Why Working-Age Adults Go to the Emergency Room

Among Americans aged 18 to 64, a substantial 18 percent visited an emergency room one or more times in 2014, according to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics. These are the reasons people visit an emergency room rather than go to a doctor's office...

Reasons for emergency room visit
Seriousness of the problem: 77.1%
Doctor's office not open: 11.8%
Lack of access: 7.0%

Note: Lack of access includes didn't have another place to go, emergency room is the closest provider, or get most of care at the emergency room.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Reasons for Emergency Room Use among U.S. Adults Aged 18-64: National Health Interview Survey, 2013 and 2014