Emergency Care and Urgent Care – What is the difference?
- November 2008
- Français
Many of the ongoing discussions about the Niagara Health System's (NHS) Hospital Improvement Plan and the recommendations by expert advisor Dr. Jack Kitts centre around the differences between a full-service Emergency Department and an Urgent or Prompt Care Centre.
Put simply, a full-service Emergency Department takes every level of patient, from those suffering a life-threatening heart attack or car accident, to those with a minor ear infection or sprained ankle. Ambulances take patients to Emergency Departments and ED physicians admit patients to acute care (medical/surgical) beds or mental health beds.
Urgent or Prompt Care Centres (these terms are interchangeable) are for those patients who have bumps and bruises, mild infections or injuries. Urgent Care Centres do not accept ambulances or critically-ill patients and Urgent Care physicians do not admit patients to an inpatient unit, although they may keep a patient for several hours for observation. Patients who come to an Urgent Care Centre but require more detailed diagnostic tests or treatment are transferred to a full-service Emergency Department.
Urgent / Prompt Care Centres Treat … |
Emergency Departments Treat … |
Urgent Care Centres have access to on-site services such as x-rays, lab tests and pharmacy. Ambulances do not bring patients to Urgent Care Centres. |
Call 911 if you have severe chest pain, stroke symptoms or a serious emergency. Ambulances bring patients to Emergency Departments. |
"Knowing where to go is very important," explains Pat Morka, NHS Health Program Director of the Emergency Program. "Sometimes patients and their families are unsure about which site or service they should use when they need medical help. The public needs the right information and the right location for their medical treatment, based on what they or their family member are experiencing. We want people to be treated as quickly as possible whether they have non-life threatening concerns or more serious symptoms."
Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS)
Triage Nurses are usually the first person patients will see in either an Urgent Care Centre or Emergency Department. Triage, or head-to-toe assessment, is done using the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS), to determine who needs to be seen immediately, based on their medical need. Here are the CTAS levels used:
- Level 1 – Resuscitation (Critical), e.g. cardiac arrest, shock, major trauma
- Level 2 – Emergent, e.g. asthma, altered mental state
- Level 3 – Urgent, e.g. abdominal pain
- Level 4 – Less-urgent, eg. vomiting and diarrhea with no dehydration, earache
- Level 5 – Non-urgent, eg. vomiting, sore throat
Ambulance Paramedics use the same triage scale when assessing patients.
Level 1 and 2 patients should ALWAYS go to a full-service Emergency Department or call 911. Right now, most patients in Niagara with serious emergencies are seen at Greater Niagara General Site, St. Catharines General Site and Welland Hospital Site.
Level 3, 4 and 5 patients are treated at Urgent/Prompt Care Centres, as well as Emergency Departments. In fact, the vast majority of patients coming to Emergency Departments are in these categories – not true emergency cases, but requiring a physician's assessment and diagnosis.
If you need advice on the right place to receive the care you need, consult your family physician or call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Be Prepared for Your Visit
- Bring your up-to-date Ontario Health Card.
- Bring a list of all medications being taken on a regular basis, along with any other important information such as allergies.
- While waiting for treatment, please do not eat or drink without first checking with a nurse.
- If patients decide to leave the hospital before being seen by a doctor, please speak with a nurse.
Be Prepared At Home
- Check medications and medical equipment. Make sure that all family members have enough of their medications, both prescription and non-prescription. Don't forget needles, alcohol swabs, etc. Also check inhalers, respirators, oxygen, and glucose testing machines.
- Have extra batteries on hand for equipment such as electric wheelchairs.
- Update all emergency telephone numbers and post them in a visible place (eg. refrigerator).