From Primary Care to the ER: Understanding Your Options

Healthcare organizations today provide an array of care options, allowing you to use the one that meets your needs for a particular situation. That’s the good news. The challenge can be knowing when to use each service.

This article provides an overview of four types of care: primary care, virtual care, urgent care, and emergency room care, helping you understand when each is appropriate.

What Is Primary Care?

You can think of primary care as your “home base” for healthcare. Your primary care provider may be a family practice doctor, an internist, or a pediatrician for children. They focus on having a holistic understanding of your health and being your first point of contact if you get sick or hurt or have healthcare-related questions.

You might see your PCP to:

• Have an annual physical exam.
• Get diagnosed and treated for a common illness like a cold, the flu, or an infection.
• Receive treatment for a minor injury, such as a cut, a sprained ankle, or back pain.
• Get diagnosed and treated for a chronic condition like diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.
• Get vaccinated.
• Talk about mental health concerns or changes.
• Discuss a referral to a specialist.

What Is Virtual Care?

Virtual care, sometimes referred to as telehealth, involves interacting remotely with a healthcare provider. Interactions can occur via text messages, phone calls, video consultations, or remote monitoring of vital signs.

You might schedule a virtual care appointment to do any of the following:

• Follow up on an in-person visit.
• Discuss a prescription refill.
• Get mental health counseling.
• Discuss chronic disease management.
• Have your provider remotely monitor vital signs like blood pressure or blood sugar.

What Is Urgent Care?

Urgent care bridges the gap between primary or virtual care and emergency room care. It’s for issues that aren’t life- or limb-threatening but require prompt attention. You might use urgent care for a concerning health issue if you can’t get an appointment with your PCP soon enough or when their office is closed in the evening or on weekends.

Issues frequently treated at urgent care centers include:

• Sprains, strains, and minor fractures.
• Diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses like strep throat and urinary tract infections.
• Minor cuts requiring stitches or minor burns.
• Mild allergic reactions.

What Is Emergency Room Care?

Emergency rooms are equipped to handle life- and limb-threatening injuries or illnesses. They’re open 24 hours a day and staffed by doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals trained to respond to emergencies.

Reasons to seek emergency care include:

• Major physical trauma like falls and car accidents
• Chest pain or pressure
• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Loss of consciousness
• Injuries with severe bleeding
• Sudden severe headache
• Stroke symptoms like slurred speech, arm weakness, or facial drooping
• Injuries to or near the eyes
• Severe allergic reactions
• Seizures
• Poisoning
• Severe burns

How To Decide Where To Get Care

To decide what type of care you need, consider the severity of the injury or illness. If it’s life- or limb-threatening (or it might be, but you aren’t sure), you should go to an emergency room.

If the severity doesn’t warrant a trip to the ER and your primary care provider’s office is open, contact them for advice. If it’s not open or you can’t get an appointment, and you don’t feel the issue can wait until you can be seen by your PCP, an urgent care center is your best option.

Your primary care provider can provide more details on the different service types if you have questions. If you don’t have a Baptist Health provider, you can use our online directory to find one.

Next Steps and Helpful Resources

Learn More About Services at Baptist Health
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