Elderly more likely to wait in French ERs: study

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People age 75 and older are more likely than younger patients to wait longer than they should in emergency rooms, according to a new study from France. The study’s lead author cautioned, however, that the finding doesn’t mean older patients receive worse care or that they should avoid going to the ER. Instead, “we want to highlight the fact that physicians may be reluctant to see difficult patients, old patients and sick patients,” said Dr. Yonathan Freund, an emergency physician at the Hospital Pitié-Salpetriere in Paris. …