Invited Commentary

Commentary on “Reasons Military Patients with Primary Care Access Leave an Emergency Department Waiting Room Before Seeing a Provider”

Authors: Robert F. Perry, MD

Abstract

In our overburdened healthcare system, prolonged wait times for care, particularly in emergency and outpatient settings, should be anticipated. As an unfortunate but predictable consequence, patient dissatisfaction is often high and it is not uncommon for individuals who truly require care to sometimes leave rather than endure the wait. The risk for a negative outcome is then necessarily increased significantly. Realistically, however, in view of the typically high patient volume in most busy urban ambulatory medical settings, it seems unlikely that wait times can be significantly shortened as the system presently operates. Perhaps at least part of any solution lies in improving the quality of that wait time and in initiating interventions that have the propensity to minimize the level of patient frustration and upset.

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References

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