Key Points
- Frequent use of emergency services by travelers: Travelers often turn to emergency rooms abroad for minor health issues due to unfamiliarity with local healthcare options.
- Emergency rooms are for urgent cases: ERs are designed for severe and urgent conditions, not mild infections or minor ailments.
- Overcrowding affects emergency care: Using the ER for non-urgent issues contributes to overcrowding, delaying care for those with true emergencies.
- Telemedicine as a quick alternative: Telemedicine offers travelers an easy way to connect with a doctor, providing the right care without an ER visit.
- Benefits of telemedicine: Travelers receive care tailored to their needs, which helps reduce strain on emergency services.
In-person Care for Urgent Needs
Traditional in-person care doesn’t always work for quick needs, especially when you’re away from home in an unfamiliar place.
Long waits in healthcare can be frustrating, leaving patients anxious and sometimes in worse shape.
For travelers, this situation is even tougher.
Getting sick or injured in a foreign country is challenging enough—waiting for care makes it even harder.
Simple issues like a UTI, diarrhea, or a sore throat can feel overwhelming in a foreign country, especially with language barriers and unfamiliar healthcare systems.
Spending hours trying to find an English-speaking doctor near you or waiting at a clinic adds stress and can disrupt travel plans.
For this reason tourists and travelers often end up using emergency services—even for minor issues.
Understanding ER Waiting Times
Emergency Rooms (ERs) and Urgent Care Centers play crucial roles in providing immediate medical attention, but waiting times remain a major frustration. Long waits can negatively affect health outcomes and patient satisfaction, particularly in countries where demand for services exceeds healthcare capacity.
Causes of Long Wait Times in Emergency Rooms (ERs)
Several factors contribute to long wait times.
Staff Shortages
Insufficient numbers of healthcare providers lead to each doctor or nurse seeing more patients, slowing down care. Rural areas face especially acute shortages.
- Doctor Shortages: Projections indicate a shortage of nearly 400,000 doctors across 32 OECD countries by 2030.
- Nurse Shortages: A projected deficit of approximately 2.5 million nurses across 23 OECD countries is anticipated by 2030.
- Training Capacities: While the number of new medical graduates in OECD countries increased from 93,000 in 2000 to 160,000 in 2021, some countries still face challenges in training sufficient numbers of health workers to meet current and future needs.
- Job Dissatisfaction (Attrition Rate): Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many health workers reported burnout and job dissatisfaction, with surveys in several countries indicating that many healthcare professionals were contemplating leaving their job.
Heavy Patient Load
When demand surges—like during flu season—even the best-staffed ERs can get overwhelmed, pushing delays even further. You see this especially in emergency rooms, where many people come in with non-urgent issues that could be handled elsewhere (see the dedicated section below).
United States: In 2021, U.S. Emergency Services recorded approximately 140 million visits, translating to about 43 visits per 100 people. Infants under age 1 had the highest rate at 103 visits per 100 infants, while adults aged 75 and over had 66 visits per 100 people. Non-Hispanic Black individuals had the highest visit rate at 81 per 100 people, compared to 41 for non-Hispanic White individuals and 36 for Hispanic individuals. Insurance status also influenced ED utilization, with patients on Medicaid or similar programs having the highest visit rate at 89 per 100 people, while those with private insurance had the lowest at 22 per 100 people.
Canada: In 2020–2021, Canadian Emergency Rooms saw approximately 11.7 million visits, a decrease from previous years, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The visit rate was about 31 per 100 people. Children under age 5 and seniors aged 65 and over had higher visit rates compared to other age groups. The majority of visits were for less urgent conditions, with only a small percentage classified as emergent or resuscitative.
United Kingdom: In England, there were approximately 24.8 million ED attendances in 2020–2021, equating to about 44 visits per 100 people. The highest attendance rates were among children under age 5 and adults aged 80 and over. The majority of attendances were for minor injuries or illnesses, with a smaller proportion for major incidents or resuscitation.
Australia: Australian EDs reported about 8.8 million presentations in 2020–2021, a rate of approximately 34 per 100 people. Children under age 5 had the highest presentation rates, followed by those aged 65 and over. Most presentations were semi-urgent or non-urgent, with only a small percentage classified as emergency or resuscitation.
Italy: In 2023, Italian EDs experienced a 6% increase in visits from the previous year, with 18.27 million visits to hospital emergency departments, down from 24 million in 2019.
Inappropriate Use of Emergency Services
Overusing the emergency department (ED) has become a big challenge worldwide, stretching resources meant for critical, life-threatening cases.
Studies show that around 30-50% of ED visits don’t actually require emergency care and could be handled just as well in primary care or urgent care clinics. In the U.S. roughly 30-50% of ED visits are non-urgent, leading to an estimated $32 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs annually in the U.S. alone.
A recent CDC report highlights how non-urgent cases make up a large part of ED visits, which only worsens overcrowding and leads to longer waits for everyone.
Research from Yale has shown that in crowded U.S. hospitals, the median boarding time in the ED can exceed six hours, double the recommended time when hospital occupancy is above 85%.
The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) faces similar issues, with about 5-10% of patients going to emergency services for conditions that primary care could handle.
In France, non-urgent visits make up 20-30% of ED cases, putting extra pressure on healthcare staff and lengthening wait times for serious cases.
In Italy, in 2023, 68% of ED visits were classified as non-emergency cases. Around 4 million of these cases were considered completely inappropriate, primarily involving patients without trauma who arrived independently and who were subsequently discharged home or to outpatient facilities.
These unnecessary ED visits not only strain healthcare resources but also affect the quality of patient care.
Longer wait times mean that more people leave without receiving care.
In the past few years, as many as 10% of patients in U.S. EDs left before being seen, highlighting the need for systemic changes in access to care and better patient education.
Statistics on Wait Times
Here’s a summary of average emergency room wait times across selected countries:
| Country | ER Average Wait Time |
|---|---|
| United States | 24 minutes |
| Canada | 2.1 hours |
| United Kingdom | 1 hour and 52 minutes |
| France | 2 hours and 21 minutes |
| Germany | 22 minutes |
| Sweden | 38 minutes |
| Italy | 2 hours and 44 minutes |
| Russia | 1 hour and 30 minutes |
| South Africa | 2 hours |
| Mexico | 1 hour and 15 minutes |
| India | 45 minutes |
| China | 1 hour |
| Japan | 35 minutes |
| South Korea | 48 minutes |
| Australia | 18 minutes to 5 hours |
| New Zealand | 30 minutes to 3 hours |
| Brazil | 30 minutes to 6 hours |
6 Reasons to Avoid Using Emergency Services for Non-Life-Threatening Issues
- Extended Wait Times: Non-urgent patients often wait longer as critical cases are prioritized.
- Higher Costs: ER visits in some countries can be significantly more expensive than urgent or primary care visits.
- Resource Strain: Non-critical visits consume valuable resources, affecting emergency patients.
- Increased Risk of Infection: Longer ER stays increase exposure to contagious illnesses.
- Potential for Misdiagnosis: High patient volumes can lead to rushed assessments and incomplete evaluations.
- Lack of Follow-Up: After an ER visit, the outcome is usually either “up” or “out”—you’re either admitted as an in-patient or sent back home to follow up with your own doctor. However, follow-ups directly from the ER are not available.
Telemedicine as a Solution for Reducing Waiting Times
Telemedicine connects patients with doctors remotely, reducing wait times and offering a quick alternative to in-person visits.
For travelers, this means they can skip the hassle of navigating foreign healthcare systems and get help right from their accommodation.
Telemedicine allows travelers to access multilingual support and connect with providers familiar with travel health, making it easier to make informed decisions.
Who is an Online Doctor?
Online doctors are just regular licensed physicians who deliver healthcare, including medication prescriptions, over the internet, using video chat.
How Telemedicine Can Reduce Waiting Times
Instead of going to a clinic or hospital, travelers with urgent but not life-threatening conditions, can consult a doctor online right away from the hotel, B&B, or even while they’re on the move.
Using video conferencing, it is possible to connect with a doctor in just a few minutes.
- Faster Access to Care: Telemedicine appointments are available sooner than in-person visits (minutes instead of hours).
- 24/7 Availability: Many telemedicine services, like Doctorsa, offer after-hours consultations, allowing patients to access care anytime.
- E-Prescriptions: E-prescriptions allow patients to receive their medication quickly, which speeds up the treatment process.
- No language barrier: Telemedicine platforms let patients select doctors who speak their language, making communication clear and comfortable.
- Follow-ups: Some telemedicine platforms, like Doctorsa, offer flexible follow-up periods, allowing patients to stay in touch with their provider and keep them updated on their progress.
Limitations of Telemedicine
Cases Where In-Person Visits Are Necessary
- Physical Examinations and Tests: Situations requiring lab work, imaging, or hands-on exams.
- Procedures and Treatments: Some conditions need in-person care that cannot be managed remotely (e.g. stitches, injections, etc)
Technical and Access Barriers
- Digital Divide Issues: Some areas lack reliable internet or devices.
- Patient Comfort: Not all patients, particularly older populations, are comfortable with technology.
Comparing Wait Times: Telemedicine vs. In-Person Care
Telemedicine typically offers shorter wait times than in-person visits, with many services available within minutes. For in-person visits, wait times vary by specialty, with common issues often requiring longer waits.
| Step | ER | Telehealth |
|---|---|---|
| Find a Hospital | 10-30 minutes | 0 minutes |
| Travel Time | 30-60 minutes | 0 minutes |
| Language Barriers | Likely | Low |
| Waiting Time | 1-3 hours | 5-15 minutes |
| Consultation Time | 10-20 minutes | 10-20 minutes |
| Time to Find a Pharmacy | 10-30 minutes | 0-5 minutes |
| Total Time Spent | 2-5 hours | 15-30 minutes |
| Cost | High | Low |
| Convenience | Low | High |
Tips for Reducing Waiting Times
Making the Most of Telemedicine
- Choosing the Right Provider: Look for telemedicine platforms that guarantee short waiting time (e.g. with Doctorsa you can see an online doctor within a few minutes)
- Preparing for Appointments: Ensure a stable internet connection and keep relevant health records handy.
Tips for Efficient In-Person Visits
- Find an Urgent Care Clinic instead: If you need X-rays or stitches, this option helps you avoid long waits at the ER. Be sure to wear a face mask while in the waiting room and ask about prices before any procedure is performed.
Conclusion
Telemedicine can significantly reduce waiting times, improve patient satisfaction, and expand healthcare access. As telemedicine and hybrid care models evolve, patients will benefit from quicker and more convenient care options.
