Delivering The Help You Need

Busy and crowded emergency rooms could be bad for your health

| Mar 25, 2018 | blog

If you have sought medical care in a Georgia emergency room, you know how busy these facilities can be. Emergency rooms can be crowded and stressful, and while you are there to get medical help, it could actually be bad for your health. There are links between overcrowded ERs and medical errors.

Doctors have an obligation to provide quality care to every patient they see. This includes finding the correct medical diagnosis, ordering the right tests and providing the appropriate treatment. When there is too much pressure on emergency room doctors and nurses to see more patients, the patient’s health pays the price. Sadly, medical errors and physical complications from emergency room errors are common.

Your health could be on the line

Some emergency rooms are so crowded that there is not enough room to see patients in an actual exam room. There are instances of patients receiving care in the hallway. Rushed and stressed doctors are more likely to make serious errors in diagnosis and treatment. Consider the following facts about overcrowded ERs and medical errors:

  • Patients in busy ERs are more likely to experience complications related to delayed treatment.
  • There could be a compromise of quality care and privacy in overly busy emergency rooms, especially because patients often need privacy and an appropriate exam space to feel comfortable talking about their concerns.
  • Non-private encounters between doctors and patients lead to a higher chance of an incorrect medical diagnosis.

Safety and privacy are tantamount in emergency rooms. When patient care suffers, their long-term physical well-being suffers as well. A misdiagnosis or improper care in an emergency room can lead to additional medical concerns, expensive medical bills and longer hospital stays. Victims of medical errors may not be aware that they are victims of this type of malpractice until weeks or months later.

What should you do next?

If you believe that you are a victim of malpractice, you have the right to take action. You can protect your interests through a civil claim filed against the liable parties. An evaluation of your case can help you understand who or what is responsible for your suffering and provide you options regarding how you can proceed.

Victims of emergency room errors have rights. You do not have to suffer alone, but you can take action to ensure you hold the appropriate people accountable and get the compensation you deserve for a full recovery.

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