Waiting for medical services in Canada: lots of heat, but little light.

Abstract

7suggest that they share the public’s perceptions. In contrast, provincial government officials generally appear much less convinced that waiting is a pressing issue. 8 Moreover, empirical studies published by 3 provincial governments between 1996 and 1998 reported no significant increase in waiting times for most surgical procedures. 9–11 This disagreement is but one example of the disjunction between common understandings and evidence about waiting lists in Canada. In this paper we suggest that confusion over terminology, differences in measurement approaches and a general lack of awareness of the relative effectiveness of different approaches to managing waiting lists and waiting times all hamper real progress in this area. In particular, we focus on the underpinnings of disagreements about (1) the nature and extent of waiting-list issues and (2) effective policy intervention.