The rising number of uninsured patients has led to an increased reliance on the hospital emergency room for routine non-emergency care. The EMTALA is an example of a law that impacts who must be seen when presenting to the emergency room seeking care.

How do the law and the medical profession’s codes of ethics impact those individuals that seek care from emergency departments for reasons other than those that are truly emergencies? Justify your answers with appropriate research and reasoning.

Would this answer be a good one for the above question:

When a patient goes to the emergency department for treatment he/she must first have an appropriate medical screening examination to prove that he/she is suffering from an emergency medical condition. If the condition is considered to be an emergency situation then the hospital has to work on the patient until he/she is in stable condition. If there is no emergency then the hospital is not obligated to work on the patient. There is a legal definition for who is accepted and denied by EMTALA, but the definition leaves much to be desired. The determination is usually a medical one not a legal one.

Right. Good answer.

Your answer provides a basic overview of the EMTALA law and its impact on individuals seeking care from emergency departments for non-emergency reasons. However, it does not fully address the question of how the law and medical profession's codes of ethics impact these individuals. To improve your answer, consider incorporating the following points:

1. The EMTALA law: Explain that EMTALA stands for the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which requires hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs to provide emergency medical care to individuals regardless of their ability to pay. Hospitals must screen patients for emergency medical conditions and stabilize them before transferring or discharging them.

2. Impact on access to care: Discuss how the rising number of uninsured patients has led to an increased reliance on emergency rooms for non-emergency care. Due to financial constraints, these individuals may not have access to primary care providers or insurance coverage, leading them to seek care in emergency departments. This impacts wait times, overcrowding, and resources available for true emergency cases.

3. Ethical considerations: Explore how the medical profession's codes of ethics, such as the principle of beneficence (acting in the patient's best interest), impact the treatment of individuals seeking non-emergency care in emergency departments. While emergency departments are obligated to provide initial screenings, stabilization, and necessary care, physicians may face ethical dilemmas when treating patients for non-emergency conditions.

4. Resource allocation: Explain the challenges that arise when emergency departments are used as a substitute for primary care. Limited resources, such as beds, staffing, and equipment, are designed to prioritize patients with true emergencies. Treating non-emergency cases in emergency departments can strain these resources and compromise the quality of care for all patients.

To further justify your answers, conduct research on various sources, such as academic journals, policy documents, and professional guidelines, to support your points and present a well-rounded argument.