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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Reduce the proportion of emergency department visits with a longer wait time than recommended — AHS‑09 Data

National Status: Little or no detectable change

  
Learn more about our data release schedule

Most Recent Data:
20.6 percent (2022)

National Target:
12.0 percent

Desired Direction:
Decrease desired

National Baseline:
19.2 percent of persons had an emergency department wait time exceeding that recommended for any category in 2016

Disparities data are only available for some selections.

View CI in the chart by hovering over a data point.

View SE in the chart by hovering over a data point.

Confidence Interval (CI) not available Standard Error (SE) not available Confidence Interval (CI) and Standard Error (SE) are not available

Display data for:

Overall emergency department wait time exceeds recommended time frame, 2016-2022
(percent)
Decrease desired

Population 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Total
19.2
CI 16.0 / 22.8
SE 1.686
18.5
CI 14.7 / 22.9
SE 1.980
16.9
CI 13.8 / 20.4
SE 1.602
15.7
CI 12.2 / 19.6
SE 1.788
13.1
CI 9.8 / 17.1
SE 1.778
20.5
CI 15.2 / 26.6
SE 2.774
20.6
CI 16.3 / 25.6
SE 2.262

Overall emergency department wait time exceeds recommended time frame by Sex, 2016-2022
(percent)
Decrease desired

Population 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Male
19.2
CI 15.9 / 22.9
SE 1.704
17.7
CI 14.0 / 22.0
SE 1.948
16.7
CI 13.9 / 19.8
SE 1.453
15.1
CI 11.7 / 18.9
SE 1.744
13.4
CI 10.0 / 17.4
SE 1.795
20.5
CI 15.3 / 26.5
SE 2.718
19.3
CI 15.3 / 24.0
SE 2.117
Female
19.2
CI 15.8 / 23.1
SE 1.790
19.2
CI 15.1 / 23.9
SE 2.136
17.1
CI 13.6 / 21.1
SE 1.851
16.1
CI 12.4 / 20.4
SE 1.942
12.9
CI 9.3 / 17.3
SE 1.922
20.5
CI 15.0 / 26.9
SE 2.882
21.7
CI 16.6 / 27.6
SE 2.665

Overall emergency department wait time exceeds recommended time frame by Race/Ethnicity, 2016-2022
(percent)
Decrease desired

Population 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
American Indian or Alaska Native only
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
Asian only
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander only
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
Black or African American only
20.5
CI 15.4 / 26.5
SE 2.696
22.6
CI 14.6 / 32.4
SE 4.266
18.9
CI 14.4 / 24.2
SE 2.382
18.8
CI 14.5 / 23.8
SE 2.258
12.4
CI 7.9 / 18.4
SE 2.505
19.6
CI 15.6 / 24.1
SE 2.063
18.2
CI 13.0 / 24.5
SE 2.767
White only
18.8
CI 15.4 / 22.5
SE 1.738
17.1
CI 13.8 / 20.9
SE 1.732
16.3
CI 13.2 / 19.7
SE 1.573
14.4
CI 11.1 / 18.4
SE 1.785
13.2
CI 9.7 / 17.5
SE 1.877
20.7
CI 14.4 / 28.2
SE 3.325
21.8
CI 17.1 / 27.0
SE 2.420
2 or more races
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
DNA
Hispanic or Latino
18.7
CI 14.0 / 24.2
SE 2.479
19.7
CI 14.6 / 25.5
SE 2.641
13.9
CI 9.7 / 19.2
SE 2.289
16.0
CI 11.2 / 21.9
SE 2.561
13.7
CI 8.1 / 21.0
SE 3.039
19.3
CI 11.4 / 29.5
SE 4.290
18.3
CI 12.0 / 26.0
SE 3.324
Not Hispanic or Latino
19.3
CI 15.9 / 23.0
SE 1.741
18.3
CI 14.3 / 22.9
SE 2.081
17.5
CI 14.4 / 21.1
SE 1.645
15.6
CI 12.0 / 19.7
SE 1.889
13.0
CI 9.6 / 17.0
SE 1.790
20.7
CI 15.8 / 26.4
SE 2.583
21.2
CI 16.8 / 26.1
SE 2.270
Black or African American only, not Hispanic or Latino
20.1
CI 14.7 / 26.4
SE 2.818
22.8
CI 14.8 / 32.5
SE 4.231
18.9
CI 14.3 / 24.2
SE 2.399
18.6
CI 14.3 / 23.6
SE 2.258
11.9
CI 7.2 / 18.3
SE 2.620
19.9
CI 15.8 / 24.5
SE 2.137
19.0
CI 13.4 / 25.6
SE 2.915
White only, not Hispanic or Latino
18.9
CI 15.4 / 22.7
SE 1.788
16.4
CI 12.9 / 20.5
SE 1.858
17.0
CI 13.9 / 20.6
SE 1.647
14.2
CI 10.5 / 18.5
SE 1.931
13.3
CI 9.7 / 17.6
SE 1.909
21.1
CI 15.1 / 28.2
SE 3.162
22.4
CI 17.8 / 27.5
SE 2.359

Overall emergency department wait time exceeds recommended time frame by Age group, 2016-2022
(percent)
Decrease desired

Population 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
<18 years
13.7
CI 10.6 / 17.3
SE 1.634
16.2
CI 11.2 / 22.2
SE 2.655
11.6
CI 8.5 / 15.3
SE 1.657
10.1
CI 6.7 / 14.3
SE 1.815
7.7
CI 5.3 / 10.9
SE 1.344
14.4
CI 8.4 / 22.3
SE 3.267
19.2
CI 12.7 / 27.2
SE 3.482
0-4 years
11.7
CI 8.8 / 15.3
SE 1.575
14.8
CI 10.7 / 19.7
SE 2.175
11.1
CI 7.9 / 15.0
SE 1.708
9.6
CI 5.8 / 14.8
SE 2.140
8.5
CI 5.3 / 12.7
SE 1.761
14.4
CI 7.2 / 24.7
SE 4.078
17.1
CI 9.9 / 26.6
SE 3.942
5-11 years
11.3
CI 7.7 / 15.9
SE 1.956
12.6
CI 7.2 / 19.8
SE 2.970
10.5
CI 7.1 / 14.9
SE 1.884
8.1
CI 5.0 / 12.3
SE 1.724
5.2
CI 2.8 / 8.7
SE 1.371
13.9
CI 7.8 / 22.2
SE 3.369
21.9
CI 14.4 / 31.2
SE 4.006
12-17 years
19.2
CI 14.1 / 25.1
SE 2.685
22.3
CI 15.5 / 30.4
SE 3.585
13.9
CI 9.5 / 19.4
SE 2.376
13.0
CI 8.8 / 18.2
SE 2.250
9.4
CI 5.8 / 14.3
SE 1.991
14.7
CI 8.9 / 22.4
SE 3.201
19.4
CI 12.0 / 28.7
SE 3.957
18-44 years
19.1
CI 15.8 / 22.8
SE 1.708
17.5
CI 13.3 / 22.4
SE 2.210
17.4
CI 13.6 / 21.8
SE 2.012
16.8
CI 12.2 / 22.3
SE 2.430
12.9
CI 9.2 / 17.4
SE 1.970
19.3
CI 13.5 / 26.4
SE 3.102
18.9
CI 14.2 / 24.4
SE 2.454
18-24 years
16.7
CI 13.1 / 20.8
SE 1.880
17.1
CI 12.3 / 22.7
SE 2.510
15.4
CI 10.9 / 20.9
SE 2.408
17.7
CI 12.6 / 23.9
SE 2.718
12.1
CI 7.9 / 17.6
SE 2.309
14.9
CI 11.1 / 19.5
SE 2.039
17.1
CI 12.3 / 22.8
SE 2.526
25-44 years
20.1
CI 16.6 / 24.0
SE 1.806
17.7
CI 13.4 / 22.7
SE 2.254
18.2
CI 14.2 / 22.7
SE 2.060
16.5
CI 11.9 / 21.9
SE 2.412
13.2
CI 9.4 / 17.7
SE 1.974
20.9
CI 14.0 / 29.2
SE 3.642
19.6
CI 14.6 / 25.3
SE 2.585
45-64 years
21.5
CI 17.0 / 26.6
SE 2.328
21.0
CI 16.6 / 26.1
SE 2.317
19.7
CI 16.1 / 23.6
SE 1.840
17.4
CI 12.9 / 22.8
SE 2.386
14.6
CI 10.6 / 19.4
SE 2.131
22.9
CI 17.8 / 28.7
SE 2.639
21.8
CI 17.3 / 26.9
SE 2.321
45-54 years
21.4
CI 16.7 / 26.7
SE 2.430
19.7
CI 15.3 / 24.8
SE 2.295
21.2
CI 17.2 / 25.7
SE 2.095
17.7
CI 12.5 / 23.9
SE 2.751
15.5
CI 11.0 / 21.1
SE 2.427
22.4
CI 16.8 / 28.8
SE 2.917
21.1
CI 16.8 / 25.9
SE 2.207
55-64 years
21.7
CI 16.6 / 27.4
SE 2.638
22.6
CI 17.2 / 28.7
SE 2.771
18.1
CI 14.1 / 22.7
SE 2.076
17.2
CI 12.8 / 22.3
SE 2.287
13.7
CI 8.9 / 19.8
SE 2.593
23.4
CI 18.1 / 29.3
SE 2.723
22.4
CI 17.1 / 28.3
SE 2.710
65 years and over
23.1
CI 18.6 / 28.2
SE 2.340
21.1
CI 15.3 / 28.1
SE 3.078
20.0
CI 16.1 / 24.4
SE 2.016
18.9
CI 14.1 / 24.5
SE 2.524
16.6
CI 12.3 / 21.7
SE 2.260
25.3
CI 19.6 / 31.6
SE 2.913
23.3
CI 18.1 / 29.1
SE 2.665
65-74 years
23.9
CI 18.8 / 29.8
SE 2.683
21.5
CI 13.8 / 30.9
SE 4.054
20.0
CI 15.2 / 25.5
SE 2.495
19.0
CI 13.9 / 25.0
SE 2.678
17.0
CI 12.2 / 22.7
SE 2.537
25.2
CI 19.4 / 31.8
SE 3.010
26.0
CI 19.5 / 33.5
SE 3.361
75-84 years
24.4
CI 18.5 / 31.1
SE 3.062
21.9
CI 15.9 / 28.9
SE 3.129
19.1
CI 14.6 / 24.3
SE 2.367
18.0
CI 12.1 / 25.2
SE 3.120
16.0
CI 10.6 / 22.8
SE 2.903
25.0
CI 18.6 / 32.3
SE 3.313
19.4
CI 14.1 / 25.6
SE 2.760
85 years and over
18.7
CI 13.1 / 25.5
SE 2.973
19.2
CI 13.6 / 25.8
SE 2.934
21.5
CI 15.5 / 28.5
SE 3.135
20.1
CI 13.4 / 28.2
SE 3.547
16.8
CI 10.4 / 24.9
SE 3.409
26.0
CI 17.9 / 35.5
SE 4.220
24.0
CI 16.2 / 33.3
SE 4.065

Overall emergency department wait time exceeds recommended time frame by Health insurance status (under 65 years), 2016-2022
(percent)
Decrease desired

Population 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Insured
18.5
CI 15.1 / 22.2
SE 1.753
18.2
CI 14.4 / 22.5
SE 1.960
16.1
CI 12.8 / 19.8
SE 1.714
13.7
CI 10.7 / 17.2
SE 1.575
10.8
CI 8.0 / 14.1
SE 1.492
19.3
CI 13.2 / 26.7
SE 3.243
20.3
CI 15.9 / 25.4
SE 2.327
Private
19.1
CI 15.3 / 23.5
SE 2.027
19.8
CI 14.3 / 26.4
SE 2.934
16.8
CI 13.5 / 20.4
SE 1.677
13.5
CI 10.2 / 17.3
SE 1.726
10.5
CI 7.8 / 13.8
SE 1.450
19.3
CI 13.2 / 26.6
SE 3.224
23.7
CI 18.4 / 29.6
SE 2.730
Public
18.0
CI 14.7 / 21.7
SE 1.717
17.1
CI 13.6 / 21.1
SE 1.835
15.7
CI 12.0 / 20.0
SE 1.963
13.9
CI 10.6 / 17.8
SE 1.745
10.9
CI 7.8 / 14.8
SE 1.693
19.4
CI 12.9 / 27.3
SE 3.455
18.4
CI 13.6 / 24.0
SE 2.509
Uninsured
19.2
CI 15.0 / 24.0
SE 2.178
20.0
CI 13.4 / 28.2
SE 3.518
19.1
CI 13.3 / 26.2
SE 3.103
11.4
CI 7.9 / 15.8
SE 1.886
DSU
18.5
CI 12.0 / 26.6
SE 3.465
16.7
CI 8.9 / 27.3
SE 4.287

Overall emergency department wait time exceeds recommended time frame by Geographic location, 2016-2022
(percent)
Decrease desired

Population 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Metropolitan
22.6
CI 18.8 / 26.8
SE 1.960
20.0
CI 15.8 / 24.6
SE 2.140
18.1
CI 14.6 / 21.9
SE 1.794
16.8
CI 12.8 / 21.4
SE 2.088
13.9
CI 10.1 / 18.4
SE 1.997
21.2
CI 15.5 / 27.9
SE 3.016
20.7
CI 16.1 / 25.9
SE 2.395
Non-metropolitan
DSU
DSU
DSU
DSU
DSU
DSU
DSU

Disparity