Waiting list statistics as performance indicators: observations on their use in hospital management.

Improvements in data collection and the types of statistics collected have enhanced the usefulness of waiting list statistics as a measure of hospital performance. But these changes are not sufficient for waiting list statistics to be used effectively for management purposes. The statistics need to be viewed alongside activity data if clinicians and managers are to identify specific areas that need improvement. This means that how the data are analysed and presented is also important. During a study into the management of waiting lists, we observed that waiting list data were typically presented in a way that made interpretation difficult. A simple but effective solution was found by using available PC-based software, but obstacles remain. These stem from limitations of current information systems and the awareness among staff of the potential of common software packages.