[Identification of variables influencing waiting times for specialized care].

Objective: To identify the variables influencing waiting time for specialized care (waiting lists) through multiple regression analysis and to analyze the health districts with long waiting times according to these variables.

Design: Descriptive, cross sectional and retrospective study of waiting times for access to specialized care between 1997 and 1998.

Setting: Area 20 of the Health Department of the Autonomous Community of Valencia (Spain) consisting of 12 health districts with 204,424 inhabitants.