Introduction: A number of countries have healthcare systems where access to elective surgery is constrained. The inevitable outcome is wait lists for surgery. The objective of this study is to report cross-sectional health data collected from a broad sample of patients awaiting elective surgery and shed light on potential non-surgical treatments to improve health.
Research Design: Prospective cross-sectional survey of patients newly enrolled on the surgical wait list in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the associations between patient characteristics and health, pain and depression.
Measures: Health status instruments were used to measure study participants' general health, pain, and depression immediately after they were enrolled on the wait list for one of the targeted elective surgeries.
Results: A majority of patients reported some problems with pain or discomfort, and a large portion reported problems associated with anxiety or depression. Orthopedic patients were significantly more likely to report problems with mobility, usual activities and pain/discomfort. Neurosurgery patients were the most likely to report significant and severe depression.
Conclusions: The high rates of pain and depression not only have implications for patients' immediate health, but may also affect long-term surgical outcomes. This study draws attention to recognizing a wider array of morbidity, some potentially requiring non-surgical interventions, while patients wait for elective surgery. Policy options include re-examining the surgical triage system and expanding surgical capacity to match self-reported health.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.04.017 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
[Influence of obesity on midterm outcome after primary hip and knee arthroplasty in Germany : Analysis from the EPRD].
Orthopadie (Heidelb)
January 2025
Endoprothesenregister Deutschland (EPRD), Berlin, Deutschland.
Objectives: To determine the influence of obesity on revision rates and mortality after primary elective hip and knee arthroplasty in Germany.
Materials And Methods: In the German Arthroplasty Registry (EPRD) there were 403,073 elective total hip arthroplasties (THA), 320,913 bicondylar total knee arthroplasties (TKA) and 48,480 unicondylar knee arthroplasties (UKA) with valid BMI available for analysis. Cumulative revision rates and 1‑year mortality was calculated for BMI groups.
Management of pilonidal sinus and recurrences in 2025.
J Visc Surg
January 2025
Department of Digestive Surgery, Clinique de La Sauvegarde, avenue Ben-Gourion, 69009 Lyon, France.
Pilonidal sinus is a common pathology of the intergluteal cleft that can develop into abscess or suppuration. This lesion corresponds histologically to a granuloma that organizes around foreign bodies, most often hairs, and fistulizes to the skin through partially epithelialized orifices. If suppuration and abscess develop, treatment is based either on medical treatment combining analgesics, local antiseptics and sometimes antibiotics, or on emergency incision and drainage in the operating room.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGiant inguinal hernia with mal-rotation in a resource-limited area: Case report.
Int J Surg Case Rep
January 2025
School of postgraduate, Amoud University, Somalia; Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czechia. Electronic address:
Introduction: Giant inguinoscrotal hernias (GIH), defined as hernias extending below the inner thigh midpoint in a standing position, are rare and often seen in resource-limited settings due to delayed medical care. These hernias pose surgical challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where standardized management protocols are lacking, and risks such as cardiorespiratory compromise are significant.
Case Presentation: A 55-year-old male presented with a large, irreducible right inguinoscrotal hernia of 1.
Surgical Outcomes for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer of the Head and Neck.
Ann Plast Surg
January 2025
Department of Plastic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China.
Objectives: There is no consensus on elective lymphatic dissection of the parotid and neck for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) due to challenges in detecting occult spread to these regions. This study aimed to summarize clinical data and evaluate correlations between risk factors, nodular metastasis, and the need for elective parotidectomy in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), and apocrine carcinoma (AC) of the head and neck, all with clear surgical margins and negative imaging results for regional metastases.
Study Design: We retrospectively reviewed 166 patients with CSCC, one with MCC, and one with AC of the head and neck, all treated surgically between September 2006 and July 2022.
Validity and Reliability of Patient Activation Measure (PAM13-I) Italian Version Among Patient Undergoing Elective Surgery.
Res Nurs Health
January 2025
Nursing Department, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
The patient activation measure (PAM), a recognized measure of how active patients are in their care, is one of the most extensively used, widely translated, and tested instruments worldwide in measuring patient activation. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Italian version of the 13-item Patient Activation Measure (PAM13-I) among patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A multicenter study was conducted across 111 surgical units in Italy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!