People throughout the Atlanta area know that hospitals in the city have long waiting room times, sometimes topping six hours. Emory University Hospital and Emory University Hospital Midtown are both infamous for their ER waiting times, which average 6.1 hours for both and are number one and number two, respectively, for the longest ER wait times in the entire state.
For the most part, overcrowding is the primary issue these hospitals face. Unfortunately, people who need urgent services that emergency rooms provided aren’t receiving them. This means that everything from testing to actual care and treatment is delayed.
Are long wait times automatically medical malpractice?
A long wait time in the emergency room doesn’t automatically mean that medical malpractice occurred. However, some emergency room delays cross the line into preventable harm. The issue that’s considered is whether the care provided fell below the acceptable medical standard. If the care was below the standard of care, injury to patients can occur.
When is a delay more than an inconvenience?
Certain symptoms should trigger an immediate evaluation. These include trouble breathing, stroke signs, chest pain, uncontrollable bleeding, extreme abdominal pain, head injuries and paralysis. Others might also be present. If those symptoms are overlooked, there’s a chance that the delay has ventured into medical negligence or malpractice.
Busy emergency room employees may feel pressured throughout a shift, but they can’t let that lead them to provide unsafe care. If they fail to delay needed testing, fail to monitor a worsening condition, discharge a patient too soon or fail to recognize urgent symptoms, the patient may suffer irreversible harm, but there must be a connection between the delay and the deterioration of the patient’s condition.
Anyone who has had a lengthy wait in an Atlanta emergency room when they presented with significant symptoms and ended up with a worsening condition that could have been prevented with proper emergency care may choose to seek compensation. These cases depend heavily on documentation and records and are often complex. Victims may choose to work with someone familiar with these matters so they can focus on healing.