Gridlock is rapidly increasing in emergency rooms around the United States. More and more people are being funneled to ER's instead of to primary care physicians and preventative treatment. ER's are also shutting down left and right around the country as well. This increase in the number of patients and decrease in ER's and ER resources is creating gridlock and traffic jams inside hospitals that just might prove deadly for you or a loved one.
Unfortunately, in too many instances, that's exactly what's happening. In fact, new research found that waiting times in emergency rooms have increased by 36 percent for all patients, to an average of 30 minutes per patient. And the sickest sometimes have to wait the longest: As many as one-quarter of all heart attack patients had to wait 50 minutes or longer before seeing a doctor.
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"The real problem is that patients are backing up in the ER. If a patient is still in the ER six or even 12 hours later, it means that room, that nurse and that equipment just aren't available for the next patient that comes in the door," explained Dr. Art Kellermann, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians.
What can you do to navigate through an emergency room safely?
- First you need a regular doctor and you need to go through regular visits and checkups to avoid the emergency room. A good first self defense is to avoid the emergency room if you can. If that doesn't work, make sure that you have your insurance card and or medical ID bracelets or information on you or very readily available these are your best form of self defense products in an emergency room.
- Second, do not be belligerent but DO be a squeaky wheel. If you or a loved one is in a serious situation, demand attention. Make sure the nurses and doctors know what's going on. MAKE eye contact with them. Engage them, don't give them useless details right up front that might make their eyes gloss over, let them know how serious the situation is, get them to acknowledge it, and write down their name and the time to show them that you are documenting their action or lack there of. If you can't write or forget a pen and paper, use your cell phone. call your voice mail and make a voice note. If you have a voice recorder, use it (might be illegal without their consent, but in a life and death situation, you make the call). If you have video, record the person. If you have to email the video to CNN as an I-Report. See how much attention that gets you!
- Third, know your hospital options. Find out just how good the ER's are in your area. Go to the best when its an emergency.
- Fourth, get involved politically, right now at a local, state and federal level to get your politicians involved and working on a solution. Most hospitals with problems did not find their way into those problems all by themselves. Your past lack of action is just as much to blame as anything else. Start fixing that today and it might save your life!
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