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Are You Being Forgotten in the Emergency Room?
ER waits can be chaotic and uncomfortable, but most people don’t realize they are being treated as soon as they walk in.
Second to having a life-threatening emergency, the wait to be seen by a doctor can be the most anxiety-provoking part of an ER visit.
Emergency waiting rooms are uncomfortable, often chaotic environments. Because ERs treat all comers, waiting rooms are often filled with people who are sick, bleeding, throwing up, or screaming in pain.
ER wait times frequently run into the hours, with patients occasionally having to wait more than 24 hours to be seen by a doctor. It is not uncommon for patients to give up and leave after several hours of waiting. For those forced to wait, the chaos and uncertainty of the ER waiting room is distressing.
So how can it be ethical to force people with urgent illnesses to wait without being seen?
Understanding how the emergency department functions can help explain why wait times can be so long. But rest assured, you are already being seen as soon as you walk through the door.
