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ER wait times vary wildly between states

Healthcare Strategist Trend Watch, June 16, 2006

The average wait time for emergency room patients varies by more than 2.5 hours between the different states, but patients everywhere should expect a long delay. The average patient length of stay is 3.7 hours, according to an article in USA Today.

The study, published by Press Ganey, showed that patients are more tolerant of wait times if they know why there's a delay, and are given a rough estimate of when they may be seen. Studies have shown that wait times are closely tied to patient satisfaction, according to the USA Today report.

Some hospitals use shorter wait times as a marketing hook, offering discounts and concessions if patients are not seen by a certain time.

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