Recently a Kaiser Health News article http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org * noted: “Scott Paul knew he needed to head to the emergency room on a recent Sunday after his foot became so painful he couldn’t walk. The one thing that gave him pause was the thought of having to wait several hours next to a bunch of sick people. But his wife, Jeannette, remembered she’d seen Dignity Health television commercials featuring a woman sitting in a hospital waiting room and then cutting to the same woman sitting on her living room couch as words come up on the screen: “Wait for the ER from home.”
“I’ve been in emergency rooms before, so I thought I’d see if this worked out,” she said, and went online to book an appointment for her husband at Dignity’s St. Mary’s Medical Center in San Francisco.
“They actually had an appointment that was within the hour. It was fast, it was convenient and there was also immediately confirmation we had the appointment,” she said. “
Dignity isn’t the only network employing the strategy. In an era of increased competition driven by the nation’s Affordable Care Act, hospital executives around the country are hoping online appointments will attract patients eager to avoid long waits in a crowded and often chaotic environment.”
“Emergency room appointments are not intended for patients with serious emergencies — those with life-threatening, debilitating or urgent medical conditions. Patients with chest pain, persistent bleeding or trouble breathing, for instance, are instructed to call 911 or go directly to an emergency room. Those with an ankle sprain or a fever, for instance, might be able to make an appointment.”
“Some critics say the online check-in system may be convenient but is not necessarily cost-effective. It could encourage patients to seek care in the costliest of settings, emergency rooms, when they should be going to less-expensive urgent care centers or medical offices, they say.
* to read the full KHNs article “The Latest In Medical Convenience: ER Appointments” by Anna Gorman, highlight and click on open hyperlink http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2014/July/03/The-Latest-In-Medical-Convenience-ER-Appointments.aspx
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Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration.
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