InQuickER = scariER

I recently noticed an intriguing button on the side bar of my facebook page. "Need an MD360?" it reads, "Wait at home – save your place online for your visit to XYZ urgent care center."


My interest piqued (and my medical mind horrified), I clicked on the link. It seems that now in some places you can pay a $25 fee and RESERVE your place in the waiting room of a local urgent care center or ER.The system is called InQuicker. When your reserved time comes up, you will be seen within 15 minutes. 


I can see how this would appeal to patients. My future patient's sick with the flu, he knows he'd love to be seen and have someone write him for some cough medicine (and probably a work excuse), and he'd rather wait at home in bed than in a crowded ER waiting room. It's nice that this person isn't spreading their contagious disease as much, but is it really the best system? 


I can totally see the draw for moms with small kids, or people who have trouble getting around, or the elderly who need to arrange for transportation anyways.


But isn't the Emergency Room for Emergencies? And if you have an Emergency, shouldn't you be seen as soon as possible, not just when you think you might be ready to be seen?


Like a patient I know of who had an abdominal aortic aneurysm that ruptured while she was seen in the ER who had a 4 day history of constipation, abdominal pain, and back pain? I'm so glad that she didn't reserve her ER visit time for tomorrow night at 9pm!!


Or what about the young guy with cold symptoms that started in the morning, then progress to confusion, petechiae, and altered mental status by that evening? What if he just thought it was a cold and he'll check in for 7am the next day? That's a meningitis that might get missed. 


Or I could tell you about many elderly patients who just have a "little headache" or a "little pain," and end up with some very serious conditions. It's scary to think about them waiting to be seen.


It's scary to think that you could plan out your emergency. If you're planning something, wouldn't it be good to plan a visit to the family doctor? Aren't appointments what one does to see the primary care doc? ER visits shouldn't be planned out. They're for Emergencies. 


I think InQuicker is a scary solution to shorten ER wait times. I think it has the potential to result in some really bad and scary patient outcomes. There's one more thing to be afraid of this Halloween!