The Emergency Center Offers Free Downloadable Guide and Handbook to Help Patients Know When They Should Go to an Emergency Room vs an Urgent Care

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Emergency Center, a premier freestanding emergency room, has produced a free downloadable "Go-to Guide for Emergency Care" and "Emergency Care Go-to Handbook" to help patients understand which symptoms and conditions warrant an emergency room vs an urgent care.

According to a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, there is an almost 90 percent overlap between symptoms that require emergency care and those that could be treated by an urgent care. Two people may have identical symptoms but different diagnoses ? one life-threatening, one non-urgent. In fact, 90% of patients sent to the emergency room underestimate the severity of their conditions.

"Most patients lack the medical knowledge and training to determine the cause of their symptoms and shouldn't try to self-diagnose if they are having a medical emergency vs a minor condition," says CEO Dr. Keith Butler. "The guide and handbook are not meant to encourage patients to self-diagnose, but rather educate the population on symptoms and conditions urgent cares and emergency rooms can treat."

The Emergency Center has taken the initiative to not only educate people proactively, before an emergency occurs, but to also provide written material they can keep on hand as a reference for themselves and for caregivers like babysitters or family members.

The downloadable "Go-to Guide for Emergency Care" includes:

• The most common reasons people visit the ER
• Emergency room vs urgent care capabilities
• When an ER is a better fit than an urgent care
• "Emergency Symptoms at a Glance" checklist

The "Emergency Care Go-To Handbook" includes a convenient refrigerator magnet for keeping emergency contact information within reach, when quick action is critical. The printed booklet also includes:

• Detailed information on symptoms and conditions that warrant an ER
• When to visit the ER for head and neck injuries, chest and abdominal pain, allergic reactions, bites, skin infections, burns, cuts, breaks and more
• Basic first aid and healthcare remedies
• How to treat illnesses and stabilize injuries for the trip to the ER

Both of these essential and informative guides are free and easily accessible at https://care.theemergencycenter.com/guide/. The "Go-to Guide for Emergency Care" can be downloaded immediately and the printed "Emergency Care Go-to Handbook" with refrigerator magnet is mailed within days of submitting the form.

Visit The Emergency Center's website for more information about our facilities https://www.theemergencycenter.com.

The Emergency Center encourages the population not to hesitate to seek emergency care if they feel their health is in serious jeopardy.

About The Emergency Center
TEC is a leading patient-centered healthcare physicians group expanding access to the highest quality emergency medical care through its network of freestanding emergency rooms in Texas. More than urgent care centers, The Emergency Center offers a complete suite of emergency services onsite, including X-ray, 64-slice CT scanner, ultrasound, a full-service diagnostic lab, onsite pharmacy, and take home MedPacks. The Emergency Center has no wait 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and accepts all private insurance plans. TEC operates facilities in Fort Worth, Arlington and San Antonio and strives to be a vital part of each community it serves.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Taylore Cunningham
PR and Marketing
The Emergency Center
469-877-9457
[email protected]

SOURCE The Emergency Center