Ask the doctor: Why are waits in the emergency department so long?
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Q. I sprained my ankle pretty badly a few weeks ago and was taken to the emergency room. It took three hours before I saw a doctor. Why are emergency rooms so crowded and the waits so long just to be seen?
A. The reasons for emergency department waits are complicated; our entire health care system is implicated. It is impossible to explain every aspect here, but one place to begin thinking...
