During the 2010 Olympic gold medal hockey game, emergency room visits in Ontario, Canada decreased by 17%, suggesting that up to one in six visits may be unnecessary. The study also found a decrease in visits for abdominal pain, trauma, and musculoskeletal problems, but an increase in cardiac emergencies. Similar reductions were seen during the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In the United States, about 10% of emergency room visits are non-urgent.
Emergency room visits in Ontario, Canada dropped by 17 percent during the 2010 Olympic gold medal hockey game, leading researchers to believe that up to one in six emergency room visits are unnecessary. The greatest reduction in study visits was seen among people who had abdominal pain, trauma, or problems with the musculoskeletal system, such as joint pain. However, the study found a small increase in the number of cardiac emergencies during the match.
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Canadian study is not a one-time thing. During the 1998 FIFA World Cup match, which was held in France, there were 30% fewer heart attack deaths among French men, and the number of people seeking outpatient medical care also decreased significantly in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics.
About 123.8 million people visit emergency rooms in the United States each year, even though only about 42.4 million of them enter with injuries. Just under 20% of emergency room patients in the United States receive care within 15 minutes.
About 10% of emergency room visits in the United States are considered non-urgent.
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