Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Prolonged emergency department (ED) wait times pose problems for both patients and ED staff. Poor patient outcomes can result in litigation that could have been prevented by faster access to care.

Case Series: We present 10 lawsuits involving patients who experienced poor outcomes allegedly due to inappropriate management in the waiting room. These cases involved allegations of violations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) or general negligence and were levied against both the physicians and hospitals involved.

Conclusion: Both common law and EMTALA’s medical screening exam requirements impose significant obligations on physicians and hospitals to proactively manage patients in the waiting room. Being familiar with these requirements may help minimize legal risks