New strategies for ER admissions.
Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, operates a Level 1 emergency department. Last year, nearly 89,000 adults and children were treated; one-third were brought in with life-threatening conditions. This year, the emergency department expects to handle more than 100,000 patients. Patients with nonemergency problems sometimes wait four to six hours before being seen by a physician. Others get discouraged and leave.
Cooperative Behavior↗