LIFE IN THE BLUE ZONES: Why Are Wait Times in California Emergency Rooms So Long?

via scitechdaily

A new study conducted by UC San Francisco sheds light on the reasons for extensive waiting periods in emergency rooms, attributing it primarily to a misalignment between the growing patient demand and the emergency department’s (ED’s) capacity in California over the past ten years.

The researchers found that there was an approximately 4% reduction in the total count of EDs across the state, whereas the frequency of ED visits experienced a 7.4% increase. This comprehensive study marks the first scrutiny of recent trends in emergency medical service utilization in California. Additionally, they disclosed that high-severity visits surged by almost 68%, while the visits for less severe cases dropped by 63%.

“We know that there is overcrowding in the ED,” said lead author Renee Y. Hsia, MD, a UCSF professor of emergency medicine. “Capacity has largely failed to match the rise in patient demand.”

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