Emergency room wait times have increased over the last decade, though not all areas of the country have experienced the rise equally, according to a report from The Inquirer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a 32 percent rise in the number of ER visits since 2003 and a six-minute increase, from 27 to 33 minutes, in average ER wait times to see a physician from 2003 to 2009.

Wait times are higher in urban areas. Data from CMS showed average wait times of 53 minutes in Philadelphia, 57 minutes in Chicago, 63.5 minutes in New York City and 40 minutes in Los Angeles.

ER visits are expected to increase in volume after the Patient Protection and Affordable Act goes into effect, but hospital inefficiencies in operations management seem to contribute to overcrowded ERs as well, according to the report.

One study cited by The Inquirer found that patients admitted to ERs during high-volume periods were 9 percent more likely to die within three days, leading to 300 additional deaths per year.

Better operations management and facilities preparation on the part of ERs nationwide could help alleviate the problem, according to the report.

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