Peachy the Magazine August September 2014 | Page 116

Where is a Patient to Go?

I

Planning Unplanned Medical Care

In a perfect world, accidents would
only happen during business hours
and primary care physicians would
manage these problems. Now when
a patient has an emergent problem,
most primary care physicians immediately refer him or her to an urgent
care or emergency facility for treatment. Available appointments with
the primary physicians are few and
far between.
This brings us to the current growth of
urgent care and emergency facilities.
The public’s demand for immediate
access to 24-7 medical care has fueled
this trend. The growth started in the

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PEACHYTHEMAGAZINE.COM

WRITTEN BY

Dr. Nancy Palermo Lietz

1990s and continues to rise today.
Increased accessibility has made
choices more confusing for patients.
With the Affordable Care Act and
higher patient deductibles, patients
are often influenced by the financial
aspects of their care rather than focusing on what is the best care for their
situation. Cost and long wait times at
hospital-based emergency rooms also
encourage patients to seek care elsewhere. Patients are left to make important decisions regarding their health
without the proper medical expertise.
In the event you are like the one in
four Americans requiring unplanned