How to Fix the Emergency Room

Denise,

This is a great article with recommendations that make sense and can make a difference in ER'S if it could be successfully implemented.

The problem exists in solving the problem of reducing the very large number of patients who really need Urgent Care, yet tie up the emergency room. Obviously, we cannot tell a patient what is or what is not an emergency in their mind, but colds, minor aches, and pains, toothaches, scrapes, and bruises do not qualify as emergency care. Emergency Rooms should develop programs with trained triage personnel to filter those non-emergency people to one of the many local Urgent Care Centers popping up everywhere. Many hospitals are opening up Urgent Care either in or close to their facility. Using these facilities greatly reduces the waiting time and enhances the ability of ER staff to treat those who need their services most.

In particular, Trauma Centers frequently have trauma entering into the ER that are a priority for receiving treatment. Trauma can back up care for up to eight hours resulting in angry patients waiting long periods for minor treatment. In my experience, working in many ER's, those who walk in with chest pain or are experiencing problems that fail one or more of the ABC's of treatment evaluation, never wait.

We need change in ER treatment protocols. Standardization of many procedures could be effective, but trained personnel who recognize and can make the decision of who is an emergency requiring immediate care versus those who can wait and give those who can wait, the option of Urgent Care.

Thanks for posting this most informative article.

I went to the emergency room at the MPLS VA on a Tuesday at about 09am. It was standing room only. I have no idea what the wait time would have been as the intake nurse looked at me and requested I come back later.
Before anyone wants heads to roll, I went at the request of my surgical team to have x-rays taken. It was not an emergency.
From what I encountered, something has to be done to reduce wait times to less than 30 min. The vets waiting just looked misrable.

Making wait times shorter will please people initially until more and more people hear about it and more use it for primary care. Why wait a week when I can be seen in 30mins.