Status: Little or no detectable change
Most Recent Data:
20.5
percent
(2021)
Target:
12.0
percent
Desired Direction:
Decrease desired
Baseline:
19.2
percent of persons had an emergency department wait time exceeding that recommended for any category in 2016
Reduce the proportion of hospital emergency department visits in which the wait time to see an emergency department clinician exceeds the recommended timeframe
Summary
Longer emergency department wait times are linked to both delays in care and patients leaving the hospital before getting care. The number of patients who need care, the number of available staff and hospital beds, and the amount of time it takes to diagnose patients can all affect emergency department wait times. Many studies have found that a variety of interventions can help reduce wait times.
Workgroup: Access to Health Services Workgroup
