ONLINE SPECIALIST DIRECTORY HAS BEEN USED 36,000 TIMES

Saskatchewan People Compare Wait Times, Surgeons’ Specializations and Other Factors

The online Specialist Directory that helps patients and their health advisors find more options for surgery has been accessed more than 36,000 times since its launch in June 2010.  On average, the interactive tool is used 1,100 times each month.

The web-based directory lets health providers and their patients conduct a range of online searches, such as finding which surgeons perform a procedure, comparing recent wait times experienced by their patients, and estimating the wait for an initial appointment.

“Health care providers are working together to achieve more timely surgeries and to help patients and their care providers make decisions about the timing of surgery and discover what choices are available," Health Minister Dustin Duncan said.

“The directory was awesome,” La Ronge resident Jackie Ballantyne said.  “There were no surprises for me.  I knew what to expect; it definitely helped me prepare for my surgery.  People who are going to have surgery need to be told about this, so they can go online and use it.”

The Specialist Directory, created at the request of family doctors, can sort information based on procedure, surgeon, wait time, and location – helping patients and their health advisors make informed decisions based on what is most important to them.

“It really is about choice and empowerment,” Duncan said.  “For example, some patients may prefer to wait for a particular surgeon, while others may want the fastest possible service, and be willing to travel to another community for surgery.”

In Saskatchewan, 10 surgeons account for 50 per cent of the patients waiting longer than 12 months for surgery.  Some patients on a very popular surgeon's list may wait two to three times longer than those referred to another surgeon in the same specialty group.

Updated weekly, the Specialist Directory currently lists about 200 Saskatchewan surgeons and 2,600 procedures.  It is a valuable resource for doctors and nurse practitioners, particularly those new to the province who may not know all the referral options available.

The interactive tool also identifies new surgeons, so practitioners making referrals can see all the available options.  They can use the wait time information to find the timeliest option for patients most in need.  The directory also makes it easy to ensure a patient is referred to a surgeon who can provide the procedure required.

Through the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative, specialists, operating room teams, health regions, health provider organizations and administrators are collaborating with patients to improve safety and quality with the goal that by April 2014, all patients have the option to receive necessary surgery within three months.

Web address: www.health.gov.sk.ca/specialists
View the TV ad: www.health.gov.sk.ca/sd-ad
Wait-time data and other information: www.sasksurgery.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083