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Non-Clinical Factors Associated with Variation in Cataract Surgery Waiting Times in Manitoba

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Carolyn De Coster
Carolyn De Coster*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être addressées à : Carolyn De Coster, Ph.D., R.N., Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 727 McDermot Avenue, Suite 408, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5. ([email protected])
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Abstract

Cataract surgery is the highest-volume surgical procedure in Canada, with over 200,000 performed annually, mostly (85%) on persons aged 65 or older. Concerns have been raised about wait times to access this procedure. This study explores the relationship between waiting times for cataract surgery in Manitoba and a variety of characteristics, including age, sex, socio-economic status, region of residence, health status, surgeon, and surgeon's caseload. The study included 6,114 individuals who had first-eye cataract surgery between November 1, 1998, and March 31, 2000, in Winnipeg, MB. Significant predictors of variation in wait times were age, sex, having a hospitalization while waiting, and surgeon. The model explained 32.5 per cent of the variance in wait times; specific surgeon independently explained 29.5 per cent of the variance. Median waiting times varied widely by surgeon, ranging from 61 to 399 days. Differences in surgeons' expected wait times should be available to patients and referring clinicians.

Résumé

L'opération de la cataracte constitue l'intervention chirurgicale la plus répandue au Canada, plus de 200 000 opération de ce genre étant effectuées chaque année, la plupart du temps (85 p. 100) sur des gens de 65 ans ou plus. Des inquiétudes ont été soulevées au sujet des délais d'attente pour subir cette procédure. Cette étude traite des liens entre les délais d'attente pour les opérations de la cataracte au Manitoba et diverses caractéristiques, notamment l'âge, le sexe, la situation socioéconomique, la région de résidence, l'état de santé, le chirurgien ainsi que le nombre de cas que le chirurgien doit traiter. L'étude portait sur 6 114 sujets ayant subi une première opération de la cataracte entre le 1er novembre 1998 et le 31 mars 2000, à Winnipeg, au Manitoba. Parmi les facteurs permettant de prédire la variation des délais d'attente, on compte l'âge, le sexe, le chirurgien et le fait d'être hospitalisé pendant l'attente. Le modèle élaboré permettait d'expliquer la variation des délais d'attente dans 32,5 p. 100 des cas ; le choix du chirurgien permettait d'expliquer à lui seul 29,5 p. 100 de la variation. Le délai d'attente moyen variait beaucoup selon les chirurgiens, allant de 61 à 399 jours. Les patients et les médecins traitants devraient avoir accès aux données concernant les différents délais d'attente prévus selon les chirurgiens.

Keywords

agedagingcataract extractionmultivariate analysisregistriesretrospective studieswaiting listspersonnes âgéesvieillissementexcision de la cataracteManitobaanalyse multifactorielleregistresétudes rétrospectiveslistes d'attente
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 24 , Issue S1: Health and Health Care Use Among Older Adults: Using Population-Based Information Systems to Inform Policy in Manitoba , Spring/Printemps 2005 , pp. 47 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2005

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