Enabling policy action using scenario simulation in procedures with guarantees of maximum time to surgery

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Operations Research in Healthcare

Background:

• Surgical waiting lists present complex management challenges.
• Establishing maximum waiting time guarantees is crucial for patient care and resource planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scenario simulation tool for surgical waiting lists.
• To facilitate policy action by defining maximum waiting time guarantees for surgical procedures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized queuing theory as a conceptual framework.
• Defined management indicators including maximum waiting time guarantees and probability of non-fulfillment.
• Configured scenarios using scientific literature and expert consensus.

Main Results:

• Developed a tool for configuring waiting list scenarios.
• Integrated a dashboard for monitoring and management of these scenarios.

Conclusions:

• The tool supports informed discussions between health authorities and providers.
• Aids in setting realistic goals for surgical waiting times.
• Facilitates improvements in surgery indication adequacy and capacity adjustments.