Article Summary
Why Wait? Public Solutions to Cure Surgical Waitlists
Report by Alicia Priest, Michael Rachlis, Marcy CohenAlicia Priest, Michael Rachlis, and Marcy Cohen highlight the success of new public management initiatives in reducing wait times in British Columbia. The authors note the successes of new public management structures in North Vancouver, Richmond, and at the University of British Columbia, as well as across Canada in cutting wait times. They recommend that the BC government not adopt privatization as a solution, but rather focus on public waitlist reforms.
The authors contend that a public approach to wait-time reductions is the only way to maintain a universal system while providing safe quality care for all. To reduce wait times within a public management structure, the authors argue for two changes to current practice. The first change, they contend, calls on physicians to shift away from working primarily alone to working in teams. As Priest, Rachlis, and Cohen explain, working in teams with their own specialty group, other physicians, and healthcare workers helps the system to function more effectively, thereby reducing wait times. The second change the authors propose involves transferring accountability from individual surgeons to health authorities that work with groups of surgeons and other health professionals. This change, they assert, would collate waitlists into a single registry, rather than having a multitude of private lists, yet still allow patients to choose their surgeon.
The authors conclude that the BC government should look to the success of public initiatives before adopting private insurance and private clinics to reduce wait times. Other provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario have successfully reduced wait times by investing in the public system and adopting the two changes highlighted by the authors.
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Policy Publication Details
| Author(s): | Alicia Priest; Michael Rachlis; Marcy Cohen; | ||
| Publisher: | Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives [ Visit Website ] | ||
| Year Published: | 2007; | Publisher Type: | Research Institute |
| Publicly Available: | Yes | Research Focus: | Provincial; |
| Registration Required: | No | Language: | English |
| Payment Required: | No | Publication Format: | Adobe PDF |
Subjects / Categories:
Policy Articles / Health Care / Wait Times
Policy Articles / Health Care
Policy Articles / Health Care / Wait Times / 2007
Keywords / Tags:
British Columbia; healthcare; elective surgery; wait lists; wait times; investment; physicians; public management; initiatives;