Addressing Covid-19 Fear in Patients to Seek Emergency Care

Emergency department volume is down nearly 50% as the United States struggles with the Covid-19 epidemic. There is increasing evidence that patients with medical emergencies are avoiding the emergency department because of fear of contracting Covid-19, leading to increased morbidity and mortality.

They show that addressing patient fears by dividing the emergency department into respiratory and non-respiratory pods and through targeted messaging can result in increased visits to the emergency room.