Online Scheduling Grows In Popularity

By Katie Wike, contributing writer

Hospitals are offering online scheduling more often for the ER in an effort to empty crowded waiting rooms.

Online scheduling is changing the emergency room in a positive manner for both patients and ER staff. Major emergencies like chest pains or trouble breathing should still go directly to the ER, but patients experiencing non-life threatening situations such as a broken bone or spiked a fever can now wait at home and avoid sitting in a crowded ER waiting room.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, online scheduling is the preferable option for many patients, like Scott Paul, who was hesitant to go to the ER for foot pain because he knew it could mean hours of waiting in a room full of sick people. Luckily, his wife remembered a commercial she had seen on television with the slogan, “Wait for the ER from home.” Paul’s wife booked him an appointment online and was surprised it was set for within the hour. “It was fast, it was convenient and there was also immediately confirmation we had the appointment," she said.

Patients want control over their healthcare, and sitting in a waiting room feeling helpless does not help – part of the reason online scheduling has been met with such a positive response. "It makes for a happier camper," said Susan Dubuque, a national expert in hospital marketing. "When it comes to healthcare, consumers want more control over everything."

iHealth Beat reports there are, however, criticisms of this new system. Some experts think the service will turn out not to be cost effective, since patients will schedule appointments for less critical needs that could have been taken care of at urgent care centers. Others believe patients who can afford to wait for an appointment don’t need to be seen in an ER at all. "Emergency rooms are there to take care of people who have emergencies,” said Del Morris, president of the California Academy of Family Physicians.

Another complaint is that ER traffic is unpredictable; some patients who scheduled appointments were frustrated when those who were walk-ins were seen before them. Although doctors appreciated the scheduling, nurses were tired of dealing with unhappy patients.