Overuse of emergency room reducible through primary care relationship

(University of Kansas) Using the case of lead exposure in Flint, Michigan, health economist David Slusky and colleagues found that establishing a relationship with a primary care physician for a child reduced the likelihood parents would take them to emergency rooms for conditions treatable in an office setting. The connection between primary care and emergency care -- especially for those with low incomes -- is particularly relevant to the current pandemic, he says.