Ohio ER visits average just over three hours, new data shows

A trip to the emergency room in Ohio lasts an average of 3 hours and 1 minute, according to new research analyzing federal hospital data.

The study from EMR software review site FindEMR looked at more than 4,000 hospitals nationwide and ranked states by the average length of an emergency room visit. Ohio had the 24th-longest average visit among the 50 states.

The wait is considerably longer for patients experiencing a mental health crisis. In Ohio, those patients spend an average of 5 hours and 14 minutes in the emergency room, more than two hours longer than other ER patients.

The data also shows Ohio ER visits have gotten longer in recent years. Patients who are treated and released now spend about 21 minutes longer in the emergency department than they did in 2019.

About 2% of Ohio emergency room patients leave before they are seen.

Wait times vary significantly by hospital. Among those included in the study, the longest typical ER visit in Ohio was reported at Ohio State University State Health System in Columbus at 5 hours and 19 minutes. Harrison Community Hospital in Cadiz had the shortest at 1 hour and 26 minutes.

Closer to northeast Ohio, Mercy Medical Center in Canton had one of the five longest typical ER visits in the state at 4 hours and 26 minutes, while Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital averaged 4 hours and 21 minutes.

Researchers say the especially long waits for people seeking emergency mental health care highlight ongoing concerns about whether hospitals have enough resources available for patients in crisis.