Sociodemographic Disparities in Emergency Department Wait Times at an Urban Academic Medical Center

Long emergency department (ED) waiting room times are associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

This study sought to determine if sociodemographic disparities exist in ED waiting room times at a single institution.

This retrospective observational study was conducted at a single center ED between July 1 and December 31, 2023. The main outcome was door-to-provider (DTP) time. Variables included basic demographic information, ED visit characteristics, social risks, and prior healthcare utilization. Trauma activations and patients who "left without being seen" were excluded. Two separate analyses were conducted: 1) for patients with DTP times of less than or equal to 6 h (n = 34,385), and 2) a comparison of these patients to those with DTP times greater than 6 h (n = 4363).

For patients with DTP times less than or equal to 6 h, incidence rates of having a 1 h longer DTP time was greater for females compared to males (incidence rate ratios [IRR] 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.04), Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic patients (IRR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04), and Black compared to White patients (IRR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05). Odds of having a DTP time greater than 6 h was higher for females compared to males (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.22), Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic patients (OR 1.26, 95% CI [1.15-1.38), Black compared to White patients (OR 1.35, 95% CI [1.24-1.48), and homeless compared to housed patients (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.23-1.72).

This single-center study found that female sex, Hispanic ethnicity, Black race, and homelessness were associated with longer ED wait times.