Wednesday November 11, 2009 at 18:34
Headed to the emergency room? Bring a book.
Is it crowds of poor people using the ER as their source of primary care? No….
“The researchers conclude that poor, uninsured patients aren’t to blame.”
It turns out that while wait times have increased and the proportion of people going to the ER have increased over time, the proportion of poor folks going has remained the same.
So what’s behind this?
“…it appears that decreased access to primary health care for all patients and an aging population are more important contributors to the per capita increase”
Turns out the flip side is true too:
When people have good access to primary care that doesn’t treat them with flagrant disrespect through waits and delays, they end up using the ER less often. (read a study on this)
It’s good to know that a small but growing number of primary care offices know this and can deliver on the promise of good access.
