This blog post originally appeared on Zaggocare.org

When you or a loved one is sick or injured, where should you go for medical care? Your primary care doctor? The emergency room (ER)? A retail clinic at your local pharmacy or big box store or an urgent care center? With so many options for care, it can be hard to know which is the best choice in your given circumstances. How should you choose between an ER, urgent care and retail clinic? Read on to learn what factors to consider when you or a loved one need care.

Should you go to the emergency room?

I think most of us know that in a real emergency, such as a suspected heart attack or stroke, or a bad accident, the emergency room is the place to be.  But what about illnesses and accidents that don’t seem life-threatening? Should you go the ER? Maybe not.

Interestingly, one