With an influx of patients in emergency rooms, a visit to the ER could mean a misdiagnosis, delayed treatment and a general lack of personalized care.
The Emergency Medical Journal found that more than three-quarters of the doctors surveyed say sometimes they didn't do a thorough medical history exam, when patients were treated in emergency room hallways.
Some patients are left to be seen in the hallways, and the non-private encounters affect the accuracy of diagnosis of medical conditions.
“The number one cause of emergency room crowding, is hospital crowding. Hospitals at some point run out of beds. And, when they run out of beds, we back up,” said emergency-room veteran Dr. Bruce Adams.
He added the ongoing problem with ER overcrowding has dangerous, even deadly risks, if they can’t find patients rooms.
“If we don’t we know that patients have a higher chance of getting sick or dying later on,”
On the flip side, Dr. Dale Crockett said the ER process needs to be expedited.
“If they can stay in a chair or if they can just go straight to their test and then you can discharge them efficiently, then do so,” said Crockett.