Freestanding Emergency Rooms – an Emerging Healthcare Model

Freestanding Emergency Rooms – an Emerging Healthcare Model

Medical transcription services are a great support for ER physicians including those staffed in freestanding ERs.

MTS Transcription Services United States

The ER is a high-stress area for physicians and other clinical staff, and different kinds of medical reports are generated here. Emergency room transcription is one of the medical transcription services hospitals utilize to streamline ER documentation and ensure appropriate patient care. Emergency departments provide care to patients who are admitted without prior appointment. It is a fast-paced environment where critical patient data is recorded.

Therefore the assistance of a medical transcription service company often becomes essential for quick medical documentation.

Emergency rooms are typically overcrowded and understaffed and patients may have a tough time obtaining the care they want. It is in this context that freestanding emergency rooms become significant.

Free-standing ERs Provide Quick Care Without Wait What are freestanding ERs? These are standalone facilities that provide acute care to people any time of the day. These facilities have increased in Texas in recent years following a 2009 law (The Texas Freestanding Emergency Medical Care Facility (FEC) Licensing Act) that allowed the establishment of emergency rooms independent of hospitals. Freestanding ERs are grouped along with hospital ERs, hospital-owned satellite ERs, urgent care facilities and “microhospitals” where people can receive medical care especially if they have strong health insurance. An example of such a facility is the Elite Care Emergency Center opened by lawyer Richard Yount.

The 400+ freestanding ERs across 32 states provide quick and easy access to medical care. However, an increasing number of people complain that they are too expensive such as a $6,856 bill to treat a cut that didn’t require a stitch, and a $4,025 bill for an antibiotic for a sinus infection. Freestanding ERs are expensive because emergency care requires expensive imaging and lab equipment as well as facilities that stay open round the clock with physicians and other staff. The concern now is that these facilities charge up to ten times higher than at an urgent care for the same diagnosis. In Texas, the use of these facilities has more than tripled during the period 2012 -2015. People may be seeking more expensive care more out of convenience than out of necessity.

Appealing to Physicians and Nurses The freestanding ER model is appealing to many physicians and nurses. They feel they can spend as long as the patients want them to spend with them, unlike in hospital ERs where they are mostly rushed too much. Some patients also appreciate the increased convenience and faster care they experience in these facilities. Ease of access is another

www.medicaltranscriptionservicecompany.com

(800) 670 2809

factor they quote in favour of freestanding ERs. This model seems to be evolving amidst all the confusion, anyway.

It is important that people realize that these facilities are meant for emergency care and are likely to be expensive. They should not be under the impression that they are a costeffective solution. State policies regarding these facilities vary considerably. There are no standard requirements for location, staffing patterns or clinical capabilities. Consistent state regulation of freestanding ERs is required to ensure that patients better understand the capabilities and costs of these facilities, and choose the most appropriate facility for emergency care. The Texas legislature is considering bills that would ensure protection for consumers from surprise bills and regulate the industry.

www.medicaltranscriptionservicecompany.com

(800) 670 2809