INDICATOR NAME
Name
Percentage of patients whose surgery was completed within the provincial target wait time
Alternate Name
Percentage of patients who had their surgery completed within the target wait time
INDICATOR DESCRIPTION
Description
This indicator measures the percentage of patients whose surgery was completed within the access target for the surgical service area/surgery being reported. This wait time represents the time, in days, from when the patient and surgeon decides to proceed with surgery to having the surgery completed. In this case, the higher the percentage completed the better. The surgical service area/surgery reported in Measuring Up includes general surgeries, cancer surgeries, hip and knee replacement surgeries.
Patients are assigned a priority level for their surgery by the physician based on clinical evidence.
Indicator Status
Active
HQO Reporting tool/product
Public reporting
Dimension
Timely
Type
Process
DEFINITION AND SOURCE INFORMATION
Unit of Measurement
Percentage
Calculation Methods
Numerator divided by the denominator times 100
Numerator including inclusion/exclusion
Number of patients in the denominator whose surgery or procedure was completed within the provincial target wait time.
Denominator including inclusion/exclusion
All patients whose surgery or procedure was completed and met the criteria below to be included.
Inclusions:
All closed wait list entries with procedure dates within the reporting period.
For adult surgical procedures, patients that are 18 years and older on the day the procedure was completed.
For paediatric surgical procedures, patients that are younger than 23 years on the day the procedure was completed.
Treatment Cancer procedures only.
Patients assigned as Priority Level 2 - 4 for surgery (Wait 2)
Exclusions:
Diagnostic, Palliative and Reconstructive cancer procedures.
Procedures on Skin - Carcinoma, Skin-Melanoma, and Lymphomas.
Procedures no longer required cases
Patients assigned as Priority Level 1 for surgery (Wait 2)
Wait list entries identified by hospitals as data entry errors.
Adjustment (risk, age/sex standardization)- detailed
None
Data Source
Wait Time Information System (WTIS)
Data provided to HQO by
Cancer Care Ontario (CCO)
Reported Levels of comparability /stratifications (defined)
Corporation, Priority level, Province, Time
RESULT UPDATES
Indicator Results
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
Caveats and Limitations
1. This indicator is collected for patients who have undergone their surgery. That is, patients who are still waiting are not included in the calculation.
2. This indicator is reported not at the surgeon level but rather at the level of the facility where the procedure took place.
3. Ninety among 114 surgical facilities in Ontario report surgical wait times to the WTIS; the remaining 24 facilities do not receive wait time funding for reporting and so do not report wait times.
4. Hospitals with small volumes will be more severely impacted by extreme waits. For example, an unusually long or short wait time for a single patient in a reporting period for hospitals that do not treat a lot of patients (e.g., a small hospital performing cataract surgery) will have a greater impact on the percentage of patients who underwent surgery within the target time.
5. Since Wait Time data is reported at the hospital corporation or facility level, facilities with multiple sites will be reported together even though data is collected at each site. Wait Times may also vary by surgeon which will not be apparent in this data as it is reported at the institution level rather than individual surgeon.
6. There are other factors that affect wait times for a surgical procedure or diagnostic exam that do not relate to a hospital’s efficiency, to a particular doctor or the availability of resources. They include: a. Patient Choice – a patient with a non-life-threatening condition may choose a non-surgical treatment or may decide to delay treatment for personal or family reasons to a more convenient time. b. Patient Condition – a patient’s condition may need to improve before the surgery or exam takes place. c. Follow-up Care – a patient who has an existing condition may be pre-booked for a follow-up treatment or exam a long time in advance. d. Treatment Complexity – a patient with special requirements may need specific equipment or a certain kind of facility and there is a delay until these can be scheduled.
TAGS
Sector
Acute Care/Hospital
Type
Process
Topic
Wait Times
Dimension
Timely
Source
Wait Time Information System (WTIS)
PUBLISH
Publish Datetime
20/11/2018 15:36:00