According to the Health Affairs journal, Emergency Room wait times ARE longer *and* the number of emergency room departments in the U.S. are declining.
The median wait time to be seen in the ER, in 1997, for "all adults": 22 minutes
Now, the median wait time (2004) is: 30 minutes
This does not only affect "all adults", as it includes patients with real medical emergencies, too!
In 1997, a heart attack patient would wait: 8 minutes
In 2004, a heart attack patient would wait: 20 minutes!!
The article sited several factors, including:
1. Higher demand of services: the number of emergency room visits, from 1990 to 2006, increased 36%
2. Decreased ER departments: in the same time period, the number of 24-hour emergency room departments decreased 13% (from 1990 to 2006).
Other factors mentioned include an increased aging population, shortage of nurses, and as Tina mentioned, a shortage of Primary Care doctors. So, it's not that it only seems like there is a longer wait...there are significantly longer waits at the ER. Sounds like there are some extremely important issues that the nation needs to look at in the health care system...I'm not even sure where to start!! Looks like large institutions are seeing this as a serious issue, as Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Medicine are currently conducting studies as to this unnerving trend...let's hope there are some solutions...quick!
Sources: Washington Post article (January 15, 2008), and Center for the Advancement of Health article, "What does the E in ER stand for?". Original study published by the Health Affairs journal (from the American Hospital Association).
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According to the Health Affairs journal, Emergency Room wait times ARE longer *and* the number of emergency room departments in the U.S. are declining.
The median wait time to be seen in the ER, in 1997, for "all adults": 22 minutes
Now, the median wait time (2004) is: 30 minutes
This does not only affect "all adults", as it includes patients with real medical emergencies, too!
In 1997, a heart attack patient would wait: 8 minutes
In 2004, a heart attack patient would wait: 20 minutes!!
The article sited several factors, including:
1. Higher demand of services: the number of emergency room visits, from 1990 to 2006, increased 36%
2. Decreased ER departments: in the same time period, the number of 24-hour emergency room departments decreased 13% (from 1990 to 2006).
Other factors mentioned include an increased aging population, shortage of nurses, and as Tina mentioned, a shortage of Primary Care doctors. So, it's not that it only seems like there is a longer wait...there are significantly longer waits at the ER. Sounds like there are some extremely important issues that the nation needs to look at in the health care system...I'm not even sure where to start!! Looks like large institutions are seeing this as a serious issue, as Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Medicine are currently conducting studies as to this unnerving trend...let's hope there are some solutions...quick!
Sources: Washington Post article (January 15, 2008), and Center for the Advancement of Health article, "What does the E in ER stand for?". Original study published by the Health Affairs journal (from the American Hospital Association).
February 21, 2008 - 1:59pmThis Comment
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