Patients and physicians can easily find the names of surgeons in Fraser Health who may be able to perform surgical procedures sooner than others with the launch of a new online tool.
By choosing a surgical procedure from a drop down list, a list of five surgeons in Fraser Health are shown that are predicted to be able to perform the surgery sooner. With over 250 surgeons operating in 10 hospitals, it has been a challenge in the past to know all the surgical specialists and their predicted wait times for surgery.
The Soonest Surgery Tool, found at www.fraserhealth.ca/surgery, uses data Fraser Health provides daily for the Ministry of Health's Surgical Patient Registry. Using calculations based on the number of procedures the surgeon has performed in the last four months, and the number of patients on their wait list, a list of the five surgeons is shown.
In addition, the website provides information on how to prepare for surgery, post-surgery care, and how family and friends can help.
"Long surgical wait times are a challenge across the country," said Dr. Nigel Murray, Fraser Health's president and CEO. "While a knee replacement or hernia repair might not be urgent, for the individuals waiting, it can be an unpleasant experience. The Soonest Surgery Tool is one way we can inform patients of surgical wait times so that they are able to make informed decisions about their surgery."
Fraser Health is the first health authority in North America to develop and present information on surgical wait lists in this format.
"Using data that we've already collected and transforming that data into a tool that is simple to use and provides information that patients can easily access is a great idea," said Dr. Erdem Yazganoglu, manager of the Surgical Patient Registry.
