Wait times improve for some priority procedures in Newfoundland and Labrador; longer waits for joint replacement surgery

Kathleen Morris, vice president, Research and Analysis, CIHI (CNW Group/Canadian Institute for Health Information)

Kathleen Morris, vice president of Research and Analysis at CIHI discusses wait times in Newfoundland and Labrador

OTTAWA, March 28, 2017 /CNW/ - The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) has released its annual report on wait times for specific priority procedures across the country. The report found the following for Newfoundland and Labrador in 2016:

• Wait times for hip replacements increased. In 2016, 77% of patients received their hip replacement within the benchmark time frame, down from 83% in 2012.
• Newfoundlanders are also waiting longer for knee replacements: the proportion of people having knee replacements within the benchmark decreased from 81% to 70%.
• 9 out of 10 patients received hip fracture repair and cataract surgery within the medically accepted time frame — an improvement since 2012.
• All patients in Newfoundland and Labrador started their radiation therapy within the 28-day benchmark.

The table below compares the Newfoundland and Labrador and national numbers. A higher percentage means that more people had their procedures done within the medically acceptable time frame.

Procedure	Benchmark: The amount of time that clinical evidence shows is appropriate to wait for a procedure	Percentage meeting benchmark in Newfoundland and Labrador		Percentage meeting benchmark in Canada
		2012	2016	2012	2016
Hip replacement	182 days	83	77	81	79
Knee replacement	182 days	81	70	76	73
Cataract surgery	112 days	82	90	83	73
Hip fracture repair	48 hours	81	90	81	86
Radiation therapy	28 days	98	100	97	97

Note

For information on wait time definitions and exceptions, please visit the Wait Times tool.

Wait Times for Priority Procedures in Canada, 2017 also includes information on wait times for diagnostic imaging and cancer surgery. Data on trends from 2008 to 2016 — organized by province, health region and procedure — is available in CIHI's online Wait Times tool. The Wait Times tool also provides an explanation of how wait times are calculated for each priority procedure.

Quote

This report adds to the wait time discussion in Canada, showing that most patients nationally have priority area procedures within recommended time frames. However, we continue to see variability in wait times across provinces and procedures. We hope that this information will help pinpoint areas of focus for improvement.

— Kathleen Morris, Vice President, Research and Analysis, CIHI

About CIHI

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides essential information on Canada's health systems and the health of Canadians.

We provide comparable and actionable data and information that are used to accelerate improvements in health care, health system performance and population health across Canada. Our stakeholders use our broad range of health system databases, measurements and standards, together with our evidence-based reports and analyses, in their decision-making processes. We protect the privacy of Canadians by ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of the health care information we provide.

SOURCE Canadian Institute for Health Information

Media contact: [email protected], Julie Bortolotti, 613-694-6654

Related Links

www.cihi.ca