Discussion
Visiting the emergency department for increasing pain intensity
is consistent with findings by McLeod and Nelson (2013).
Participants in this study often put off seeking treatment for their
pain for various reasons (work, trying to deal with it on their own,
lack of transportation, lack of money) until it got so severe that they
could no longer cope with it. For some, when pain exacerbations
happened during regular business hours, they were “encouraged”
to go to the ED anyway by primary care providers who noted there
was nothing they could do for them in the office. So even if participants
tried to use less costly resources to treat their pain, they
were turned away. Some participants reported that an important
reason to use the emergency department was related to time of day
(weekends, night hours); 33 of the 72 visits (46%) occurred between
0800 and 1700, a time when most primary care and walk-in clinics
are typically open.