Imagine that you severely twist your ankle while hiking on vacation or wake up on a Sunday morning with a raw throat and high fever. Do you take some pain meds and gut it out until you can see your doctor, or do you seek immediate help?

In many parts of the country, there’s a convenient answer for option B: urgent-care facilities. Whereas a trip to the ER might have been your only option during off-business hours in the past, today you can get advice and treatment at night and on weekends thanks to this middle-ground solution. But how does it compare to the tried-and-true primary-care physician? By understanding the differences between the two along with how and when to use their services, you can rest easier when medical issues pop up.

A new medical approach

The modern quick-care concept emerged in the 1970s, and the first retail version, QuickMedx, opened in Minnesota in 2000; it was then purchased six years later by CVS, who renamed it MinuteClinic. There are approximately 14,000 urgent-care centers in the country today, with the total virtually doubling between 2014 and 2023. This is important to note because, even though tens of thousands of primary-care physician offices dot the country, there has been a shortage of PCPs in recent years.

Factors to consider

Role and relationship

A PCP’s primary function is preventative, hence why experts recommend that everyone gets annual exams. And once you establish a family doctor, they’re able to develop a relationship with you and become knowledgeable of your medical history, fostering a level of trust in them and their advice. In addition, they usually have more resources at their disposal than their rapid-care counterparts, such as equipment and labs.

Granted, you may also be treated by a doctor at an urgent-care center, but you are much more likely to see a physician associate or nurse practitioner. Either way, you would likely interact with someone new at every visit. Plus, while they can examine, diagnose, run tests, and even prescribe meds, their purpose is mostly reactive—treating you for an immediate problem.

Medical situation

As the name suggests, urgent care is meant for relatively minor pressing ailments, and such facilities are usually available seven days a week, with some offering virtual visits. One downside, though, is that you can experience long wait times during peak hours. In contrast, your doctor likely won’t be able to see you as immediately, but you generally won’t have as long of a wait in their office. They can also offer more thorough advice and avenues to address serious concerns. All that said, don’t forget that you still have a third alternative: for a true medical emergency, make sure to go to an ER.

Payment

In most cases, using your insurance for a physician appointment is relatively straightforward since you’ll simply shell out a copay in the office. However, it can get somewhat trickier with urgent care depending on where you go, the treatment you receive, and who insures you. For instance, your copay may be higher or you may be billed up front for the entire visit, so check with your provider first if possible.

Medical care is a constantly evolving realm, and patients today have more options than ever. Quick-care facilities bridge the gap between the doctor’s office and emergency room, making them a valuable choice, but they aren’t a replacement for seeing your PCP. If you make use of the former, make sure that they send all the information from your visit to your doctor for follow-ups and to keep your medical history up to date. In the end, consider them complementary medical assets—the perfect merger of short-term and long-term care.