Does your child need the ER or urgent care? | Destiny Kanning | TEDxMSU

Kanning's talk aims to challenge how we view and approach emergency room overuse, particularly in pediatric care. Through her research and experience as a pre-med student deeply involved in public health policy and emergency medicine, she has seen firsthand how non-emergent visits to the ER create an overwhelming burden on healthcare systems. Families often rush to the ER for issues like mild fevers, colds, or minor injuries—cases that could be handled by primary care or at home with the right knowledge.

But what if we inverted the way we think about these visits? Instead of seeing them as a drain on resources, we can view them as missed educational opportunities. The concept of inversion is all about flipping perspectives, and her vision is to show how shifting our approach from reactive to proactive healthcare can transform how patients and families engage with medical systems. Imagine if families had the tools and education to understand when to seek emergency care and when alternative resources could be more appropriate, hence, this simple inversion—empowering patients, families, and generations with knowledge—can drastically reduce unnecessary ER visits, saving time, money, and stress for both patients and healthcare providers.

Drawing from her research at Michigan State University, where she has gathered data on pediatric ER overutilization and implemented educational interventions, Kanning's talk will demonstrate the profound impact of patient education. Just as a “bad hand” in a card game can be strategically played for an unexpected win, educating patients to make informed decisions can turn the challenge of ER overcrowding into an opportunity for system-wide improvement. By shifting focus from treating symptoms to teaching prevention, we can reimagine healthcare delivery and create a more efficient, compassionate, and sustainable model. As an advanced trauma technician and Hospital Emergency Response Team member, she witnessed how gaps in health literacy lead to the overuse of pediatric emergency departments. To address this, she launched a research initiative and developed a culturally tailored "traffic light" system to guide families in making informed medical decisions and reduce unnecessary ER visits. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx