Reducing misuse of Emergency Departments!

[hmccartn]

After reading much of the posts about ED Nursing, my first suggestion would be for people to stop inserting objects where they do not belong!.On a more serious note, i just read an article in the paper about a study completed which showed that 41% of parents undermedicate their children for fevers. the study examined Emergency room visits, and it determined that those visits could have been avoided had the children been dosed appropriately. What are your suggestions to reduce unecessary visits to the ER?

[Chixie]

Something on the news made me think of this thread and you guys

On my local news one of the hospitals up the road from me made an announcement on the local news saying 'if you have flu or a cold then DONT come to a+e/ER as there is nothing we can give you'

Wonder if it will work.....

[Pepperlady]

Don't let the thought that "free" healthcare will solve the abuse of the ER. We have a national health plan in Canada (although its not really free as many assume, I do pay for my premiums in BC) and we see the exact same things coming through the ER.

We have created a society in which people are afraid of things, if they vomit once they must have listeriosis, if they have a small cut they must surely be going to get flesh-eating disease, if they cough then they just know they have pneumonia .... patient education goes a long way, but I doubt we will ever see the abuse of the ER solved.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

we all look forward to Universal Health Care to help this problem

What makes you think this will solve the problem rather than making it 1000x worse?

[Iam46yearsold]

Because I like to think in a very positive manner about life in general I guess.