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Waiting for Health Care
Article by Janet Walker
Waiting for health care has been ongoing for over 25 years. Beginning in the early eighties, media reported that people were having to wait to get into the hospital. Today, patients continue to wait for available hospital beds and also for specific diagnostic tests. Others are waiting to get in to see a specialist, and then they are also having to wait for the surgery or treatment that the specialist has recommended.
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It is not uncommon for patients to wait between six months and a year to see a specialist. For example, 12 year old Sean was prescribed medication by a psyciatriast to treat Attention Deficit Disability. After several months, Sean’s mother, who is also a nurse, suspected that the medication needed to be changed. They went to their family doctor but since the re-evaluation of the medication type and dose is beyond the skill set of the general practitioner, Sean needed to see the psychiatrist again. Waiting for that appointment took 12 months.
In addition to waiting to see the specialist, many are waiting for an appointment to take a definitive diagnostic test or image. These tests are critical to the accurate diagnosis and selection of treatment. The author has a personal example. She needed an MRI of the brain to rule out multiple sclerosis that runs in her family. In Canada, the wait for an MRI of the brain was more than one year. She went to the United States and within 3 days she had the MRI done and had a copy of the actual films in her possession for her to keep. She had also seen a neurologist who interpreted the films and gave her the good news that there was no evidence of MS. In her words, "The MRI cost a little over $1000 and was worth it to me."
After patients finally get in to see the specialist, they are also having to wait to receive the treatment that the specialist advises. Again patients have long wait lists for surgeries and other treatments due to the unavailability of hospital beds and operating rooms. This is the story of Ms. Waltraut. In agony with bone on bone pain from her hip, she was devastated to learn that the surgery could not take place in Vancouver for at least 1.5 to 2 years. Within weeks, she and her husband found a private clinic in Germany. At this clinic, Waltraut received a complete hip replacement and three weeks of a daily physiotherapy and massage program. She returned to Canada free of pain and fully mobile. Her thoughts on waiting: "People should not have to live in pain."
Unfortunately, wait lists have become part of our public discussion. In fact, we even have an Advisor on wait times. Appointed in 2005 by the federal government, Dr. Brian Postl examined the issue and provided a final report in 2006. See http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/system-regime/2006-wait-attente/index_e.html
There is also an annual conference in Ottawa on wait lists. It is called "Taming the Queue". It is hosted by the Canadian Policy Research Networks. More information available here: http://www.cprn.com/doc.cfm?doc=1671&l=en