When i go to the hospital for upper gi issues, can i request a barium swallow instead of an endoscopy? also, can i go to an urgent care center for something as complex as gi issues?

When one is with one's treating physician, all relevant questions merit a reasoned response. Feel free to ask questions. Urgent Care Center care quality is dependent upon the competence of the physicians caring for the patient.

Whether an upper endoscopy or barium swallow is needed depends on what the actual problem is. The 2 tests are very different and they are not interchangeable. The best doctor to diagnose your “upper GI issues” would be a gastroenterologist or GI doctor. You can make an appointment to see one in the office and they can then decide what testing is most appropriate to diagnose and treat your issue.

For many years we only had Upper GI Series under the fluoroscope to investigate esophageal, stomach& duodenal issues and very little was missed by the skilled, experienced radiologist. One advantage of the endoscopic study is the ability to take biopsies. An UGI series may miss some complex pathologies. A general physician at a clinic is certainly capable of screening your symptoms & referring yo