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Racial/Ethnic Differences in Pediatric Emergency Department Wait Times
Tiffani J Johnson1, Monika K Goyal2, Scott A Lorch3
1From the University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA.
Hispanic children face longer wait times in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs) compared to non-Hispanic White children, even after accounting for various factors. Site of care significantly influences wait times for other racial/ethnic groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Health Services Research
- Health Equity
Background:
- Wait times in emergency care are critical quality indicators impacting patient outcomes and satisfaction.
- Racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric emergency department (PED) wait times are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if racial/ethnic differences exist in wait times for children in PEDs.
- To examine both between-site and within-site variations in PED wait times based on race/ethnicity.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) Registry in 2016.
- Inclusion of 448,563 patient encounters for individuals 18 years or younger.
- Analysis of emergency department wait time (arrival to first medical evaluation) by patient race/ethnicity.
Main Results:
- Unadjusted analyses revealed longer wait times for non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Hispanic, and other race children compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) children.
- After adjustments for acuity, demographics, and overcrowding, wait times for NHB and other race children were no longer significant when accounting for clinical site.
- Hispanic children consistently experienced longer wait times compared to NHW children, even after full adjustments.
Conclusions:
- While unadjusted data show disparities, adjusted analyses indicate site of care is a major factor for NHB and other race children's wait times.
- Hispanic children face persistent longer wait times, both within and between PEDs.
- Further research is needed to identify care structures and processes contributing to these site-based disparities affecting minority children.
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