There is a solution to long surgical wait times. A common way of reducing unnecessary variation and long wait times is the use of single entry models, where patients are seen by the next available provider. Opinion by David R. Urbach
Why wait times exist is not a mystery. Surgery is no different than any other service industry. The waiting time for a service depends on supply, demand, and how efficiently the supply is matched to the demand.
An even larger problem is the lack of co-ordination surrounding specialized health care in Canada. Many people are unaware that most specialists — including the vast majority of surgeons — are in effect operating their own small business. Hospitals themselves have little influence over the flow of patients, and even surgeons who do the same type of work at the same hospital usually do not work as a team or share patients, even when one surgeon has a much longer wait-list than another.
There is a solution. A common way of reducing unnecessary variation and long wait times is the use of single entry models, where patients are seen by the next available provider, just like a bank or a telephone queue for customer service. These models have enormous potential to reduce wait times. While there are many possible approaches to increasing the supply of surgical services, not every approach will have similar effects on access to care. Adding additional capacity beyond what can be delivered in public hospitals will help reduce wait times for at least some people, but it is not at all clear that this extra capacity will be integrated into the broader system so that it goes where it is needed most.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
OPINION: Ontario's new builder regulator off to weak startThe new Netflix documentary entitled \u0022Madoff, the Monster of Wall Street\u0022, is a tragic saga of financial fraud, and shows a complete failure of regulatory oversight.
Read more »
OPINION: Just Transition plan comes with big costs for taxpayersOttawa seems to have only one message about its Just Transition policy: “Trust me.”
Read more »
Opinion | ‘A wake-up call’: Elite Granite Club discriminated against autistic member, human rights tribunal findsElite Granite Club discriminated against autistic member, human rights tribunal finds. The club’s response to an incident in the changeroom with an able-bodied member led to a $35,000 payout. Column by ShreeParadkar
Read more »
Opinion: The year ahead for 2023: Good for workers, bad and ugly for investorsWith high interest rates, it’s looking like the year ahead will be, relative to where they now stand, better for workers than owners
Read more »
Opinion: With new alcohol guidelines and dry January, liquor firms are in for a reckoningLiquor companies must contend with new alcohol guidelines advocating fewer drinks and the rise of so-called ‘dry January’
Read more »
Opinion | Let’s make ‘gentle’ density easier to build to boost Toronto’s housing supply!Changing zoning to allow for multiplex and semi-detached homes, and townhouses, in neighbourhoods will alleviate housing crisis, says Dave Wilkes.
Read more »