Society Talk

ER waiting times are a social problem, not a medical one

Doctor, US, 20-something years in emergency medicine. Here's my hot take after another shift.

A big share of the people in my waiting room don't need an ER. They need a primary care doctor they can't get an appointment with, a pharmacy that's open at 9pm, a ride, a social worker, or a safe place to sleep. We're the only door that's always open, so everyone comes through it.

Then everyone's surprised the wait is six hours. Fix the rest of the system and my waiting room shrinks. But sure, let's add another triage app.