Primary, Urgent, Emergency Care and Online Doctor Visits - What's the Difference?

The first few minutes after experiencing an accident, injury or illness are typically the most important – especially as you decide where to go for your medical care. From broken bones to allergic reactions, knowing when to choose primary care, urgent care, virtual care or emergency care can be the most important step in receiving the care you need, when and where you need it.

Primary Care

What is primary care?

Primary care typically includes family medicine doctors, internists and pediatricians, specifically trained and skilled in health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education as well as diagnosing and treating acute and chronic illnesses.

When should you use primary care?

Scheduling routine doctor’s visits, including your annual physical exam, is important to maintain overall health. Over time, your primary care doctor forms a complete picture of your past and current health to better protect you against future health complications. Between exams, your primary care doctor can also help to diagnose and treat minor illnesses and injuries.

Where can you go for primary care?

Use our Find a Doctor tool to locate a primary care doctor in your area, and schedule an appointment today.

Urgent Care

What is urgent care?

Urgent care clinics offer same-day appointments that treat a variety of non-life threatening health conditions requiring immediate medical attention. While primary care clinics typically see patients Monday through Friday during regular business hours, urgent care clinics offer services after hours, on weekends and during holidays.

When should you use urgent care?

Though you should always try to set up an appointment with your primary care doctor before using an urgent care clinic, choose urgent care for non-emergency conditions that come up when your primary care isn’t available, such as:

• Upper respiratory problems, such as sore throat, ear ache or sinus symptoms
• Non-life threatening allergic reactions
• Minor skin infections and rashes
• Minor burns
• Insect bites, minor animal or human bites
• Urinary tract infections
• Minor cuts, contusions or abrasions

Where can you go for urgent care?

Use our Find a Service to locate walk-in care in your area. Save your spot online to help reduce your wait time. Select your walk-in care location and a time slot convenient for you. This will allow you to show up closer to when a provider is available to see you.

Virtual Care

What is virtual care?

Virtual care is available to individuals 2 years old and up in Iowa through our patient portal, MyUnityPoint. Two virtual care options – virtual urgent care and SmartExam – are available every day from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Providers can diagnose, recommend treatment and prescribe medication, as appropriate for minor ailments and illnesses. Please note: Some conditions can’t be treated virtually or are only treated virtually for certain age groups.

Virtual urgent care is a video visit with a provider. Patients must have a mobile, desktop or table device with camera/video capabilities. Insurance is accepted. Co-pays and coverages vary. Patients must schedule an appointment from their personal MyUnityPoint account or an approved proxy account.

SmartExam is an online screening tool that allows you to be treated in less than an hour without seeing a provider. This intelligent tool asks questions based on your symptoms and answers to previous questions. A provider reviews your information and offers a treatment plan or requests you’re seen in person. Insurance is not accepted. The cost is $30 per screening and is payable through credit/debt online only. You’re not charged unless a diagnosis is made.

How do you access virtual care?

A MyUnityPoint account is required for virtual urgent care and SmartExam. Here’s how to access these convenient features if you have a MyUnityPoint account:

• In your account, simply sign in on the app or at chart.myunitypoint.org
• Click on "Your Menu" at the top
• Select "Virtual Urgent Care" or "E-Visit - SmartExam" to get started

If you don’t have a MyUnityPoint account, you can do the following:

• Go to chart.myunitypoint.org
• Click on "Sign up now" to register

Once registration is complete, follow the steps above. You can log in using your browser, or download the app by searching for "MyChart" and selecting the "MyUnityPoint" version. Using the app is not required. Please note: A patient must schedule an appointment from their personal account or an approved proxy account.

Emergency Room

What is an emergency room?

An emergency room (ER) is usually part of a hospital or medical center designated to treat patients with any type of emergency or trauma. Emergency rooms operate around-the-clock, providing full emergency medical support and resources on a walk-in basis.

When should you go to the emergency room?

Always choose emergency care when you’re facing a severe, life-threatening condition. Dial 9-1-1 or visit your ER right away if you, or someone around you, is experiencing any of the following emergency symptoms or conditions:

• Chest pains or symptoms of heart attack or stroke
• Seizure
• Loss of consciousness
• Abdominal pain
• Head injury or pain
• Poisoning
• Choking or difficulty breathing
• Open fractures, severe cuts, burns or uncontrollable bleeding
• Fever in elderly individuals or young children

Where can you go for emergency room care?

Use our Find a Location tool to locate emergency care in your area. Our emergency departments are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to treat people of all ages. When needed, our emergency medicine teams work closely with other medical and surgical specialists to coordinate the best plan of care for you. If you’re concerned about a medical emergency and need immediate care, call 9-1-1 or visit the nearest emergency department.