Most systems are finding ways to cut wait times, but a recent study from Providence, R.I.-based Brown University found that for some patients, a longer wait increases desire to seek treatment.
The study, published in the July issue of the Rhode Island Medical Journal, surveyed 648 patients at high risk of opioid overdose who visited emergency departments in two unnamed Rhode Island hospitals from 2018 to 2021.
When the patients were first surveyed at the hospital, under half were interested in treatment referrals. But with every extra hour spent in the waiting room, the odds of the patient seeking treatment for their drug use increased 12%, researchers observed. The study found that the longer it took to get a room and the overall duration of the hospital visit influenced a patient's desire for treatment, but the number of physicians seen or the time to see a physician did not influence treatment desires.
Nearly a third of participants, or 201 people, sought substance use treatment within 30 days of their emergency room treatment.