Relief for overflowing emergency rooms in Windsor-Essex may be just a tap away.
A new app called 'Clinic Seeker' aims to ease overcrowding by providing information on alternative healthcare options.
Clinic Seeker CEO Lisa Jacobs told AM800's 'The Afternoon News' that "hospitals are often overcrowded because people do not realize that there are other facilities that are able to treat them."
"There is actually some statistics through the Canadian Institute of Health that state that one in five patients can be seen in an urgent care or clinic setting rather than an emergency room," says Jacobs. "You know Windsor Regional Hospital last year, I think it between the two emergency rooms saw 130,000 patients. That is around 26,000 patients a year, 75 patients a day that could be seen in a different health care setting."
The E-R's at both Windsor Regional Hospital campuses are currently operating at 115-percent capacity.
The 'Clinic Seeker' app can be downloaded for free on Apple and Android platforms.