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Emergency room wait times are increasing, even for heart attack patients who require immediate treatment, according to a new Harvard study published in the journal Health Affairs.
Increasing Wait Times
Between 1997 and 2004, wait times to see an emergency room doctor increased by 36 percent—from 22 to 30 minutes—for half of all patients. The wait for 50 percent of heart attack patients increased from eight to 20 minutes.
“Ever-lengthening waits are a frightening trend because any delays in care can make the difference between life and death for some patients,” said Linda Lawrence of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
System “On the Ropes”
For the study, researchers analyzed patient data collected by the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, and according to the author of the study, “the numbers show that the emergency care system in the U.S. is on the ropes.”
Healthcare experts blame the potentially deadly increase in hospital emergency room wait times on a number of factors including:
“We all may need to use the emergency department at one time or another, and it’s important for us to rely on it if we need care,” said study author Andrew Wilper.
(Source: Washington Post)
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