Study Shows Delays in Ambulance Offload Times Across CA

Transit police stand in front of a Philadelphia Fire Dept. ambulance.
Shutterstock/Alan Budman

A new study analyzing 5.9 million ambulance offloads across 34 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies in California shows significant delays in patient offload times.

The statewide average ambulance offload time was 42.8 minutes, far exceeding the 30-minute standard set by the state. Nearly half of the agencies (16 out of 34) reporting average offload times above the limit, the Journal of the American Medical Association reports.

The study, conducted between January 2021 and June 2023, also found that 60.6 percent of agencies experienced worsening delays over time, with the median monthly hospital-level offload time recorded at 28.9 minutes.

Researchers urge collaboration among stakeholders to address these systemic issues, aiming to reduce delays and improve outcomes for patients and communities statewide.

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