Problems securing appointments to see doctors in the United States are exacerbated by soaring health care demand and fewer doctors. Many specializations are increasingly affected by this trend, but primary care and emergency medicine are among the hardest hit.
The average wait time to see a doctor has increased since 2017 and continued to rise after the demand spike brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey conducted by AMN Healthcare in 2022 of 15 large metro markets revealed that the average time to see a physician was 26 days—an 8 percent increase from 2017 and a 24 percent spike since 2004.
