenings and on weekends, beyond what a primary care facility’s hours may be.
"Urgent care is great for problems that need attention soon but don’t seem life-threatening—like minor injuries, infections, or sudden illnesses that aren’t severe," says Dr. Rackoff. "If the provider thinks you need tests such as an ultrasound, CT, MRI, or more advanced labs, they’ll send you to the ED, which has those tools. It's the right place when something might be serious or need more in-depth evaluation."
Urgent care facilities may be freestanding or connected to a hospital or medical care complex. They can treat many acute injuries like sprains, and may offer lab tests, immunizations, and treat skin wounds. Other reasons to visit urgent care may include:
- Nausea, vomiting or belly pain.
- Urinary tract infections.
- Suspected sprains or broken bones.
- Earaches or sore throats.
- Rashes.
- Small skin wounds.
"Healthy children over 6 months old with mild symptoms—like a cold, sore throat, or minor injury—can usually start at urgent care, where the provider can decide if they need more advanced care," Dr. Rackoff affirms.
Emergency department
"Very young babies, older adults, and people with serious medical conditions often need the extra support and testing available in the Emergency Department," advises Dr. Rackoff. "They can get sick quickly, so it’s safest to have them seen there. "The ED has the staff and equipment to quickly figure out what’s going on."
If you’re experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or head straight to the emergency department. These include, but are not limited to:
- Chest pain or difficulty breathing.
- Seizures.
- Paralysis.
- Blurred vision, vision loss or slurred speech.
- Head or eye injury.
- Serious motor vehicle accident.
- Drug overdose.
- Bleeding during pregnancy. Ingesting a poisonous substance.
- Severe burns.
- An open wound that won’t stop bleeding.
While these guidelines can help you choose the best facility for care, timing matters. In the middle of the night, especially on a weekend, an emergency department may be your only choice.
"People usually come to the ED because they’re scared something serious might be happening. Our job is to gather data, treat pain, answer questions, and make sure they’re safe. It’s a privilege to support people during the hardest times," says Dr. Rackoff.
"And with tools like MyChart, patients can check results, message their care team, and manage their health anytime. I’m very proud of the care we provide at Swedish Redmond. We continually look at our data and processes to make sure we’re offering the best, most convenient care to our community."
Learn more and find a physician or advanced practice clinician (APC)
Whether you require an in-person visit or want to consult a doctor virtually, you have options. Contact Swedish Primary Care to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider. You can also connect virtually with your clinician to review your symptoms, provide instruction and follow up as needed. And with Swedish ExpressCare Virtual you can receive treatment in minutes for common conditions such as colds, flu, urinary tract infections, and more. You can use our provider directory to find a specialist or primary care physician near you.
If you have questions about vaccinations or your child’s wellness health, Swedish Pediatrics can help. If your kids aren’t up to date on immunizations, particularly the measles vaccine, call their pediatrician today to schedule a visit.
Information for patients and visitors
Additional resources
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Flu season is here. Protect yourself and your family.
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This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your health care professional's instructions.
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