An evolution in the collection of elective surgery waiting times
data is the focus of Waiting Times for Elective Surgery in
Australia 1997-98 released today by the Australian Institute
of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Head of the Institute's Patient Morbidity and Services Unit,
Jenny Hargreaves, said that improvements in data quality over the
last couple of years have now enabled the Institute to provide an
overview of elective surgery waiting times for Australia.
'But to give a clearer and more detailed picture of what's
happening at State and Territory level we still need more
improvements in data quality, and consistency in data
collection.'
Ms Hargreaves said that the Institute had been emphasising
waiting times as 'a better indicator of hospital performance' than
numbers on waiting lists.
'After all, if a particular hospital has a long waiting list,
but the patients on the list are all operated on within a week,
then the size of the list may not be a problem,' Ms Hargreaves
said.
The report shows that around 20% of Australians waiting for
elective surgery had 'extended waits' (waited for longer periods
than defined desirable periods) at the end of June 1998. About 19%
of patients classified as 'category 1' (admission clinically
desirable within 30 days) had waited longer than the defined
period.
For those admitted for elective surgery during 1997-98, about 8%
had experienced extended waits. The experience of various States
and Territories still cannot be compared with confidence. The
figures show variation in the percentage waiting an extended time,
from 5% in South Australia to 20% in Tasmania. These data were
unavailable for Victoria.
'With the data we currently have these differences are difficult
for us to explain,' Ms Hargreaves said. 'It may be a combination of
differences in how the data are collected in each State and
Territory combined with differences in the types of elective
surgery undertaken.'
'The Institute is working with the States and Territories to
refine the currently used data definitions so that high quality
data can be compiled in the future.'
Canberra, 16 June 2000
Further information: Jenny Hargreaves, AIHW,
ph. 02 6244 1121.
For media copies of the report: Publications Officer,
tel. 02 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability.