Teladoc, Urgent Care or ER?

Let’s find out which facility is best for treating each issue.

Situation #1
Michelle’s five month old has been crying for hours and it’s 9 p.m. Her baby’s pediatrician doesn’t offer after-hour care and Michelle is afraid her baby has will only get worse by business hours. Which medical facility should she visit?

Teladoc – U.S. board certified doctors are available by phone or video, at any time of day or night - and it’s free! Teladoc’s convenient, confidential care for non-emergency conditions including respiratory infections, allergies, urinary tract infections, cold and flu symptoms, cough, pink eye, fever, rashes, etc. Click here for more telemedicine information.

Situation #2
It’s the weekend and suddenly Kathy feels like she may have a fever, chills and has a cough. Which medical facility should she visit?

An urgent care clinic – Urgent care clinics, also known as “minor emergency” or “walk-in clinics” deal with many less severe health problems and are often open on the evenings and weekends. No appointment is necessary and they are often operated by hospitals. Wait time can be two to three times shorter than the ER. Care at an urgent care clinic is often covered by insurance at a higher level than the ER, too (for a non-emergency situation) – click here to see how much an urgent care visit may cost you.

Situation #3
John is driving home from work and gets side-swiped by another driver. Which medical facility should he visit to treat his chest pain and labored breathing?

The emergency room (ER) – Chest pain and difficulty breathing typically requires a trip to the ER. No other medical facility can handle the variety of illnesses and injuries that an ER sees in a typical week. But, because they see so many patients with various levels of illnesses, the less severe patients end up waiting while the most severe are treated first. Also, it typically costs more to visit an ER than any other emergency facility – click here to see how much an ER visit may cost you.