Question: Why do we have to wait so long in the emergency room before we receive treatment? The wait often seems so long and many of the patients don't look well. Why is there such a wait for treatment?
From: Jack M. of Pittsburgh, PA

Answer: I have heard this complaint from many people so it seems to be a rather common problem. According to the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, the U.S. population grew by 12% from 1993 to 2003. ER visits grew by 27% in the same time period. Furthermore, a 2004 study of university-based hospitals showed that ER beds were occupied 35% of time. Many hospitals have tried to decrease the wait and have critiqued their own ER procedures to find ways to more ways to efficiently serve their patients. Emergency room care is costly and overcrowding causes services to be slow. Seriously ill patients may wait hours to days in the ER before being admitted to an inpatient bed or ICU because of bed shortages. For those without health insurance coverage, the ER becomes their first option. Too often, people use the ER for non-emergency health concerns rather than call their physician or go to a health clinic or an urgent care center. Not every situation is an emergency but the dilemma is in knowing the difference. Emergent conditions include loss of consciousness, fractures, chest pain, head injury, seizures and should be addressed immediately. Conditions such as cold, flu, prenatal care, sore throat, and headache may be treated by a primary care physician or health clinic or urgent care. Federal law requires that ERs must evaluate anyone who requests help. Additionally, ER staff must treat the most serious injuries and illnesses first. Many ERs lose money and some have closed, further contributing to overcrowding.

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