Sickday’s clinical service spans several distinct care types — each addressing different situations, supporting different patients, and delivered through different formats. The catalog reflects the range of conditions a high-quality urgent care setting would handle, adapted to NYC’s specific needs and Sickday’s house-call and telemedicine delivery model. This 2026 guide walks through the Sickday care types, what each covers, and how to decide which fits your specific situation.
Important: this guide is educational. For specific concerns about your health, the right next step is direct evaluation by a licensed clinician — Sickday’s, your primary care provider’s, or in emergent situations, going to a hospital emergency department or calling 911.
For background on the service overall, see what is Sickday. For the broader care overview, see types of care.
Medical House Calls
Medical house calls are Sickday’s signature service — a licensed clinician visiting you at home (or hotel, office, or other location) to evaluate and address non-emergent care needs. The house call covers most of the conditions that would otherwise require an urgent care visit, without the transit, waiting room, and exposure to other illness that an in-person clinic visit involves.
When this fits: Most non-emergent illness or injury situations where in-person evaluation is needed. Particularly valuable for families with young children, individuals with mobility constraints, situations where leaving home is impractical (weather, schedule, contagion concerns), and contexts where the comfort and convenience of home care matters.
What’s involved: Same intake as any clinical visit, conducted at your location. The clinician evaluates symptoms, conducts appropriate examination, discusses findings, and recommends a care plan. For conditions requiring medications, prescriptions are sent to your pharmacy. For conditions requiring further evaluation, referrals are arranged.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine provides virtual consultation with a licensed clinician via video. For situations that fit virtual evaluation, telemedicine resolves the issue faster than scheduling an in-person visit.
When this fits: Symptom triage when you’re not sure if an in-person visit is needed; follow-up consultations on previous visits; conditions where physical examination provides limited additional information; mental health check-ins; travel situations where in-person care is impractical; refill discussions for established conditions.
What’s involved: Scheduled video consultation with a Sickday clinician. The clinician evaluates symptoms via video, asks questions to determine the right care path, and either resolves the situation virtually (prescription, advice, symptomatic care guidance) or recommends escalation to an in-person visit if needed.
IV Therapy
IV therapy covers intravenous hydration and specific IV-delivered therapies. Administered by licensed clinicians in the home setting.
When this fits: Significant dehydration that requires more aggressive rehydration than oral fluids provide; specific situations where IV-delivered therapy is appropriate; recovery from illness, travel, or other situations where IV hydration produces faster improvement than fluids alone.
Important note: IV therapy is not a casual wellness service. It’s an appropriate clinical intervention for specific situations. The clinical evaluation determines whether IV therapy is the right tool for the specific situation.
Sports Injuries
Sports injuries covers evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries from athletic activity, exercise, or general activity.
When this fits: Sprains, strains, joint pain, soft-tissue injuries, evaluation of injuries from specific incidents. The clinician evaluates the injury, identifies whether imaging or further evaluation is needed, and recommends appropriate treatment.
What’s involved: In-home or in-clinic evaluation, examination, discussion of mechanism of injury, recommendations for treatment (rest, ice, compression, elevation, supportive care, or further evaluation as appropriate). Referrals to orthopedic specialists or physical therapy arranged when needed.
Family and Primary Care
Family and primary care covers ongoing primary care relationships and family care needs.
When this fits: Individuals and families who want an ongoing primary care relationship with the service — annual physicals, ongoing care for chronic conditions, family-wide care coordination, age-appropriate preventive care. The continuity of care relationship matters substantially for primary care; Sickday’s model supports that continuity.
What’s involved: Initial intake and history, ongoing care relationship, periodic visits as appropriate, documentation that supports care continuity.
Travelers Care
Travelers care covers visitors to NYC — international travelers, business travelers, family visitors — who need urgent evaluation while in the city.
When this fits: Travelers experiencing illness or injury during a NYC visit. The house-call format particularly fits travelers staying in hotels who don’t want to navigate an unfamiliar healthcare system on their own.
What’s involved: Same clinical evaluation as any visit, with appropriate documentation supporting subsequent care continuity in the traveler’s home location. Coordination with travel insurance where applicable.
Remote X-Rays
Remote X-rays covers imaging coordination for situations requiring X-ray evaluation. Imaging arranged at appropriate NYC facilities with results coordinated back to the Sickday care team.
When this fits: Situations where X-ray imaging is needed for evaluation — suspected fractures, certain joint injuries, specific chest or abdominal evaluations. The Sickday clinician evaluates whether imaging is appropriate; logistics are handled to make imaging accessible.
Specific Conditions Sickday Commonly Evaluates
Within the care types above, the conditions Sickday’s clinical team commonly evaluates include (this is a general list, not a complete service definition):
- Respiratory infections (cold, flu, COVID, sinus issues, bronchitis-like symptoms)
- Sore throat and ear pain
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Urinary tract concerns
- Skin issues (rashes, infections, minor wounds)
- Headaches (non-emergent — see below for when to seek emergency care for headache)
- Musculoskeletal pain and minor injuries
- Fever evaluation in adults and children
- Travel-related health issues
- Follow-up on chronic conditions
- Mental health check-ins
- Preventive care and physicals
For conditions that are seasonal or community-prevalent, the CDC and NYC Department of Health publish current public-health context at cdc.gov and nyc.gov/health.
When Conditions Require Emergency Care Instead
Sickday is for non-emergent care. Situations requiring emergency department or 911 include:
- Chest pain, especially with shortness of breath or other concerning features
- Sudden severe headache (especially with confusion, vision changes, or weakness)
- Signs of stroke (sudden weakness, slurred speech, facial drooping, vision loss)
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath at rest
- Severe abdominal pain
- Major trauma or significant bleeding
- Loss of consciousness or altered mental status
- Severe allergic reactions with breathing difficulty
- Any situation where you feel emergency-level concern
When in doubt about whether a situation is emergent, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
How to Choose Between Care Types
A practical decision framework:
- Emergent symptoms → 911 / ER. Always. Sickday is not the right path for true emergencies.
- Non-emergent but uncertain → telemedicine first. A virtual consultation can determine whether in-person visit is needed.
- Non-emergent and clearly needs in-person → house call. The default Sickday path for most non-emergent care.
- Ongoing primary care needs → family and primary care. Build the continuity-of-care relationship.
- Specific clinical needs (IV therapy, sports injury evaluation) → the dedicated service. Direct to the appropriate care type.
For Ongoing Care Relationships
Beyond individual visits, Sickday’s memberships support ongoing care relationships, and care packages address specific use cases. For the deeper view on choosing concierge healthcare and the membership decision, see choosing concierge healthcare in NYC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which care type fits my situation?
The Sickday intake team can help triage. Most non-emergent situations fit either house call or telemedicine; the team helps determine which.
Does IV therapy require a referral?
No, but it does require clinical evaluation to determine that IV therapy is the appropriate intervention for the specific situation. It’s a clinical service, not a wellness service.
Can I get prescriptions through telemedicine?
Yes, when clinically appropriate. The clinician evaluates and prescribes per standard clinical practice and applicable regulations.
What about pediatric care?
Sickday provides care for children as part of family care. Specific pediatric considerations are part of the clinical evaluation.
Does Sickday handle vaccines and immunizations?
Specific immunization questions should be discussed with the Sickday team and the clinician during evaluation. Travel-specific vaccinations may be coordinated through specific channels.
How does the care follow me if I have an existing primary care provider?
Sickday provides visit documentation that supports continuity with your existing primary care provider. With your consent, summary information can be communicated to your PCP.
Talk to Sickday About Your Care Need
Contact Sickday for non-emergent care needs. Browse the specific care type pages (house calls, telemedicine, IV therapy, sports injuries, family and primary care, travelers care, remote X-rays) for service-specific detail. For emergencies, go to the nearest emergency department or call 911.
