Prince Edward Island wait times improve but are still longer than the Canadian average for some procedures

Kathleen Morris, Vice President, Research and Analysis, CIHI (CNW Group/Canadian Institute for Health Information)

Kathleen Morris, vice president of Health System Analysis and Emerging Issues at CIHI, discusses wait times in P.E.I.

OTTAWA, March 28, 2017 /CNW/ - The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) has released its annual report on wait times for specific priority procedures across the country. The report found the following for Prince Edward Island in 2016:

• More than 7 out of 10 patients received their joint replacement surgery (hip or knee) within the benchmark time frame. This was an improvement since 2012.
• More than 90% of patients received cataract surgery within the benchmark, which was an improvement since 2012.
• Wait times for patients who received hip fracture repair remained stable since 2012. In 2016, 76% received their surgery within the benchmark; however, this was lower than the pan-Canadian average of 86%.
• Last year, most patients (95%) started their radiation therapy within 28 days. This remained relatively stable since 2012 (99%).

The table below compares the P.E.I. and national numbers. A higher percentage means that more people had their procedures done within the medically acceptable time frame.

Procedure	Benchmark: The amount of time that clinical evidence shows is appropriate to wait for a procedure	Percentage meeting benchmark in P.E.I.		Percentage meeting benchmark in Canada
		2012	2016	2012	2016
Hip replacement	182 days	52	70	81	79
Knee replacement	182 days	35	77	76	73
Cataract surgery	112 days	67	92	83	73
Hip fracture repair	48 hours	73	76	81	86
Radiation therapy	28 days	99	95	97	97

Note

For information on wait time definitions and exceptions, please visit the Wait Times tool.

Wait Times for Priority Procedures in Canada, 2017 also includes information on wait times for diagnostic imaging and cancer surgery. Data on trends from 2008 to 2016 — organized by province, health region and procedure — is available in CIHI's online Wait Times tool. The Wait Times tool also provides an explanation of how wait times are calculated for each priority procedure.

Quote

This report adds to the wait time discussion in Canada, showing that most patients nationally have priority area procedures within recommended time frames. However, we continue to see variability in wait times across provinces and procedures. We hope that this information will help pinpoint areas of focus for improvement.

— Kathleen Morris, Vice President, Research and Analysis, CIHI

About CIHI

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides essential information on Canada's health systems and the health of Canadians.

We provide comparable and actionable data and information that are used to accelerate improvements in health care, health system performance and population health across Canada. Our stakeholders use our broad range of health system databases, measurements and standards, together with our evidence-based reports and analyses, in their decision-making processes. We protect the privacy of Canadians by ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of the health care information we provide.

SOURCE Canadian Institute for Health Information

For further information: Media contact: [email protected], Julie Bortolotti, 613-694-6654

Related Links

www.cihi.ca