The average wait time to see a healthcare provider in emergency departments increased 25 percent from 2003 to 2009, jumping from 46.5 minutes to 58.1 minutes, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
The report, "Wait Time for Treatment in Hospital Emergency Departments: 2009," includes data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The EDs surveyed include nonfederal, general and short-stay hospital emergency and outpatient departments.
The report shows the following four factors were associated with a longer wait time for treatment in the ED in 2009:
• Urban ED locations. Urban EDs had an average wait time of 62.4 minutes compared with 40 minutes in EDs outside of metropolitan areas.
• Increased annual ED visit volume. EDs with 50,000 or more annual ED visits had an average wait time of 69.8 minutes compared with 33.8 minutes in EDs with less than 20,000 annual ED visits.
• Ambulance diversion during the previous year. The average ED wait time for EDs with ambulance diversions was 64.3 minutes, while EDs without diversion had an average wait time of 48.7 minutes.
• Boarded admitted patients. EDs that boarded admitted patients inside the ED, in observation units or outside the ED had an average wait time of 61.3 minutes compared with 44.1 minutes in EDs without boarding.
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The report, "Wait Time for Treatment in Hospital Emergency Departments: 2009," includes data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The EDs surveyed include nonfederal, general and short-stay hospital emergency and outpatient departments.
The report shows the following four factors were associated with a longer wait time for treatment in the ED in 2009:
• Urban ED locations. Urban EDs had an average wait time of 62.4 minutes compared with 40 minutes in EDs outside of metropolitan areas.
• Increased annual ED visit volume. EDs with 50,000 or more annual ED visits had an average wait time of 69.8 minutes compared with 33.8 minutes in EDs with less than 20,000 annual ED visits.
• Ambulance diversion during the previous year. The average ED wait time for EDs with ambulance diversions was 64.3 minutes, while EDs without diversion had an average wait time of 48.7 minutes.
• Boarded admitted patients. EDs that boarded admitted patients inside the ED, in observation units or outside the ED had an average wait time of 61.3 minutes compared with 44.1 minutes in EDs without boarding.
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