Patients book ER appointments for convenience

Similar to booking an appointment with a primary care physician, patients are now scheduling their emergency room (ER) visits. While hospitals around the country post their ER wait times to streamline patient throughput, they are also taking the initiative of creating organized schedules for emergency patients. For example, East Cooper Medical Center in South Carolina now allows patients to book a reservation while waiting in the comfort of their own homes, reports MountPleasantPatch. Like other hospitals using similar software, East Cooper Medical Center uses InQuickER. The ER booking system is not intended for serious emergencies, in which case, those patients are prioritized first. Although good in theory, the need to book ER appointments also may highlight overuse of the ER for nonemergent cases, as well as an overwhelming number of patients. Article