Letter to the Editor from ACEP President: "Focus of ER debate on wrong reforms"

From the Las Vegas Sun:

In response to the story “National chain joins line of urgent care clinic options in Las Vegas Valley”:

Nine in 10 emergency patients seek emergency care because they have symptoms suggesting urgent or serious medical problems. Many are referred by their primary care physicians, going against the assumption that people choose the ER instead of primary care.

Reports incorrectly look at final diagnoses when assessing whether people should have sought medical care at an emergency department or an urgent care center, but that leads to wrong conclusions. For example, a person with chest pain may be diagnosed with a less severe medical condition, such as a hiatal hernia.

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