Emergency rooms
While emergency rooms are important for good patient care, they are sometimes over utilized by the public. Unfortunately, when this happens, patients that actually require emergency care, are forced to wait longer than they should. When patients are forced to wait longer than the should to receive emergency medical care, good patient outcome is less likely to occur. Long wait time in ERs has been linked to several deaths that easily would have been avoided if the emergency room was only utilized when necessary.
Too many people use the ER like they would use their doctors office, simply because it is more convenient for them. For example, a person that works long hours may not be available for a visit to their doctor during normal office hours. When that happens, a patient may feel they have no choice but to go to the emergency room. Urgent care centers should be easily accessible in order to bridge the gap between a doctors office visit and an emergency room visit.
In order to determine whether or not a visit to the emergency room is necessary, one must first access the medical situation. If the patient is obviously suffering from a medical emergency and their life is in danger, go directly to the emergency room or call an ambulance. However, if the patient is suffering only minor discomfort, and their life is not in danger, they can wait to see their regular doctor. Also, if a patient is in such discomfort that they can not tolerate the pain, but their life is not in danger, they can instead, opt to visit an urgent care center. It is important that one becomes able to differentiate between a medical emergency and a regular medical issue. This ensures the availability of the ER to those that really need it and allows them to be see by a doctor quickly. Overcrowded ERs are a major cause of illness spreading and of hospitals inability to see patients in a speedy manner.
The need for Primary physicians to have extended office hours has become increasingly clear. Today’s society is fast paced, with many people having to work longer or non traditional hours. Another factor is that many people are now left without medical insurance and feel that they are more likely to be seen by a doctor at an emergency room. If a patient is unable to see their regular doctor, they are sometimes left with no choice but to utilize the ER.
Emergency rooms are overcrowded and often utilized for non-emergencies. In order for patients to receive proper and timely medical care, doctors offices, hospitals and urgent care facilities need to work together to ensure good patient outcome. However, if you ever in doubt about the urgency of a medical issue, it is best to go the ER or call an ambulance as they are able to quickly determine the seriousness of a medical situation. It is, after all, better to be safe than sorry. The last thing your local hospital wants is for you to not visit the ER when you should.
