The Manitoba Cataract Waiting List Program

This article describes the Manitoba Cataract Waiting List Program. This program uses a centralized database to track and prioritize all patients waiting for cataract surgery. It provides an objective and reliable measure of the length of the wait, and patients on the waiting list are treated in a more equitable fashion through application of a uniform method of prioritization. The program will allow for long-term tracking of quality of care through monitoring of the average length of wait for patients with comparable functional impairment. It will also allow for long-term monitoring of thresholds for surgery. It has brought to light previously undocumented issues, such as the simultaneous booking of both eyes for cataract surgery and variations in waiting time between surgeons.