A recent study has found that a high number of visitors to the emergency room at Guelph General Hospital could have been treated just as well in a different healthcare setting.
The study , Conducted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, found that one fifth of ER visitors could have been treated in a doctor’s office or walk-in clinic.
Hospitals rank emergency room patients as being at one of five levels, with the top three needing urgent care. The bottom two categories need care, but not on an urgent basis. According to the Guelph hospital, 18,525 of their visitors fall into this category. These include people coming in with minor conditions and seniors coming in from long-term care facilitates for treatment.
There are several options for those who need medical attention. Telehealth Ontario provides 24-hour access to registered nurses who can provide health information and help to determine if urgent care is needed. Walk-in and afterhours clinics are another option. Those who need a family doctor can call Health Care Connect.
The Waterloo/Wellington Local Health Integration Network is reportedly looking into finding further ways for Guelph residents to best get the care they need, without having to visit the ER.
Brochure printers can help to spread the word about how important it is to leave the ERs for those who really need them. They can produce informative pamphlets about this topic, listing the alternatives there are to heading to the hospital.
