From Long Waits to Verbal Abuse: Inside the Growing Crisis Facing Massachusetts Emergency Rooms

Who hasn't visited New Bedford's St. Luke's Hospital emergency room on a Friday night, or almost any night for that matter, and felt frustrated by long waits and other inconveniences?

Fall River's hospitals and hospitals throughout Massachusetts and the nation, particularly in urban centers, are no better.

Conditions in the ER, especially when you are not well and seeking medical attention, can be frustrating, to say the least.

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UMass Amherst Study Links Patient Behavior to ER Care Quality

Boston.com highlights a new study by the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggesting a link between your frustration and the care you receive in the ER.

"Long waits. Delayed care. Overworked staff. America's emergency departments are under constant strain," according to Boston.com. "Increasingly, they are also on the front lines of broader social and economic crises, from rising medical costs and lack of insurance to growing mental health and addiction needs."

UMass Study Finds Patient Anger Could Impact Hospital ER Care

The study, published on the BMJ Journals website, states, "Clinical encounters with patients who display challenging behaviors (e.g. rude, demanding) are increasingly common in emergency departments and can heighten negative emotions, compromise healthcare quality, and impact physician well-being."

How Patient Frustration Increases Physician Stress

According to Boston.com, researchers at UMass Amherst conducted experiments where emergency room physicians evaluated patients in computer-simulated, interactive clinical encounters with varying patient behaviors.

The study reportedly suggests that "patients' frustration can amplify that pressure, raising doctors' stress levels and potentially influencing the care they provide."

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Pushed to the Limit: Workplace Abuse and Safety in Mass. Hospitals

Irritable patients are not the only hazard facing hospital healthcare workers, however.

"Every 36 minutes, someone working at a Massachusetts hospital is subject to a verbal threat, physical assault, or other form of abuse," according to a June 30, 2026, Boston Globe article co-authored by leaders in the Massachusetts healthcare industry.

"Workforce violence has become an unacceptable – and all too familiar – part of their daily work, and it's driving many to leave the field," the article states.