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Massachusetts ED wait times vary drastically depending on setting

Case Management Weekly, March 28, 2007

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Patients treated in Boston's EDs at teaching hospitals or hospitals that treat large numbers of psychiatric patients often experience wait times that are more than double the state average, according to an article in The Boston Globe. The average stay in a non-teaching Massachusetts hospital that does not treat psychiatric patients is two-and-a-half to three hours compared to five-to-six hours at teaching and psychiatric-capable facilities.

According to ED doctors interviewed by The Globe, Boston facilities such as Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital, often experience bottlenecks because they see more complex patients who require additional tests and take longer to diagnose. This often results in less sick patients having to wait longer for care.

To help decrease patient stay times, the ED directors at several Boston hospitals are planning to expand their EDs. Many "fast track" ED clinics guaranteeing 30-minute wait times have also opened up in the Boston area to help combat long wait times across the city.

Source: The Boston Globe

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