People with life-threatening injuries are typically seen by a doctor as soon as they arrive at the hospital, but in less urgent cases patients can wait for hours in the ER before being seen at all. There is little way to know how long a visit will take, unless you call ahead of time. ProPublica’s interactive news application ER Wait Watcher gives people a little more information to work with. The app uses nationwide government data to show you how long on average you’ll be waiting at nearby hospitals, as well as calculating the time it will take to drive there in current traffic conditions. In many cases, the closest hospital is not the best choice, because of long waiting times. Surprisingly, traveling farther may actually get you in front of a doctor sooner.
