In 2022, emergency department (ED) visitors waited on average **** minutes to see a physician, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), or physician assistant in the United States. The median wait time was much lower at just ** minutes. That means ** percent of ED visits were seen to in less than ** minutes. This significant difference between median and mean times comes from a small number of patients who experience much longer waits, skewing the average upward. Pandemic impact on emergency department visits The year 2020 saw notably shorter wait times, with a median of ** minutes and a mean of **** minutes. This decrease likely resulted from reduced emergency department visits during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, by 2021, wait times had rebounded to levels similar to those seen in 2019. Despite these fluctuations, the majority of emergency department visits were attended to within an hour in 2022, with ** percent of patients waiting ** minutes or less. While wait times are an important metric, the total time spent in emergency departments is also crucial. In 2022, most patients spent less than **** hours in the emergency department, with ** percent staying between *** and **** hours. Demographic disparities in ED utilization Emergency department usage varies significantly across different demographic groups. In 2022, ************************** had the highest ED visit rate among all age groups, followed closely by adults 75 years and over. Notably, there are also substantial racial disparities in ED utilization. ****************** individuals had an ED visit rate which was double the rate of non-Hispanic White individuals. These disparities point to broader issues of healthcare access and socioeconomic factors influencing emergency care utilization.

In 2022, the large majority of emergency department (ED) visits in the United States were seen to by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), or physician assistant in less than an hour. Of these, **** in *** of ED visits waited ** minutes or less. On the other hand, *** percent of ED visits (that is roughly ******* visits) waited over *** hours before being seen.

This statistic shows the mean wait time for boarded admitted patients in U.S. hospitals in 2009. In that year, mean waiting time for boarded admitted patients in U.S. hospitals was 61.3 minutes.

According to a report carried out by the Consumer Choice Center in 2023, the United States had the ******* average wait for a primary physician appointment at almost ***** weeks. On the other hand, those in *********** only had to wait around *** days for an appointment. In Spain, it was estimated that the average wait time for an elective surgery appointment was ** days.

This statistic shows the mean emergency department wait time for treatment in the U.S. in 2009, by urgency of patient care. In that year, mean waiting time for immediate treatments in U.S. emergency departments was 28.9 minutes.

In 2025, a new patient in the United States needed to wait an average of ********* for a doctor's appointment for non-urgent care*. This was according to a survey of ***** physician offices in 15 metropolitan areas across six specialties. The wait time till the next doctor's appointment has generally increased.

In 2025, it took on average 32.7 days to get a non-urgent cardiology appointment (such as a heart check-up) in the United States. This was according to a survey of physicians offices in 15 major U.S. metropolitan areas. Wait time has increased from half a month in 2009.

According to the latest data from 2023, the average wait time for an initial appointment at the general dentist for a new patient in the United States was over ** days. New patients always had to wait longer for a dentist appointment than a patient with record.

This statistic shows the mean wait time for any ambulance diversion in U.S. emergency departments in 2008, by hospital location. In that year, the mean waiting time for ambulance diversion in emergency departments located in U.S. hospitals within metropolitan statistical area was 64.1 minutes.

This statistic shows the mean and median hospital emergency department wait time to see a provider in the United States from 2003 to 2009. In 2003, the average waiting period in a hospital's emergency department to see a provider was **** minutes.

Emergency room visit rates across the United States show significant variation, with a national average of 422 visits per 1,000 population in 2023. This average masks considerable differences between states, ranging from 596 visits per 1,000 population in West Virginia to just 226 in Nevada. Wait times in emergency rooms While ER visit rates provide insight into utilization, wait times offer a glimpse into the efficiency of emergency care delivery. In 2022, ER patients waited an average of 38.1 minutes to see a healthcare provider in emergency departments nationwide. Interestingly, the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily reduced wait times in 2020, but they rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by 2021. Most patients, roughly 70 percent, spend less than an hour in the emergency department before being seen by a medical professional. These figures suggest that despite high utilization in some areas, many emergency departments manage to process patients relatively quickly. Demographic disparities in emergency care Emergency department usage varies significantly across different demographic groups, revealing important healthcare access disparities. Infants under one-year-old and adults 75 years and over have the highest ED visit rates among all age groups. Additionally, racial disparities in ED rates are evident, with non-Hispanic Black individuals having double the ED visit rate of non-Hispanic White individuals. These patterns underscore the need for targeted healthcare interventions and improved access to acute care for vulnerable populations.

In 2025, it took on average 23.5 days to get a non-urgent family medicine appointment (such as for a physical) in the United States. This was according to a survey of physician offices in 15 major U.S. metropolitan areas.

A January 2022 survey analyzed the maximum waiting times people were willing to wait for a table at a restaurant in the United States. While ** percent of respondents said they would wait ** to ** minutes, just ***** percent agreed they would stay more than *** hours.

A survey from 2022 found that 32 percent of veterans found the waiting times to obtain medical care at the VA in the U.S. were somewhat unreasonable. The statistic illustrates the percentage of veterans and military households who thought wait times to receive medical care at VA facilities were unreasonable as of 2022.

In 2024, over half of surveyed nursing homes had waiting lists for prospective residents or patients in the United States. Roughly *** in ** nursing homes had waiting lists longer than a month.

In 2021, the average wait time for U.S. veterans seeking any kind of mental health residential rehabilitation treatment program at health care centers with a majority of rural veterans was approximately ** days, compared to around ** days for health care systems with fewer rural veterans.

This statistic shows the average number of minutes between the decision to admit a patient and the time the patient leaves an emergency department in the U.S., according to a survey conducted among hospital and health system representatives during February 2016. It was found that 29 percent of patients in emergency departments spend between 90 to 179 minutes on average.

According to a physicians' survey in 2024, as a result of the physician shortage in the United States, nearly **** in *** physicians said patients had experienced longer wait times. Most noticeably, over a ***** of physicians stated patients received later-stage diagnoses due to physician shortage.

In 2024, the clinically reasonable waiting time for a patient to receive treatment after an appointment with a specialist was *** weeks in Canada. However, the actual waiting time was 15 weeks. The discrepancy between clinically reasonable and actual wait times was highest in 2003, with *** weeks, and now recently in 2022 with *** weeks. The difference between actual and reasonable wait time varied by specialty, with urgent treatments and cancer therapy having the lowest wait times.

According to a survey just after the election, ** percent of voters reported no waiting times in line at their polling place on Election Day. In comparison, ** percent reported having to wait ** minutes to an hour to vote in the U.S. presidential election.