Community Corner
New Online App Lets You Know Which ER Has The Shortest Wait Time
The app uses data submitted to federal government.
By Alexander Nguyen
During a medical emergency, minutes and seconds count. So it stands to reason that going to the nearest emergency room is the best choice to make. If your medical needs are not quite as life-threatening, however, the E.R. a few miles down the road might have a shorter wait time.
ProPublica’s new interactive “ER Wait Watchers” online app lets you know the average wait time of nearby ERs before you are seen by a medical professional.
So the next time your child has an unexpected bout of stomach flu, you would know that, on average, your average wait time at Verdugo Hills Hospital is 39 minutes, as opposed to Foothill Huntington Memorial Hospital, which could be 1 hour and 21 minutes.
The app is easy to use, just plug in your ZIP code and it will provide you with information about the hospitals near you and their emergency room wait time. The times listed are the average wait time and not the current wait time. The only way to know for sure the current wait time is to call the hospital.
ProPublica, however, stresses that the quality of care does not necessarily translate to shorter wait time. Some hospitals have longer wait time because it takes longer to care for those patients. Time is not the only important factor in determining the quality of care, patient satisfaction scores are include along with other hospital quality measures to help you determine which emergency room to go to.
Of course, if you’re having a heart attack, the best course of action is still to call 911 and be transported to the nearest hospital.
The app uses data the hospitals voluntarily sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
To check out the app yourself, click here.
