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Modeling and analysis of multistate access to elective surgery
1Queen's Health Policy Research Unit, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. bs9@post.queensu.ca
Health Care Management Science
|June 8, 2001
Summary
Delays in scheduling elective surgery significantly increase patient waiting times. Efficient waiting list management practices are crucial for reducing surgical delays, independent of patient urgency.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Health Services Research
- Surgical Operations
Background:
- Long waiting times for elective surgery are a significant healthcare concern.
- Effective waiting list management is critical for timely patient access to care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of scheduling delays on elective surgery waiting times.
- To analyze the role of waiting list management practices in surgical access.
Main Methods:
- Modeling patient access to treatment as a multistate process.
- Analyzing a waiting-list management system in a Canadian hospital.
Main Results:
- Patients experiencing any scheduling delay had longer waiting times.
- Certain delay sources reduced admission rates by 50-60%, irrespective of surgical urgency.
Conclusions:
- Waiting times for elective surgery are influenced by scheduling and waiting list management practices.
- Optimizing these practices can reduce patient waiting times and improve access to care.