Study finds racial, employment disparities in clinic wait times

A national study released this week found that patients who are unemployed or racial minorities spend more time traveling to clinics and have longer waiting time once there before receiving care (Source: “Race and employment tied to U.S. clinic wait times,” Reuters, Oct. 5, 2015). 

According to the study, which was published in JAMA Internal Medicine, Hispanics spent an average of 105 minutes in a clinic, compared with 80 minutes spent by white patients, but face time with doctors was the same. Black patients spent an average of 45 minutes traveling, while white patients traveled for an average of 36 minutes.

The researchers used survey responses from almost 4,000 adults who reported their time waiting for a receiving medical care on the day they visited a clinic, and determined each individual’s associated travel time to the clinic.

Using a separate survey of 150,000 office-based doctor visits between 2006 and 2010, they also estimated face-to-face time with a physician.

“Since we didn't find a difference in face-to-face time with doctors, it's possible that some of the difference could be due to differences in time spent with other health care providers – perhaps more time with nutritionists or nurses – but we suspect that much of the difference is due to more time spent completing paperwork, paying bills, and waiting for care,” said Dr. Kristin N. Ray of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, who worked on the study.