BACKGROUND Resource-intensive procedures require the use of patient waiting lists in an attempt to increase fairness of access to surgery and improve surgical efficiency. Total hip and knee arthroplasty has waiting lists in excess of years. OBJECTIVES To analyse our tertiary state institution's hip and knee arthroplasty waiting list to assess its accuracy. METHODS At Groote Schuur Hospital,...

This paper analyzes the main policy initiatives for improving waiting lists in health care. The authors begin by describing strategies to reduce either waiting time or length of the list. They distinguish between demand-side and supply-side strategies. They proceed to discuss policies for improving the "quality" of waiting time. For each policy, they present both the expected effect and the ind...

This paper is the second to result from a one-year study at St. Thomas' Hospital, London conducted in 1965-6, a full report of which study (Bithell, 1968) has been presented to the Governors of the Hospital. Any study of hospital waiting lists needs to distinguish carefully between statistics relating to patients on a waiting list at any time and those relating to patients admitted to or taken ...

The scarcity of suitable organ donors leads to protracted waiting times and mortality in patients awaiting lung transplantation. This study aims to assess the short- and long-term effects of a high emergency organ allocation policy on the outcome of lung transplantation. We developed a simulation model of lung transplantation waiting queues under two allocation strategies, based either on waiti...

Using outcomes data from the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study, we performed a cost-effectiveness analysis exploring the costs and benefits of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A multistage Markov decision analysis model was developed with treatment, including medical management only (strategy 1), waiting list with possible deceased donor liver transplantat...

INTRODUCTION A number of recipient variables have been identified which influence waiting list times for a renal allograft. The aim of this study was to evaluate these factors in the Irish population. METHODS We examined patients accepted onto the transplant list from January 1, 2000 until December 31, 2005. Inclusion criteria were adults listed for kidney only, deceased donor transplants. We...

Forty five patients with cystic fibrosis (age 5-15 years) were assessed for heart-lung transplantation between September 1987 and March 1990. The two main conditions for acceptance were (i) life expectancy less than 2 years and (ii) a severely impaired quality of life. Patients were accepted onto an active waiting list (n = 26), a provisional waiting list (n = 15), or not accepted (n = 4). Sele...

OBJECTIVE The MELD system has not yet been tested as an allocation tool for liver transplantation in the developing countries. In 2006, MELD (Model for End-stage Liver Disease) was launched as a new liver allocation system in São Paulo, Brazil. This study was designed to assess the results of the new allocation policy on waiting list mortality. METHODS The State of São Paulo liver transplant ...

OBJECTIVE To analyse the selection and outcome in patients placed on the waiting list for lung transplantation in Groningen. DESIGN Retrospective and descriptive. SETTING University Hospital Groningen. PATIENTS Clinical lung transplantations have been performed at Groningen University Hospital since November 1990. Until the beginning of August 1993 over 200 patients were presented. Patien...