What explains differences in average wait time in the emergency department among different racial and ethnic populations: A linear decomposition approach.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Hispanic/Latino (Hispanic) patients wait longer in the emergency department (ED) to see practitioners when compared with non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients. We investigate factors contributing to longer wait times for NHB and Hispanic patients using a linear decomposition approach.

Methods

This retrospective observational study included patients presenting to one tertiary hospital ED from 2019 to 2021. Median wait times among NHW, NHB, and Hispanic were calculated with multivariable linear regressions. The extent to which demographic, clinical, and hospital factors explained the differences in average wait time among the three groups were analyzed with Blinder‒Oaxaca post-linear decomposition model.

Results

There were 310,253 tota

SUBMITTER: Wang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11388625 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature