Emergency Room Overload has been an issue for several years. It has become the "nature of the beast" in times when so many people have limited or no insurance. If one has no insurance and feels ill, the immediate response is to go to the Emergency Room at the nearest facility. Even limited insured persons feel the compulsion to head to the hospital for treatment. This migration for medical assistance has caused the delay in treatments that so many patients complain about due to the length of time it takes to be seen and treated throughout the health care system. Much has been said and written about the delays of treatment when visiting the local hospitals, but very little has been mentioned about how hospitals have been attempting to improve efficiency in providing care.

Our health care facilities have been dealing with satisfaction ratings for the past decade. These ratings specify the pros and con's of how well patients are being treated within each facility and measured by either national or regional standards. In general, hospitals have been making all efforts to improve treatment times, especially within the emergency rooms. Improved or shorter waiting times will improve the satisfaction ratings and draw increased consumer usage. Hospitals have taken the "negative hits" when patients are becoming increasingly dissatisfied waiting to be treated.

Here in the United States, we believe health care is our right. Assuming that right, we tend to demand medical treatment like driving on the freeway. We want quick and efficient passage to immediate treatment, but I believe we should look at what is really happening in the health care systems today, and maybe reconsider how we can get the best option in treatment.

Emergency Rooms now utilize triage systems to increase patient flow according to the degree of illness or injury presented by each patient coming through the ER entrance. This type of system works very well and increases the functionality of care. However, overcrowding in the emergency rooms does impact all efforts of efficiency.

Several suggestions can improve your chances at getting the best method of treatment in a timely, less costly, and effective manner:

If you are insured, you may want to call your physician's office for a scheduled appointment. Most physician's offices either have a professional answering service on off-hours or a covering physician who can determine if your symptoms necessitate going to the emergency room or schedule an office appointment. Today, most physician offices have open urgent office appointments where you can be seen during their regularly scheduled office hours.The important advise at this point is to accurately be able to described your symptoms clearly and concisely to get the best advise.

Uninsured persons may not have the option of having a personal physician and have two options to receive medical care. The first would be to be treated in the emergency room if your symptoms are moderate to severe or sudden onset. The second option, which should be planned prior to having the need for medical treatment is to inquire at your local hospital about sponsored medical clinics or out-patient clinics. This option provides access to physicians who are affiliated with your local hospital. The costs are relatively much lower and generally offer a sliding scale for treatment based on personal income levels. The disadvantage may be that these clinics are only a Monday through Friday operation, but there is movement to extend treatment hours on Saturdays.

One last word of advise, much talk has been spread to the fact that if you want to be seen quickly in the emergency room one should arrive by ambulance. Ambulance visits are triaged in the same manner as if you are presenting to the triage nurse, which means if your symptoms are not life threatening or emergent, you may find yourself sitting in the waiting room for the next available open bed.

My thought is for no one to be having to wait long hours for treatment, and that could possibly be the goal if we all are prudent at seeking out our options for treatment. In preparation before heading to your local Emergency Room, I have provided some time-saving advice about navigating through ER congestion:

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