The average wait time to see an orthopedic surgeon is 16.9 days, up from 11.4 days in 2017, a 48% increase, according to Merritt Hawkins' 2022 "Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times and Medicare and Medicaid Acceptance Rates."
The survey tracked average new patient physician appointment wait times in five specialties:
|
Specialty |
Average wait time |
Percentage (%) change since 2017 |
Shortest average wait times |
Longest average wait times |
|
OB/GYN |
31.4 days |
+19 percent |
19 days |
59 days |
|
Dermatologist |
34.5 days |
+ 7 percent |
9 days |
72 days |
|
Cardiologist |
26.6 days |
+26 percent |
13 days |
49 days |
|
Orthopedic surgeon |
16.9 days |
+48 percent |
5 days |
55 days |
|
Family medicine physician |
20.6 days |
-30 percent |
8 days |
44 days |
The survey includes data from 1,034 physician offices in 15 metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minnesota, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Click here to access the Merritt Hawkins report.