Can the ER turn me away?
Most ERs cannot simply turn you away. EMTALA requires an appropriate emergency screening, but it does not guarantee every test, treatment, or admission.
discharge
Why didn’t they admit me?
"You have a blood clot... you're going home." It sounds contradictory, but hospital admission isn't based on the diagnosis alone. Emergency physicians decide whether you need something that can only be provided safely in the hospital—and medicine has changed dramatically over the past few decades.
Did you just say cancer… and I’m discharged?
You just heard the word “cancer” in the ER, and now you’re being sent home. Here’s why that can happen, and what it doesn’t mean.
What is the emergency room actually for?
Five patients arrive in ten minutes, by ambulance, on foot, and by wheelchair. Here’s what actually decides who gets treated first, and why.