Disparities Influence Receipt of Timely Care in ED

Minority individuals and disadvantaged patients in the ED are more likely to be passed over and less likely to receive care over others with the same triage acuity, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Rohit Sangal, MD, and colleagues characterized disparities in ED care access in a study of 314,763 ED visits. Nearly one-quarter (28.8%) of patients experienced a queue jump, while 24.8% and 14.2% were passed over by a patient of the same or lower acuity, respectively. Overall, 16.8% and 7.6% of patients received care ahead of a patient of the same or higher acuity, respectively. Social factors associated with being passed over included having Medicaid insurance, being Black non-Hispanic, Hispanic, or Latino ethnicity, and speaking Spanish as a primary language. Lower odds of a patient receiving care ahead of others were seen for ED visits by Medicare-insured, Medicaid-insured, Black non-Hispanic, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.