The public can quickly check average ER wait times for hospitals in their state as a whole or for a particular hospital on ProPublica’s recently launched ER Wait Watcher web site.The wait time information is based on hospital data reported to Medicare, not on current real time waits. However, estimated current travel times to get to the emergency room are also provided on the site, based on information from Google.
Sources:
ER Wait Watcher. ProPublica.com, accessed Feb. 27, 2014 at http://projects.propublica.org/emergency/
Groeger L. How long will you wait at the emergency room? ProPublica, Dec. 19, 2013. http://www.propublica.org/article/how-long-will-you-wait-at-the-emergency-room
Related source: Hospital Compare. Medicare.gov, accessed Feb. 27, 2014 at http://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/search.html. [Search hospital or location; select one or more hospitals from the search results; and click on the Timely and Effective Care tab to view the hospital’s performance indicators for emergency department care.]
Posted by AHA Resource Center (312) 422-2050, rc@aha.org
Filed under: Benchmarking, Consumers, Emergency department, Health care quality, Posted by Diana Culbertson | Tagged: Health care access |
American Hospital Association Resource Center Blog 