USA Today Article

[DrChandy]

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"ER Waiting Rooms Defy Stereotypes"

"Countering a popular belief, researchers say that communities with higher numbers of uninsured, Hispanics or non-citizens have a lower use of hospital emergency departments.
Instead, places with the highest levels of emergency department use are those with more elderly residents, communities where people have to wait a long time for appointments with their own doctors and places where a smaller percentage of the population is enrolled in HMOs vs. other kinds of insurance....

....The findings from a review of 60 communities come amid increasing concern about crowding that has led to ambulances being diverted and long waits in the nation's emergency departments. "

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2006-07-18-er-visits-usat_x.htm

 

[totalbodypain]

They obviously didn't spend any time at our ED. 😉

 

[docB]

There were a slew of articles about this in the lates Annals. I can see how this would be true. It doesn't help anything, but I can see how it can be true.

 

[Hawkeye Kid]

I just read an article as part of our intern orientation reading series (yes, it's as enthralling as it sounds) that quoted some JCAHO higer-up as saying that ED overcrowding isn't necessarily a trend, but part of the long-term ebb and flow, or something to that effect. i thought it was interesting that an organization that has an anti-granola-bar-at-the-nurses-desk policy isn't concerned about something so much more significant. 🙄

 

[Siggy]

I wonder how much over crowding is caused by SNF patients whos PMD was too busy playing golf to take care of a cold?

 

[Apollyon]

I wonder how much over crowding is caused by SNF patients whos PMD was too busy playing golf to take care of a cold?

I don't believe these doctors (for SNFs and nursing homes) actually exist.

 

[docB]

I don't believe these doctors (for SNFs and nursing homes) actually exist.

Sure they do. I see evidence all the time on the paperwork the EMTs hand me. "TO: Tfer to ER per Dr. SNF."
Occasionally I even get to talk to Dr. SNF on the phone. He says, "Admit that to someone else. click."

 

[Apollyon]

Sure they do. I see evidence all the time on the paperwork the EMTs hand me. "TO: Tfer to ER per Dr. SNF." Occasionally I even get to talk to Dr. SNF on the phone. He says, "Admit that to someone else. click."

As David Letterman would say, "HARD TO BELIEVE!"