It's urgent. Why am I waiting?

Each year, U.S. emergency rooms (ERs) handle over 130 million visits, making them one of the busiest places to receive care. When you visit one, you hope to receive immediate care. Unfortunately, you may have to wait several hours before seeing a doctor.

The demand for emergency care nationwide is increasing due in part to health policy changes and fewer outpatient facilities. However, understanding the ER process may make your next visit easier.

Triage

After checking in to the ER, you will see a triage nurse who is trained to classify patients based upon the urgency of their medical condition. This process helps determine how quickly a doctor will see you.

For example, a patient with a life- or limb-threatening condition, such as stroke, heart attack or serious bodily injury, may see a doctor right away. In these cases, patients experiencing symptoms that are not urgent would wait longer.

“Throughout your visit, nurses will assess your condition to make sure you receive proper care,” says Annette Austin, manager of the Sharp Memorial Hospital Emergency Department.

While you are waiting, patients are also arriving by ambulance with urgent health conditions. These patients are assessed and prioritized based on their presenting conditions, which may adjust the time other patients are being seen.

Medical exam

The next step is an exam with a doctor. They will determine if you need laboratory or radiology studies. “This would mean that your blood may need to be drawn, or an X-ray is needed,” says Austin. “This will add to the time of your visit, depending upon how many other patients need similar workups.”

To help minimize wait times and increase patient satisfaction, the Sharp Memorial Emergency Department developed Quick Care. This area is designated for patients who can be treated and discharged quickly, as they have less urgent conditions. In addition, for conditions that are not life-threatening nor limb-threatening, patients can add their name to the list by securing an online appointment for any Sharp ER.

Admittance or discharge

Lastly, your doctor will decide to admit or discharge you from the hospital. If you’re discharged, your doctor will review your lab work or radiology results with you, discuss your diagnosis, give you any needed prescriptions for medications, and provide instructions for follow-up care. Before you leave, you will process your payment for the visit.

The Sharp Memorial Emergency Department offers the following tips to help you navigate ER wait times.

1. Consider urgent care.
   Sharp HealthCare has urgent care centers throughout San Diego that provide care for urgent medical problems that are not life-threatening, such as earaches, rashes or minor burns. An urgent care visit may be a quicker alternative when you need immediate care.
   

2. Avoid peak hours.
   The ER is typically busiest between 12 and 9 pm. Morning hours between 7 and 10 am tend to be the best time to visit the ER to avoid a long wait. “During this block of time, all of our patient care areas are open, we are fully staffed, and each section has a doctor,” says Austin.
   

3. Bring important documents.
   Make sure you bring your photo ID, insurance card, medical history and a list of medications. These documents can help ensure you’re seen in a timely manner and have proper care.

“Additionally, Sharp Memorial recently added nine more beds to the Emergency Department, and we have plans to expand further,” says Austin. “We are always thinking of new ways to minimize wait times and accommodate the continual increase of patient volume."

Learn more about quality of care; get the latest health and wellness news, trends and patient stories from Sharp Health News; and subscribe to our weekly newsletter by clicking the "Sign up" link below.