I'm at a loss as to why the article doesn't mention another aspect of choosing the ER over regular doctor visits - the weeks of waiting intrinsic to the latter. If someone has a cold or an infection or some other concern, and calls his doctor, it could be a month or two before he gets an appointment (I'm not sure what planet the author is on in which a patient gets an appointment the next day). Easier to go to the ER now, get taken care of within hours, and save weeks of worry.

yes it might be easier, doesn't make it right. I've worked at a hospital for almost 4 yrs doing so many ridiculous cat scans on people it would make you sick. People want to come to the ER because they've either had a tummy ache for 1 hr (on Thanksgiving no less) or they've had a back ache for 20+ yrs and they think it's an emergency. It is because of them that people who are really in need of emergency care have to sit in the waiting room for hours with chest pain or have a bed in the hallway because the rooms are full of frequent fliers we all know by name and people demanding "where's my food" when they've come in for abdomen pain. What happened to common sense? If you have a stomach ache, take a look at the garbage that you eat every day, you have back pain, drop 250 lbs and start taking care of yourself, you have a head ache, lie down for 20min and take an advil before you rush in for STAT treatment. WE HAVE NO TREATMENTS FOR STUPIDITY FOLKS!

Just curious as to what percentage of the patients are the ones you call "frequent fliers". I would bet that they are actually a fairly small percentage but they are the ones that are the most annoying and the ones that stick out in the minds of overworked ER personnel, distorting the whole picture. What does it mean to say "doesn't make it right"? What is a normal person who would prefer to see their physician in his/her office supposed to do when a) the office is closed and no other physician is on call or b) they're told they can't have an appointment for two weeks or c) their physician or his answering service tells them to go to the ER?