Would it relieve pressure on emergency rooms to have 24 hour medical clinics?

My hospital that I work in has a 24 hour medical clinic. I’m not sure how much it helps emergency rooms, but non emergencies are sent to our clinic at least 3 times a day from other ER’s.

We do have “urgent care” in my area, the doctor’s office will often refer you there. And if you have a real emergency, (like my brother’s stroke a couple months ago) they can get you into the ER and through the triage a lot faster than if you walk into the ER.

Sure. Having urgent care open after 5:00, many are open until 7:00, some 9:00, and on weekends helps.

What would be really nice is if more doctors offices had later hours or a weekend day. Then you could see your regular doctor who has your full chart. You can.

The short answer is yes, it would help the ERs. There are a variety of places like that already out there. But the problem you run into is that people that can’t afford a doctor go to the ER because they can’t be turned away and can’t be charged if they can’t afford it. Clinics have the right to charge for services. Now, if you have free clinics, that would be an option.

50/50
If the clinic couldn’t handle the emergency the patient would have to go to the ER anyway. Wasted time!
ER’s generally have continuous triage going on to sort out the present patients as to who should be seen first.

@50/50 I disagree. In an ideal world you are correct…the ER would be running a triage and taking the most serious cases first. But in reality it doesn’t work that way. I had to take my wife to the ER because of severe abdominal pain (ended up being gall stones) and she couldn’t even sit up straight. We got to the ER and had to wait behind a series of cases of people that were just going there because it was free. In one case there was a girl that wanted a pregnancy test. Apparently she had done 3 home tests and they told her she was pregnant but she didn’t “feel” pregnant. She got to see the doctor before my wife. ERs should be for emergencies, not routine medical items.

We have minor emergency clinics here, thats where I usually go for cuts that need stiches and stuff.

If one knows the injury is minor, then they can go to a minor clinic. Save the ER for known emergency cases.
I once thought I was having a heart attack and went to the minor clinic. They took an EKG and found nothing. The doctor said that if I think I’m having a heart attack, go to the ER.
Too many people automatically opt for the ER, and it is very expensive. Therefore, knowing where to go before you get there is of utmost importance.