Calvert Er Wait Time (2024)

FAQs

What is the average wait time for the ER in Maryland? ›

BALTIMORE — A new study revealed the top states with the longest and shortest emergency room waiting times and Maryland tops the ranking. The research says residents have a median waiting time of 4.18 hours (251 minutes).

Learn more about the methodology here. Nationwide, the median time patients spent in the ED was 162 minutes, up from 159 minutes in the 12-month period ending in March 2022, according to CMS data. In the same period ending in 2021, this figure sat at 149 minutes. Here's how each state and Washington, D.C., stacks up.

Zoom in: California's overall time increased slightly from 2 hours, 49 minutes in 2021 and 2 hours, 43 minutes in 2014. It's also 20 minutes longer than the median of 2 hours, 40 minutes spent in emergency rooms nationwide in 2022 — a number that's been steadily rising in recent years.

Be specific: Describe your symptoms in detail. Instead of saying “I feel sick,” explain the specific symptoms you are experiencing, such as nausea, dizziness, or chest pain. This will help the medical staff understand the urgency of your situation. Use descriptive language: Paint a vivid picture of your symptoms.

From my experience in working in the ER and according to several studies, including a report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the least busy times at the ER are during the early morning hours, specifically between 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. During these hours, there are usually fewer patients, leading to ...

One systemic review found that the most commonly used definition of a non-urgent visit depended on whether care could be delayed and reported that an overall median of 32.1% of ED visits could be classified as non-urgent.

A patient finally gets admitted, may need lab tests (one source of potential delay), a CT or MRI scan (another source of delay), may need to be seen by a specialist (still another delay), may need intra-ER procedures to be performed (insertion of IVs, insertion of bladder catheters, nasogastric tubes, suturing of ...

In general, the accepted duration of a patient in ED—emergency department length of stay (EDLOS)—is 6 hours. The National Health System of the UK, however, pegs this at 4 hours. A 6 hours wait in ED might be acceptable for a patient being admitted to the wards, but not so for a critically ill patient.

A patient might need complicated help such as in-home care, a wheelchair, or oxygen. The doctor who ordered the discharge has to sign off when everything necessary has been done, and that doctor might be doing a four-hour surgery or be otherwise busy at the moment.

Weekends, Holidays and Other Days to Avoid

In addition to avoiding elective surgeries in July, patients should try to avoid other days that have been found to be higher risk for medical errors, including: Major holidays, like the Fourth of July, Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years.

What's the best time to go to ER? ›

ERs generally see a decline in patient visits during the early morning hours. Furthermore, weekends, in contrast to popular belief, also tend to be less crowded. If your condition is not life-threatening but still requires immediate medical attention, considering these off-peak hours might be beneficial.

A shortage of nursing and ancillary staff. A relative shortage of doctors. A policy that forbids turning anyone away from the ER for care. Triage—the system by which a member of the staff (usually the triage nurse), assesses the severity of a person's condition and allocates the speed and intensity of care accordingly.