Health and Community Services
June 15, 2009Newfoundland and Labrador Remains Diligent in Wait
Times Management
The latest wait times data from the regional health authorities
indicates a continued strong performance by the provincial health care
system in a majority of the pan Canadian benchmark areas. The Honourable
Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services, today released
the statistics for the first two quarters of 2008 covering the period
from April 1 to September 30, 2008.
"The regional health authorities have been diligent in their efforts
around wait times management, especially given many areas that show a
marked increase in demand for the service," said Minister Wiseman. "This
data shows that in most of the benchmark areas, the majority of patients
continue to receive timely access to treatment."
Access to curative radiotherapy remained close to the national
benchmark. During the quarters, 90.3 to 93.2 per cent of new breast,
prostate, lung and colorectal cancer cases commenced treatment within 30
days.
The national target for coronary bypass surgery is 182 days. The
proportion of cases completed within this timeframe has consistently
remained above the 90th percentile for more than two years,
dating back to 2006-07. The percentage of cases completed within the
benchmark ranged from 93.9 per cent to 100 per cent.
In keeping with the national definition recommended by the Canadian
Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the wait time measurement for
cataract surgery is now refined, with regions reporting a more precise
wait time for surgery on the first eye as opposed to the combined wait
time for both eyes. This change will help improve comparability of
cataract surgical wait times among provinces.
Approximately 2,100 cataract surgeries were performed in the province
during this six-month period. Eastern Health performed 86.9 to 88.4 per
cent of cataract surgeries within 112 days. Central Health completed 96
to 100 per cent within this benchmark and Western Health performed 87.8
to 98.5 per cent of the surgeries within this timeframe. For the
Labrador-Grenfell region, surgeries are performed by visiting locum
specialists. During the quarters, the specialists performed 58.3 to 78.9
per cent of the cases within the benchmark.
There were approximately 160 hip replacement operations performed
across the province during the period. Eastern Health performed 63.5 to
65.8 per cent of cases within the 182-day benchmark. Central Health
completed 95.5 to 100 per cent of cases within the benchmark and Western
Health performed 73.3 to 100 per cent of cases within 182 days.
Wait time measures for hip replacement
for Labrador Grenfell Health are suppressed as five or fewer cases were
performed.
Approximately 290 knee replacements were performed across the
province with the majority of cases in the Eastern region. The demand
for knee replacements in this region has significantly increased in
recent years, with a 41 per cent increase in surgeries from 2005-06 to
2007-08 and a 154 per cent increase in cases on the waiting list in a
two-year period. Given this increase, Eastern Health has formed a
committee which will begin to review best practices across Canada for
joint replacement care. The primary goal of this initiative will be to
identify best practice solutions to improve access for patients waiting
for joint replacement in Eastern region.
"The increase in demand that we are seeing now for knee replacements
is due to various factors including an aging population, a high level of
obesity, osteoarthritis and also new technologies which
are more appealing to patients, given they result in better outcomes and
an improved quality of life," said Minister Wiseman. "We, together with
the regional health authorities, will continue to monitor this peak in
demand and evaluate our progress in improving wait times in this area."
During both quarters, Eastern Health performed 52.1 to 53.5 per cent
of cases within the 182-day benchmark. Central Health performed 89.7 to
95.2 per cent of cases within the benchmark and Western Health performed
84.2 to 88.5 per cent of cases within the benchmark. For the first
quarter, Labrador Grenfell Health completed 80 per cent of cases within
182 days and data is not reported for the second quarter, as there were
less than five cases performed.
Across the province just over 180 hip fracture repairs were performed
during the period. Eastern Health performed 69.2 to 84.1 per cent of
repairs within the 48-hour benchmark. Western Health performed 91.7 to
94.7 per cent of cases within the benchmark. In both quarters, Central
Health exceeded the national benchmark of 48 hours for this procedure,
as all patients underwent surgery within 24 hours, or half of the
recommended timeframe. Western Health performed 91.7 to 94.7 per cent of
cases within the benchmark timeframe. Data for Labrador-Grenfell Health
is suppressed for the first quarter and no hip fixations were performed
for the second quarter.
Data for cervical screening is reported annually. Consistent with
2006 data, the uptake or participation rate among women aged 20 to 69 is
42 per cent. This number represents the provincial benchmark of one pap
test per year, as opposed to the national benchmark of one test every
three years.
Wait time starts with the decision to treat, which is when the
patient and the appropriate physician agree to a particular service, and
the patient is ready to receive the service. Wait time stops when the
patient receives the service, or the initial service in a series. The
wait is then measured in calendar days between start and stop.
In the case of the hip fracture benchmark, the wait time clock is
turned on at date/time of registration in the emergency department of an
orthopaedic care centre and turned off at date/time of surgery. This
benchmark is then calculated in hours/minutes, in order to precisely
measure time to surgical access for this emergent procedure.
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Media contact:
Ronalda Walsh
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-1741
ronaldawalsh@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Provincial Wait Times Data
2008-09 Quarter 1: April 1 to June 30, 2008
|
Service Area |
Pan-Canadian benchmarks
|
Newfoundland and Labrador Wait
Times- First Quarter (April � June, 2008) |
|
Curative Radiotherapy
|
Within 4 weeks (28 days) of
being ready to treat. |
� 93.2% in 30 days |
|
Coronary Bypass Surgery (CABG)
|
|
� 100% of CABG cases completed
in 182 days. |
|
Level 1 |
Within 2 weeks (14 days)
|
Data will be reported according
to the benchmark urgency levels when implementation of the
new provincial cardiac registry is completed. |
|
Level 2 |
Within 6 weeks (42 days)
|
|
Level 3 |
Within 26 weeks (182 days)
|
|
Cataract |
Within 16 weeks (112 days) for
patients who are at high risk. |
� Eastern Health: 88.4% First
eye � Central Health (Gander): 100% First eye � Central
Health (GFW): Not available � Western Health: 98.5% First
eye � Labrador-Grenfell Health: 78.9% First eye |
|
Hip Replacement |
Within 26 weeks (182 days)
|
� Eastern Health: 63.5% �
Central Health: 95.5% � Western Health: 73.3% �
Labrador-Grenfell Health: Data suppressed |
|
Knee Replacement |
Within 26 weeks (182 days)
|
� Eastern Health: 53.5% �
Central Health: 89.7% � Western Health: 88.5% �
Labrador-Grenfell Health: 80% |
|
Hip Fracture Repair |
Fixation within 48 hours
|
� Eastern Health: 84.1% �
Central Health: 100% in 24 hours � Western Health: 94.7% �
Labrador-Grenfell Health: Data suppressed |
|
Breast Screening |
Women aged 50-69 every two years
|
� Participation rate information
will be updated on an annual basis (again later in 2009).
|
|
Cervical Screening |
Women, starting at age 18, every
three years to age 69 after two normal pap tests.
|
� Across the country,
administrative data is not available to report participation
rates according to the national benchmark. |
|
NL Provincial Benchmark
|
Annual Participation Rates
(2007) |
|
� Sexually active women aged
20-69 who had one Pap test during the period January 1, 2007
to December 31, 2007. |
� Eastern Health: 45% � Central
Health: 38% � Western Health: 38% � Labrador-Grenfell
Health: 38% � NL Provincial Rate: 42% |
|
Notes: Hip replacement and hip
fracture repair data are suppressed for the Labrador
Grenfell Health region, as a small volume of cases were
performed during this quarter. Cataract wait time data were
not available for Grand Falls � Windsor. |
Source: Regional Health
Authorities, and the Provincial Cervical Screening Initiatives Program,
Newfoundland and Labrador.
Provincial Wait Times Data
2008-09 Quarter 2: July 1 to September 30, 2008
|
Service Area |
Pan-Canadian benchmarks
|
Newfoundland and Labrador Wait
Times - Second Quarter (July � September, 2008) |
|
Curative Radiotherapy
|
Within 4 weeks (28 days) of
being ready to treat. |
� 90.3% in 30 days |
|
Coronary Bypass Surgery (CABG)
|
|
� 93.9% in 182 days |
|
Level 1 |
Within 2 weeks (14 days)
|
Data will be reported according
to the benchmark urgency levels when implementation of the
new provincial cardiac registry is completed. |
|
Level 2 |
Within 6 weeks (42 days)
|
|
Level 3 |
Within 26 weeks (182 days)
|
|
Cataract |
Within 16 weeks (112 days) for
patients who are at high risk. |
� Eastern Health: 86.9% First
eye � Central Health (Gander): 96% First eye � Central
Health (GFW): Not available � Western Health: 87.8% First
eye � Labrador-Grenfell Health: 58.3% First eye |
|
Hip Replacement |
Within 26 weeks (182 days)
|
� Eastern Health: 65.8% �
Central Health: 100% � Western Health: 100% �
Labrador-Grenfell Health: Data suppressed |
|
Knee Replacement |
Within 26 weeks (182 days)
|
� Eastern Health: 52.1% �
Central Health: 95.2% � Western Health: 84.2% �
Labrador-Grenfell Health: Data suppressed |
|
Hip Fracture Repair |
Fixation within 48 hours
|
� Eastern Health: 69.2% �
Central Health: 100% in 24 hours � Western Health: 91.7% �
Labrador-Grenfell Health: Zero cases |
|
Breast Screening |
Women aged 50-69 every two years
|
� Participation rates will be
updated on an annual basis (again later in 2009).
|
|
Cervical Screening |
Women, starting at age 18, every
three years to age 69 after two normal pap tests.
|
� Participation rates will
continue to be updated on an annual basis. |
|
Notes: Joint replacement data
are suppressed for the Labrador Grenfell Health region, as a
low volume of cases were performed this quarter.
|
Source: Regional Health Authorities, Newfoundland and Labrador
2009 06 15 10:45 a.m.
|
