Development of pediatric wait time access targets

Surgical waitlist management: Perspectives from surgeons on surgical prioritization at a paediatric hospital

Globally exacerbated surgical waitlists have provided the opportunity to reflect on prioritization and resource allocation decisions. The unique circumstances of paediatric surgery and consequences of surgical delay prompted the study reported in this paper. As part of a larger project to attend to prioritization in our surgical waitlists, we conducted a Quality Improvement study, the purpose of which is to understand surgeon's perspectives regarding the ethical and practical realities of surgical prioritization at our institution. The study comprises semi-structured interviews with nine full-time paediatric surgeons from a variety of subspecialties conducted at our institution, which is a tertiary paediatric hospital with ten surgical subspecialties in a publicly funded healthcare system. Participants articulated how they prioritize their waitlists, and how they understand ethical prioritization. These findings resonate with the growing public concern for ethical practice in healthcare delivery and transparency in prioritization and resource allocation practices. Specifically, more transparency, consistency, and support is required in prioritization practices. This work highlights the importance of institutional dialogue regarding surgical case prioritization. Because quality improvement work is necessarily site-specific, concrete generalizations cannot be offered. However, the insights gleaned from these interviews and the process by which they were gleaned are a valuable knowledge-sharing resource for any institution that is interested in ongoing quality improvement work. The objectives here were to clarify the goals of prioritization within the institution, improve prioritization practices, and make them more ethical and transparent.

Assessment of multiple-opinion referrals and consults at the BC Children's Hospital Allergy Clinic

BACKGROUND

Allergic disease is on the rise. Waitlists for specialists are long, and many referred patients have already received prior allergic assessment, either by a certified Allergist, Primary Care Provider, or other Specialist. It is important to understand the prevalence and motivating factors for multiple-opinion referrals, to deliver timely assessment for patients with allergic disease.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of demographic information, number of previous consultations, and motivation for new consults and multiple-opinion referrals, of pediatric patients aged 8 months-17 years to BC Children's Hospital Allergy Clinic from September 1, 2016-August 31, 2017, was performed. Referral data including reason for referral or multiple-opinion, primary allergic concerns, and others, from referral forms and consult notes were accessed through local Electronic Medical Records and subsequently analyzed for trends in categorical variables to assess the rationale for and impact of multiple-opinion referrals to our clinic.

RESULTS

Of 1029 new referrals received, 210 (20.4%) were multiple-opinion referrals. Food allergy was the predominant allergic concern prompting further opinion (75.7%). The main rationale for seeking further opinions was wanting an assessment by a certified allergist in cases where prior consultation was performed by non-allergist specialist, primary care provider, or alternative health care provider. Of second-opinion referrals generated, 70 (33.3%) initial consultations were performed by an Allergist, whereas 140 (66.7%) were performed by a non-allergist.

CONCLUSIONS

Many new consults at the BCCH Allergy Clinic are multiple-opinion assessments, contributing to long waitlists. Advocacy at the systems level through standardized referral guidelines, centralized triaging systems, and stronger support for Primary Care Providers is needed to provide better access in Canada for children needing a specialized Allergist. Trial registration UBC/BCCH Research Ethics Board.

Procedural Sedation in Minor Procedure Rooms for Pediatric Myringotomy and Tympanostomy: A Quality Improvement Initiative

OBJECTIVE

Lengthy wait times for elective surgery is a widespread health care system conundrum that may increase patient distress and jeopardize health outcomes. The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to reduce the surgical wait time in patients undergoing tympanostomy tube insertion.

METHODS

As of January 2018, our tertiary care institution implemented a novel protocol whereby healthy children may undergo tympanostomy tube insertion in a minor procedure room under ketamine sedation administered by pediatric emergency physicians to address lack of both physical and anesthesia staffing resources. A retrospective study of all children undergoing elective tympanostomy tube insertion was conducted between September 1, 2017, and May 8, 2019, to assess wait time to surgery, as well as anesthesia-related and surgical complications.

RESULTS

Procedural sedation in minor procedure rooms effectively decreased surgical wait times by 53 days (from 134 to 81 days, P < .001) at 16 months postimplementation. This new protocol was found to be safe and effective for healthy children, with no major surgical or anesthesia-related complications noted in 113 patients having undergone the procedure in the novel setting.

DISCUSSION

Although conscious sedation by emergency physicians has been well studied across a variety of surgical procedures, its novel use in pediatric tympanostomy tube insertion requires careful patient selection to enhance accessibility while maintaining anesthetic safety.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This quality improvement project describes a novel combination of processes, using a minor procedure room space and ketamine-based procedural sedation to address surgical wait times in pediatric patients undergoing tympanostomy tube insertion.

Delays in presentation of intussusception and development of gangrene in Zimbabwe

Introduction

prompt diagnosis and treatment are considered key to successful management of intussusception. We examined pre-treatment delay among intussusception cases in Zimbabwe and conducted an exploratory analysis of factors associated with intraoperative finding of gangrene.

Methods

data were prospectively collected as part of the African Intussusception Network using a questionnaire administered on consecutive patients with intussusception managed at Harare Children´s Hospital. Delays were classified using the Three-Delays-Model: care-seeking delay (time from onset of symptoms to first presentation for health care), health-system delay (referral time from presentation to first facility to treatment facility) and treatment delay (time from presentation at treatment facility to treatment).

Results

ninety-two patients were enrolled from August 2014 to December 2016. The mean care-seeking interval was 1.9 days, the mean health-system interval was 1.5 days, and the mean treatment interval was 1.1 days. Mean total time from symptom onset to treatment was 4.4 days. Being transferred from another institution added 1.4 days to the patient journey. Gangrene was found in 2 (25%) of children who received treatment within 1 day, 13 (41%) of children who received treatment 2-3 days, and 26 (50%) of children who received treatment more than 3 days after symptom onset (p = 0.34).

Conclusion

significant care-seeking and health-system delays are encountered by intussusception patients in Zimbabwe. Our findings highlight the need to explore approaches to improve the early diagnosis of intussusception and prompt referral of patients for treatment.

Unmet Needs of Surgical Care for Children: A Case Study in the Brazilian Publicly-Financed Health System

Objective  To measure and document the clinical impact of the waiting time for surgical treatment of patients with spinal deformities in a quaternary center in Brazil.

Methods  In total, 59 patients with spinal deformity waiting for surgery on our hospital's list were evaluated to observe the impact of the waiting time on the progression of the deformity. Patient evaluation was performed using the SRS-22r questionnaire for health-related quality of life (HRQL) and radiographic images to evaluate the deformity of the spine at the time the patients were included in the waiting list and at the most recent appointment. The radiographic parameters selected for comparison were: Cobb angle of the primary and secondary curves, coronal alignment, apical vertebral translation, pelvic obliquity, sagittal vertebral axis, kyphosis (T5-T12), and lordosis (L1-S1).

Results  Low HRQL scores according to the SRS-22r questionnaire were observed in patients waiting for surgery. The radiographic parameters showed progression of the deformity on the initial evaluation when compared with the most recent follow-up evaluation.

Conclusion  The patients waiting for surgical treatment of spinal deformities in our center showed relatively low HRQL scores and radiographic progression of the deformity.

The burden of waiting: wait times for pediatric surgical procedures in Quebec and compliance with national benchmarks

Background

Wait time information and compliance with national guidelines are limited to a few adult conditions in the province of Quebec. We aimed to assess compliance with Paediatric Canadian Access Targets for Surgery (P-CATS) guidelines and determine the burden incurred due to waiting for 3 common elective surgical conditions (inguinal hernia, cryptorchidism and hypospadias) in a pediatric population.

Methods

We carried out a population-based retrospective cohort study of randomly selected children residing in Quebec without complex chronic medical conditions, using administrative databases belonging to the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec for the period 2010–2013. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated to measure the burden due to waiting. Multivariate forward regression identified risk factors for compliance with national guidelines.

Results

Surgical wait time information was assessed for 1515 patients, and specialist referral wait time was assessed for 1389 patients. Compliance with P-CATS benchmarks was 76.6% for seeing a specialist and 60.7% for receiving surgery. Regression analysis identified older age (p < 0.0001) and referring physician specialty (p = 0.001) as risk factors affecting specialist referral wait time target compliance, whereas older age (p = 0.040), referring physician specialty (p = 0.043) and surgeon specialty (p = 0.002) were significant determinants in surgical wait time compliance. The total burden accrued due to waiting beyond benchmarks was 35 DALYs.

Conclusion

Our results show that provincial compliance rates with wait time benchmarks are still inadequate and need improvement. Patient age and physician specialty were both found to have significant effects on wait time target compliance.

Waiting time for short-stay surgery in a paediatric surgery department

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess the waiting time (WT) for a short-stay surgery and determine its possible determinant factors.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Paediatric Surgery at the National Hospital of Lamordé of Niamey, Niger. It included patients aged 0-15 years who benefitted from a short-stay surgery (24-48 h of hospitalisation) during a period of 19 months (1st January 2017 - 31st July 2018). Patient, diagnosis and surgical treatment data were gathered. WT was the time elapsed between the indication of a surgical operation and its realisation. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used with a threshold statistical significance of < 0.05.

RESULTS

Short-stay surgery constituted 25.4% of all operating activities (n = 271). Inguinal or inguinoscrotal hernia was the most frequent pathology at 31.38% (n = 85). The mean WT was of 116.6 days (range: 4-491 days) and the median was 114 days. WT was greater than or equal to 3 months for 63.9% of the patients (n = 173). Based on pathology, the mean WT varied between 57.5 days (ovarian hernia) and 163.6 days (5.8 months) for epigastric hernia. A significantly longer WT was observed with the presence of a comorbidity (P = 0.0352) but was not associated with patient residence (P = 0.0951).

CONCLUSION

A long WT for a short-stay surgery should be improved upon by different interventions with respect to the supply and demand of care and the setting of priorities.

Follow-up and Time to Treatment in an Urban Cohort of Children with Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Objective To evaluate follow-up and timing of sleep-disordered breathing diagnosis and treatment in urban children referred from primary care. Study Design Retrospective longitudinal cohort analysis. Setting Tertiary health system. Subjects and Methods Pediatric outpatients with sleep-disordered breathing, referred from primary care for subspecialty appointment or polysomnography in 2014, followed for 2 years. Timing of polysomnography or subspecialty appointments, loss to follow-up, and sleep-disordered breathing severity were main outcomes. Chi-square and t-test identified differences in children referred for polysomnography, surgery, and loss to follow-up. Logistic regression identified predictors of loss to follow-up. Days to polysomnography or surgery were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, with Cox regression comparing estimates by polysomnography receipt and disease severity. Results Of 216 children, 188 (87%) had public insurance. Half (109 [50%]) were lost to follow-up after primary care referral. More children were lost to follow-up when referred for polysomnography (50 [76%]) compared with subspecialty evaluation (35 [32%]; P < .001). Children referred to both polysomnography and subspecialty were more likely to be lost to follow-up (odds ratio = 2.73, 95% confidence interval = 1.29-5.78; P = .009). For children who obtained polysomnography, an asymmetric distribution of obstructive sleep apnea severity was not observed ( P = .152). Median time to polysomnography and surgery was 75 and 226 days, respectively. Obstructive sleep apnea severity did not influence time to surgery ( P = .410). Conclusion In this urban population, half of the children referred for sleep-disordered breathing evaluation are lost to follow-up from primary care. Obstructive sleep apnea severity did not predict follow-up or timeliness of treatment. These findings suggest social determinants may pose barriers to care in addition to the clinical burden of sleep-disordered breathing.

Factors associated with delay in carotid endarterectomy for patients with symptomatic severe internal carotid artery stenosis: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

The Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for Stroke Care (2008 update) recommend that patients with neurologic symptoms secondary to severe internal carotid artery stenosis undergo carotid endarterectomy within 14 days of symptom onset to prevent stroke. The purpose of this study was to identify patient and system factors associated with meeting, or failing to meet, the guideline.

METHODS

In this case-control study, potential study participants were identified through an electronic search of the Discharge Abstract Database. We reviewed the charts of patients who presented to our centre with neurologic symptoms ipsilateral to internal carotid artery stenosis of 70%-99% and underwent carotid endarterectomy in our centre between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2014. We performed logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with meeting, or failing to meet, the guideline.

RESULTS

Of the 412 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy during the study period, 219 met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-seven patients (30.6%) met the 14-day guideline. Thirty (14.2%) of the 212 patients who could be classified as case or control subjects did not access the health care system within 14 days. Once in the health care system, failure to meet the guideline was associated with a presentation of amaurosis fugax (odds ratio [OR] 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05-0.96 compared to completed minor stroke) and presentation to a nonemergency outpatient setting (OR 9.08, 95% CI 2.51-32.80 compared to emergency department).

INTERPRETATION

Improvements in meeting the goal of carotid endarterectomy within 14 days of symptom onset for severe internal carotid artery stenosis should be directed at patient and system factors. A system for rapid diagnosis and referral of symptomatic patients to an appropriate surgeon should be established.

Quantifying delays and self-identified barriers to timely access to pediatric surgery at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda

PURPOSE

Favorable surgical outcomes depend on timely access to care. This study quantifies these delays and explores caregiver barriers to access in a Ugandan facility.

METHODS

An interviewer-facilitated survey was administered over 8months to consecutive pediatric surgical families at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). Delays were classified using the Three Delays Model: care-seeking, arrival at health facility, and from surgical consultation to surgery. Barriers at each stage were explored with caregivers.

RESULTS

The survey included 174 patients. Family members were first to recognize disease in 90%, but only 14% sought medical attention immediately. Delays in seeking care predominated (median 30days), mostly attributed to home treatments (51%) and other responsibilities (28%). After referral decision, 80% of caregivers brought their child to MRRH immediately (median time to arrival <24h). Upon MRRH arrival, 57% of patients were assessed the same day, and time to surgery was relatively short (median 4days). Despite free under-5 care, out-of-pocket payments (between $1-42 USD) were reported by 64%.

CONCLUSIONS

Care-seeking delays dominate access to pediatric surgical care in Uganda, and cost remains a significant barrier. Primary provider education and advocacy for increased resources would be useful interventions to improve timeliness of pediatric surgical care.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level II.

Community Care Administration of Spinal Deformities in the Brazilian Public Health System

OBJECTIVE:

Underfunding of the surgical treatment of complex spinal deformities has been an important reason for the steadily growing waiting lists in publicly funded healthcare systems. The aim of this study is to characterize the management of the treatment of spinal deformities in the public healthcare system.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study of 60 patients with complex pediatric spinal deformities waiting for treatment in December 2013 was performed. The evaluated parameters were place of origin, waiting time until first assessment at a specialized spine care center, waiting time for the surgical treatment, and need for implants not reimbursed by the healthcare system.

RESULTS:

Ninety-one percent of the patients lived in São Paulo State (33% from Ribeirão Preto - DRS XIII). Patients waited for 0.5 to 48.0 months for referral, and the waiting times for surgery ranged from 2 to 117 months. Forty-five percent of the patients required implants for the surgical procedure that were not available.

CONCLUSION:

The current management of patients with spinal deformities in the public healthcare system does not provide adequate treatment for these patients in our region. They experience long waiting periods for referral and prolonged waiting times to receive surgical treatment; additionally, many of the necessary procedures are not reimbursed by the public healthcare system.

Agreement Between a Physical Therapist and an Orthopedic Surgeon in Children Referred for Gait Abnormalities

PURPOSE

To compare diagnostic and treatment agreement between a physical therapist (PT) and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon for gait variations in children.

METHODS

This pilot study involved children referred to a pediatric orthopedic surgeon for typical gait variations. A PT and an orthopedic surgeon individually assessed each child, making conclusions regarding diagnoses, treatment, and follow-up. Agreement was determined using κ values.

RESULTS

Twenty-five children (9 months to 11 years) were assessed. The PT and the surgeon had substantial agreement on contributors to the atypical gait patterns (76% agreement; κ = 0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.45-0.90) and almost perfect agreement on underlying diagnosis of gait variation (93% agreement; κ = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.75-1.0), with substantial agreement for treatment (82% agreement; κ = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.47-0.97) and follow-up recommendations (84% agreement; κ = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.24-1.0).

CONCLUSIONS

A pediatric PT and an orthopedic surgeon had substantial to almost perfect agreement for diagnoses, treatment, and follow-up in children referred for gait abnormalities.

Socioeconomic status and wait times for pediatric surgery in Canada

OBJECTIVES

Even in a publicly funded health care system, access to care may be related to socioeconomic status (SES). For children, delays in surgical procedures can have profound functional, social, and psychological effects with lifelong impact. The purpose of this study was to determine whether SES was related to meeting surgical wait time access targets for children. We also assessed the effects of gender, age, and distance to hospital on meeting access targets.

METHODS

Patient addresses, referral wait times, and surgical wait times were obtained for 39,287 surgical procedures between 2005 and 2011 at the Hospital for Sick Children. Using census data, we derived household income quintile, distance to hospital, and indices of social and material deprivation. These indices were correlated with the percentage of children meeting clinic referral wait time targets and receiving surgery within the Pediatric Canadian Access Targets for Surgery.

RESULTS

Across all SES quintiles, 33% of children exceeded their referral wait time targets, and 28% of children exceeded their surgical wait time targets. Indices of material or social deprivation and age did not correlate with the time from referral to clinic consultation (P = .54, .40, and .58, respectively). Gender was statistically significant (P < .001), but the difference was small (odds ratio = 0.87 for girls). Distance was also statistically significant (P = .005), and these differences translate into clinically meaningful differences in meeting wait time targets. Regarding completion of surgical procedures, material deprivation, distance, and gender did not correlate with longer wait times for surgery (P = .44, .09, .59, respectively). Social deprivation was statistically significant (P = .02) but not clinically significant. Increasing patient age was significantly associated with increased proportion of out-of-window wait times (P < .001). SES did not affect the timeliness of completion of surgery even when the urgency of the surgery (priority level based on diagnosis) was considered.

CONCLUSIONS

SES does not predict the timeliness of delivery for pediatric surgical services.

Expectantly waiting: a survey of thyroid surgery wait times among Canadian otolaryngologists

BACKGROUND

Our objective is to highlight discrepancies between actual wait times and perceived appropriate wait times for various thyroid pathologies among Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeons in Canada; and to identify specific diagnoses/pathologies where wait times could be improved.

METHODS

A questionnaire was distributed to all practicing CSO-HNS members. Questions focused on actual wait times for initial consults and surgery within individual practices, in the setting of various thyroid pathologies. Respondents were also asked to state wait times that they felt were appropriate for each scenario. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed to determine statistically significant differences between actual and appropriate wait times.

RESULTS

For most scenarios, the actual wait times were significantly longer than most physicians felt were appropriate; these scenarios included time to initial consult for undiagnosed nodules, time to surgery for confirmed malignancies, and time to completion thyroidectomy for surgically confirmed malignancies.

CONCLUSIONS

Wait times for thyroid consults and surgeries in Canada are longer than physicians feel are appropriate. The authors hope that this survey may spur a move towards a national consensus on appropriate wait times for the treatment of thyroid pathology.

Toward systematic reviews to understand the determinants of wait time management success to help decision-makers and managers better manage wait times

BACKGROUND

Long waits for core specialized services have consistently been identified as a key barrier to access. Governments and organizations at all levels have responded with strategies for better wait list management. While these initiatives are promising, insufficient attention has been paid to factors influencing the implementation and sustainability of wait time management strategies (WTMS) implemented at the organizational level.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted using the main electronic databases, such as CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, to identify articles published between 1990 and 2011 on WTMS for scheduled care implemented at the organizational level or higher and on frameworks for analyzing factors influencing their success. Data was extracted on governance, culture, resources, and tools. We organized a workshop with Canadian healthcare policy-makers and managers to compare our initial findings with their experience.

RESULTS

Our systematic review included 47 articles: 36 related to implementation and 11 to sustainability. From these, we identified a variety of WTMS initiated at the organizational level or higher, and within these, certain factors that were specific to either implementation or sustainability and others common to both. The main common factors influencing success at the contextual level were stakeholder engagement and strong funding, and at the organizational level, physician involvement, human resources capacity, and information management systems. Specific factors for successful implementation at the contextual level were consultation with front-line actors and common standards and guidelines, and at the organizational level, financial incentives and dedicated staffing. For sustainability, we found no new factors. The workshop participants identified the same major factors as found in the articles and added others, such as information sharing between physicians and managers.

CONCLUSIONS

Factors related to implementation were studied more than those related to sustainability. However, this finding was useful in developing a tool to help managers at the local level monitor the implementation of WTMS and highlighted the need for more research on specific factors for sustainability and to assess the unintended consequences of introducing WTMS in healthcare organizations.

Waiting for children's surgery in Canada: the Canadian Paediatric Surgical Wait Times project

BACKGROUND

In addition to possibly prolonged suffering and anxiety, extended waits for children's surgery beyond critical developmental periods has potential for lifelong impact. The goal of this study was to determine the duration of waits for surgery for children and youth at Canadian paediatric academic health sciences centres using clinically-derived access targets (i.e., the maximum acceptable waiting periods for completion of specific types of surgery) as used in this Canadian Paediatric Surgical Wait Times project.

METHODS

We prospectively applied standardized wait-time targets for surgery, created by nominal-group consensus expert panels, to pediatric patients at children's health sciences centres across Canada with decision-to-treat dates of Sept. 1, 2007 or later. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 30, 2009, patients' actual wait times were compared with their target wait times to determine the percentage of patients receiving surgery after the target waiting period.

RESULTS

Overall, 27% of pediatric patients from across Canada (17,411 of 64,012) received their surgery after their standardized target waiting period. Dentistry, ophthalmology, plastic surgery and cancer surgery showed the highest percentages of surgeries completed past target.

INTERPRETATION

Many children wait too long for surgery in Canada. Specific attention is required, in particular, in dentistry, ophthalmology, plastic surgery and cancer care, to address children's wait times for surgery. Improved access may be realized with use of national wait-time targets.