Is There a Difference Between Urgent Care and a Hospital Emergency Room?

At iCare ER and Urgent Care in Frisco, TX, we help patients of all ages throughout North Texas when they’re experiencing sickness or injury. Many patients are not sure when to seek urgent care vs. emergency room visits. We are owned and operated by local, board-certified emergency physicians who have the necessary experience to provide the medical help that you need to get better quickly. We offer diagnostic imaging, including ultrasounds, digital x-rays, and CT scans. Our urgent care center is open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit us to avoid a long wait time at the local emergency room.

What is the difference between ER and urgent care?

Urgent care can fill in for your regular doctor and provide acute medical care or routine injury treatment. They can also accommodate simple point of care testing and x-rays and other diagnostic imaging. At our urgent care clinic in Frisco, TX, you, usually, will be seen much quicker than an emergency room. However, an emergency room can treat anything and offers more extensive testing. The costs associated with an urgent care visit and an emergency room visit will vary too depending on copays. At iCare ER and Urgent Care, we can help you to understand your financial obligations at your visit.

When to go to urgent care?

Oftentimes, people who need medical assistance are unsure if they should seek urgent care vs. going to an emergency room. You should visit your nearest urgent care if:

• You need a simple x-ray

• You have cuts and scrapes that need to be checked

• You have a low grade fever

• You have back pain

• You have vomiting for more than two days

• You have a sore throat or swollen lymph nodes

• You need stitches

• You believe you’ve sprained something

• You have a rash or minor burn

• You’re experiencing an allergic reaction (but can breathe freely)

• You have a burning sensation when you urinate

At iCare ER and Urgent Care, we can treat these conditions, and many more, and get you home as soon as possible.

When to visit an ER?

Emergency rooms are meant for emergency situations. When you have a life-threatening condition, always go straight to the ER. You should also visit an emergency room and not urgent care if you experience:

• Difficulty breathing

• Chest pain

• Severe bleeding

• Swollen airways

• Head trauma

• Loss of vision

• Symptoms of the Coronavirus (Covid-19)

• Complex lacerations

• Fractures

The difference between urgent care and emergency rooms is the severity of the health issue at hand. If a condition is a minor illness or injury, take advantage of your closest urgent care facility, such as iCare ER and Urgent Care.

Is it cheaper to go to urgent care or the emergency room?

Urgent care is more convenient than visiting an emergency room. It is also cost-effective, regardless of whether or not a patient has insurance in Frisco, TX. The costs associated with your urgent care visit will depend on a number of variables, like if you need injections or medications, lab work, or any diagnostic testing. How much you pay for an urgent care visit will also depend on whether or not you have insurance, if you’ve met your deductible, how much your copay is, and if our urgent care center is in or out of your network. Our team can clearly explain all costs associated with your urgent care visit with you.

Treat minor injuries or illnesses at our urgent care facility

At iCare ER and Urgent Care in Frisco and Fort Worth, we treat patients of all ages. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we also offer virtual visits with our telemedicine service. This allows us to diagnose you and send prescriptions to your local pharmacy for pick-up without any need for visiting our urgent care facility. We follow all CDC guidelines to ensure that patients and staff stay safe and, most important, healthy. All patients will be screened prior to entering our facility. We also offer COVID-19 testing, with both rapid testing for those currently experiencing symptoms, as well as nasal swab testing for asymptomatic patients.