Patients who have been waiting for surgery for months can imagine being put on a waiting list for one of the next available places, but this is not usually the case.

Hundreds or thousands of surgeons operate their own system and manage their own patient waiting listsays dr David Urbach, chief of surgery at the hospital women quorum from Toronto.

Patients and referring physicians do not know who has the shortest waiting list.

According to the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), merging patient lists can reduce wait times by 20-30%.

In British Columbia, a program to centralize patients awaiting knee and hip replacement surgery has reduced the number of patients awaiting surgery longer than six months by 11%.

For its part, the Saskatchewan Department of Health reported that a four-year program that included a central referral registry for all surgical specialties resulted in an 89% reduction in the number of patients waiting longer than three months for surgery.

Similar systems exist in Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia, primarily for orthopedic and cataract surgeries.

A model struggling to be persuaded

But there are hurdles to expanding the system to other surgeries, according to Dr. David Urbach, who says that this model has not convinced many surgeons.

dr Mohamed Alarakhia, a family doctor in Ontario’s Waterloo-Wellington area, began work on a centralized referral program in 2016, but wasn’t satisfied. He says he was frustrated with the process of referring patients to a limited list of surgeons without knowing the length of their waiting lists.

The wait time on the lists can depend on whether or not the doctor knows surgeons, says Dr. Alarakhia. if there is [un chirurgien] They don’t know and have less waiting time, you can’t send the patient to them.

Mohamed Alarakhia is also director of the nonprofit eHealth Center of Excellence in Kitchener, Ontario, which receives referrals from approximately 7,500 physicians. Patients can use a standard form to indicate whether they want to see their doctor of choice, stay in a specific area, or simply opt for the shortest wait time for care.

” Patients can seamlessly see where they were sent, when they were triaged. You will receive your appointment online and can confirm your appointment. »

He adds that patients referred using his system experience an average reduction in wait times of more than 50 days for cataract and orthopedic surgeries and about a month for MRI.

Patient Ian Whitehead, who underwent cataract surgery himself in Kitchener, is pleased with the shorter wait times for treatment. His surgeon, Dr. Toby Chan, is one of 16 ophthalmologists registered with the electronic referral system.

I’m really happy to be where I am today. The process is quickthe patient is happy.

Surgeons need help

dr For his part, Alarakhia acknowledges that a major procedural change such as the introduction of centralized waiting lists will take some time before it is adopted on a larger scale.

” Clinicians are used to working independently and not necessarily in groups. »

dr Sean Cleary, president of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons, says most surgeons are willing to accept centralized waiting lists but need help making the transition.

Hospitals and government agencies need to be part of this solution as these centralized programs require infrastructure. They need support and common groundhe closes.

With information from Bethany Lindsay, CBC