RT Journal
A1 Katz MH, MD
T1 Emergency department care: When needed—not when better choices are unavailable
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2012
FD April 23
VO 172
IS 8
SP 609
OP 610
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2012.152
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.152
AB 
The increasing use of emergency departments (EDs) is a perplexing problem across the United States. Between 1997 and 2007, a national study1 showed that ED visits increased almost twice as much as what would have been expected from the size of the population growth. When EDs are crowded, patients who have serious problems are at risk for delayed treatment. In addition, ED care is expensive, is unlikely to provide needed preventive care, and does not facilitate continuity in physician-patient relationships, a key component of quality care.