Variation in emergency department wait times for children by race/ethnicity and payment source.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To quantify the variation in emergency department (ED) wait times by patient race/ethnicity and payment source, and to divide the overall association into between- and within-hospital components.

Data source

2005 and 2006 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys.

Study design

Linear regression was used to analyze the independent associations between race/ethnicity, payment source, and ED wait times in a pooled cross-sectional design. A hybrid fixed effects specification was used to measure the between- and within-hospital components.

Data extraction methods

Data were limited to children under 16 years presenting at EDs.

Principal results

Unadjusted and adjusted ED wait times were significantly longer for non-Hispanic black and Hispanic

SUBMITTER: Park CY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2796312 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature