Study finds no pattern of ER delays for injured workers during pandemic

While there were some delays for injured workers who needed surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Workers’ Compensation Research Institute study released Tuesday found no pattern of delays in access to emergency care and initial medical evaluations immediately following injuries.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institute studied variations in access to care in 2020 and 2021 when compared with time of care in the years prior to the pandemic.

Delays in care mostly involved access to surgeries and varied across states. WCRI found the delays depended on injury type, with greater delays for neurological spine pain than for fractures.

Researchers also suggested that the rise in telemedicine services during the pandemic may have helped prevent delays in care.