The hospital where you receive treatment matters. If you’re facing a life-threatening emergency, you may think you lose the right to choose which hospital you go to. You may assume the paramedics are required to take you to whichever hospital is nearest.
That’s not necessarily the case. You’re allowed to tell the paramedics where to take you. Provided that they can take you there safely, and the hospital isn’t outside of any of their mandated zones, you can go to the hospital of your choosing.
While your hospital selection may seem like a trivial concern in an emergency, it’s important to understand that not all hospitals are created equal. We’ve reported on many Michigan hospitals with reckless and devastating practices in previous blog posts. When your life is on the line, you want to make sure you’ll receive the best possible care.
Evaluating Michigan emergency rooms
ProPublica has recently released the Emergency Room Inspector – an online tool that helps patients evaluate the relative quality of different emergency rooms in their area. At a glance, you can compare average wait times at Michigan emergency rooms and see which emergency rooms have been cited for violations since 2015. You can also click on a particular hospital and read more in-depth information about operational problems as well as patient reviews.
In an emergency, the quality of care you receive is of the utmost importance. With the Emergency Room Inspector, it has become easy to compare the quality of emergency rooms in your area – and avoid emergency room mistreatment. Taking time now to find the best hospital for you can be a life-saving decision in the event of an emergency.
