Safety

High number of ER trips a reflection of convenience

Emergency Management Alert, May 31, 2005

Emergency room visits have reached an all-time high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A recent CDC study showed that patients made 114 million trips to the emergency room in 2003, even as the number of hospital emergency rooms decreased. About one third of these visits were not emergencies, but conditions treatable in a doctor's office. Too many patients don't have easy access to a doctor, according to the CDC.

Some patients prefer the hospital's emergency room to their own doctor because of the advanced technology, prescription drugs, and even the occasional free meal, the CDC says.

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