| One of the major areas of concern to analysts | | | | organization Urban Institute based in Washington |
| observing the current health care crisis in the | | | | D.C., analysts are now scrambling to explain these |
| United States is that emergency rooms are being | | | | unexpected results. |
| used more and more each year, at great cost to | | | | According to some, the most probable explanation |
| the health care system as a whole. The | | | | for the continued overuse of emergency rooms |
| seriousness of this issue has caused some | | | | comes down to convenience. Anya Rader |
| startling reactions among health care providers. In | | | | Wallack, the interim president of Blue Cross/Blue |
| one case a hospital in California was forced to set | | | | Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, a co-sponsor |
| up a tent outside the hospital in order to | | | | of the report, explains the finding this way: |
| accommodate the number of people flocking to | | | | "People having a stronger connection with a |
| their ER. In a second example two hospitals in the | | | | primary care doctor, people being able to get |
| state of Louisiana are fearful that their | | | | same-day appointments, and people being able to |
| emergency rooms will not be able to handle the | | | | get after-hours care would potentially make a big |
| number of visitors who will begin to arrive once a | | | | difference," Wallack said. |
| third emergency room closes in the area. | | | | In other words, according to Wallack, the |
| What exactly is the appeal of the emergency | | | | alternative to using the ER for primary care must |
| room? After all, if you have ever been to visit | | | | also change. It's not just a question of coverage, |
| one, and the chances are high that you have, | | | | but of access; until people are happier with their |
| considering that in 2009 emergency rooms | | | | primary care doctors and feel they can see them |
| handled over 119 million separate visits, there is | | | | sooner at more convenient times during the day, |
| very little to recommend it. The average wait to | | | | the emergency room will still be inundated with |
| be seen by a physician is long; it varies greatly | | | | non-emergency visits, at great cost to the health |
| among hospitals, but can easily take an hour or | | | | care system. |
| sometimes much more before you are examined. | | | | The study also found some interesting |
| Usually it is not a comfortable place to wait, | | | | characteristics among those that use the |
| especially considering that you are surrounded by | | | | emergency room as a substitute for the |
| some extremely ill people. | | | | traditional primary care model. People from |
| An argument has been made that the extreme | | | | Massachusetts that used the emergency room at |
| overcrowding in emergency rooms is caused by | | | | least three times within the past year were |
| many uninsured people using the ER as their | | | | discovered to be:o They are more ill and more |
| primary care option. Since the uninsured can't | | | | disabled than people in the general population.o |
| afford to see a doctor to treat the common | | | | They are more often among the low-income |
| illnesses of life such as colds, flu and a host of | | | | strata of society, or have less years of formal |
| other ailments better seen by a doctor after | | | | education.o They tend to live in Boston or the |
| making an appointment, they go to the ER for | | | | southeastern part of Massachusetts.o These |
| their routine treatment and care that they need; | | | | frequent ER visitors account for almost 25% of |
| they do so knowing that they won't be turned | | | | the total annual visits to ERs in the state. |
| away just because they can't pay. | | | | The emergency room is an amazing life-saving |
| This has proven to be just a theory, however, at | | | | adjunct to the health care system, which is |
| least in the case of the state of Massachusetts. | | | | responsible for saving many thousands of lives in |
| Recent reforms there have given all residents | | | | many different circumstances. However, by |
| medical health coverage, but the rate of | | | | overtaxing the system, we risk diminishing the |
| emergency room usage is still exceedingly high. | | | | effectiveness of these emergency care centers. |
| This finding has surprised many people, especially | | | | Therefore, it is important to become educated to |
| those who believed that universal health insurance | | | | identify true emergencies which require a visit to |
| would curb the overuse/misuse of this facility. | | | | the ER, and when it is better to make an |
| Since this hasn't been the case in Massachusetts, | | | | appointment to visit your doctor. |
| according to a study done by the non-profit | | | | |