Annals of Emergency Medicine: “The authors conclude, ‘increase in ED use may be attributable to lack of ready access to primary care and other structural problems in the health care system.’”
Bingo.
Related posts:
- Emergency department overcrowding
- Today’s "Long ER Wait" article
- Can universal health coverage be sustained long-term?
- Wrong focus
- ER waits: The NY Times is half-right
- Primary care shortage
- Risks of cardiac CT scanning
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Ultimately, it is because primary care physicians / practitioners don’t want to work the hours that they are needed. The majority of people are not able to get to a physician from 9 to 5 because they are working – and taking time off when sick is sometimes not feasible. This only leaves the ED.
I am no longer a primary care doc. However, I wouldn’t mind working in the evenings seeing pts in my sleep clinic. The problem is, my secretarial/administrative staff wants to work standard hours, and I would have to pay a higher hourly salary to get someone to work in the evening. Insurance isn’t going to pay any more $ if I see someone at 8 pm vs 8 am. It would decrease my income to offer later hours. I think that is why most docs keep standard 9 to 5 hours.
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