ER vs Urgent Care

A headache attack has brought you to the brink of seeking medical treatment. Do you visit the local emergency room (ER) or should you visit an urgent care facility (UC)? According to a recent online survey conducted by the National Headache Foundation (NHF), more sufferers visited an ER; however, headache sufferers might benefit by seeking treatment at a UC facility.
According to the NHF online survey, 68% of survey respondents have visited an emergency room for headache treatment. Forty-five percent of respondents stated that they visited the ER at least one to two times in the last year to treat their condition.

Headache sufferers were asked about the treatments they received in the ER and in the UC. The survey showed the following distinctions: With regard to wait time, 67% waited less than one hour in the UC versus 33% in the ER during that timeframe.

When asked if the medical provider was polite and respectful, 67% responded favorably about the UC compared to 54% about the ER.

Respondents were asked if the diagnosis was clearly explained to them, of which 58% answered positively for the UC and 38% for the ER. As far as whether the treatment they received was effective, 53% responded affirmatively for the UC against 36% for the ER. Fifty-five percent stated that the UC staff provided clear instructions about what to do if the headache returned, countering the 37% for the ER. The survey queried sufferers as to whether they were made to feel like a drug seeker, with 29% stating that they did not feel that way when treated in the UC, while 50% said they did feel that way in the ER. When polled about being placed in a quiet area, 76% said that was the case in the UC, while 60% answered the same for the ER.

In the case of being provided with a home care plan prior to leaving, 43% of survey participants received one from the UC, but only 17% were provided with such a plan from the ER.

When survey respondents were asked about their overall experience, 50% described their level of satisfaction in the UC as very good or good compared with 36% who visited the ER.

“While the ER is familiar to many people, headache sufferers are encouraged to consider their local urgent care facility the next time they require immediate headache treatment,” said Dr. Roger Cady, vice president of the National Headache Foundation.

In cooperation with the Urgent Care Association of America (www.ucaoa.org), a second survey was conducted of healthcare providers about their experiences treating headache patients in an urgent care setting. The results of this survey indicated that sufferers could help their own cause by following the prescribed treatment regimen.

According to this survey, 67% of headache patients have failed to properly use their home plan before seeking assistance at a UC facility, and 59% of those in need of preventive medication are not receiving them. The healthcare providers surveyed indicated that 85% of the people they see have been previously diagnosed by another physician. The most common headache with which patients present in the UC is migraine.

“This data indicates that when a primary physician is not available, an urgent care center provides effective treatment in a sensitive environment for many headache sufferers,” said David Stern, MD, board member, Urgent Care Association of America.

The National Headache Foundation, founded in 1970 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving headache sufferers, their families and the healthcare providers who treat them; promoting research into headache causes and treatments; and educating the public to the fact that headaches are a legitimate biological disease and that sufferers should receive understanding and continuity of care.