Main Post A current national healthcare issue/stressor that I have chosen to foc
Main Post A current national healthcare issue/stressor that I have chosen to focus my discussion on is the inappropriate usage of the Emergency Department for non-emergencies. As an Emergency Department RN, we see many patients daily who use the ED as their primary care doctor. In turn, this creates long waits for those who are truly experiencing a medical emergency, as well as wastes resources. Unfortunately, this stems from patients either not willing to or unable to pay upfront for medical care, or are simply uneducated on the appropriate use of the emergency department. Thus, they come to the ED where we are required to see them, despite whether or not they can pay, and whether or not they meet emergency criteria. According to Baumann (2021), “Due to the extreme complexity of the healthcare system, non-emergent primary care sought in the ER for “non-life threatening” conditions is largely due to individuals who either cannot navigate the system of in-network and out-of-network doctors or simply opt for the convenience of an always-open ER that never requires an appointment” (paragraph 1). What people do not realize is that this overcrowds the ED, leading to delayed care for true emergent patients. Recent studies show that an increased demand for emergency care, overcrowding of emergency services, and inappropriate use of these services are commonly seen in most developed Western countries (Montoro-Pérez et al., 2023). With a rapid increase in the demand for emergency ambulance services (EAS), there must be enough resources available at all times to maintain quality care; however, reducing unnecessary demand is just as critical, as the abuse of EAS is higher than ever (Ho Ting Wong et al., 2019). References Baumann, F. (2021). Inappropriate ER use has gone from serious to critical. SmartLight Analytics. https://smartlightanalytics.com/inappropriate-er-use-has-gone-from-serious-to-critical/Links to an external site. Ho Ting Wong, Teng-Kang Lin, & Jen-Jia Lin. (2019). Identifying rural–urban differences in the predictors of emergency ambulance service demand and misuse. Journal of the Formosan Medical Association, 118(1), 324–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2018.05.013 Montoro-Pérez, N., Richart-Martínez, M., & Montejano-Lozoya, R. (2023). Corrigendum to “Factors associated with the inappropriate use of the pediatric emergency department. A systematic review” [Journal of Pediatric Nursing 69C (2023) 38–46]. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 72, 209–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2023.05.002Links to an external site.