Flu severity and Ebola panic could overcrowd emergency departments this winter, according to a report from Healthcare DIVE.
Factors that will affect whether EDs feel strained this flu season include:
- Public education about risk of Ebola transmission
- Actual Ebola transmission
- Severity of this year's primary strain of influenza
More than 200,000 people are hospitalized each year due to the flu, and flu-related deaths can in the tens of thousands annually, according to the report.
If crowding becomes severe, patients across the country could experience ED bypass or long ED wait times, and hospitals could be forced to implement emergency contingency plans or form relationships with urgent care centers.
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