Unlocking Surgical Capacity Through Collectable Time: A Multi-Level Policy Framework for Canadian Health Systems

Canadian healthcare confronts persistent surgical capacity constraints driven by demographic pressures, economic limitations and inefficient resource utilization. Despite substantial resource requirements, operating rooms frequently remain underutilized due to misaligned policies and incentives. Introducing "collectable time" provides a foundation for comprehensive policy reform to resolve these inefficiencies. Addressing these inefficiencies through detailed, multi-level policy changes is critical to sustainably improving healthcare system productivity. Embedding collectable time metrics within institutional, provincial, federal and regulatory frameworks could increase surgical capacity without requiring additional staff or infrastructure.