SASKATCHEWAN REFUTES WAIT LIST REPORT DATA

Health Minister John Nilson says a recent report on surgical wait times in Canada relies on guesswork rather than fact, and inaccurately represents Saskatchewan's situation.

The Fraser Institute's 2004 Hospital Waiting Lists in Canada (14th edition) report on waiting time estimates that Saskatchewan wait times for some surgical procedures are the longest in Canada – a conclusion that is directly contradicted by actual data found on the Saskatchewan Surgical Care Network (SSCN) Surgical Patient Registry.

Nilson has demanded that the Fraser Institute provide him with all the individual responses from those survey questionnaires that were completed for Saskatchewan, used to reach the conclusions in the report. This would include all the information that was received from each physician, so that it can be compared with the actual data from Saskatchewan's Surgical Care Network registry for each of these physicians.

"Enough is enough," Nilson said. "This report cannot be taken at face value. Its numbers are only estimates based on a weak and flawed methodology. Its response rate was, at best, only 32 per cent of practicing specialists in the province, thus leaving out information from 68 per cent of all specialists in Saskatchewan. At best, the questionnaires yield only opinions, not hard evidence of the actual surgeries performed. And, what is most telling, the report itself states that this methodology may have 'greatly exaggerated' the number of people waiting for surgeries in Saskatchewan. Those factors seriously undermine the credibility of the Fraser Institute and invalidate the findings in the report."

The Institute relies on opinions supplied voluntarily by a limited number of physicians, to arrive at estimates for wait times. As well, the Institute uses information only on what are described as "elective" surgeries, an outdated and inaccurate term that is used inconsistently from one physician to another, and from one province to another.

By contrast, the SSCN's Surgical Patient Registry has eliminated the use of this terminology, and has replaced it with a consistent assessment to determine the priority of the surgery, which is used by all Saskatchewan specialists. The SSCN also includes data on those patients waiting for surgery, unlike the Fraser Institute's small sample.

Nilson said the Saskatchewan Surgical Care Network (SSCN) has developed the most comprehensive surgical management system in Canada, a database that is the envy of other jurisdictions. "We have the most accurate wait time data in the country, and it has positioned us very well to address some of the surgical issues we are facing – issues that certainly exist across Canada. Unlike other jurisdictions, we will be able to target the new federal health dollars with pinpoint precision."

The Surgical Patient Registry shows that 80 per cent of Saskatchewan's surgical patients wait less than six months, and that about 90 per cent wait less than a year.

"The Fraser Institute has even acknowledged in this report, as in past years, that there are problems with the methodology it uses for Saskatchewan's data. Yet, it continues to publish this report. Why? It has also noted that errors may arise because many patients in the province are admitted for multiple procedures, and its methodology does not accurately reflect this. In its own words, the Institute has said 'the estimate of people waiting in the province may be greatly exaggerated.' Therefore, I am challenging their report and its findings," Nilson said.

-30-

For More Information, Contact:

Lindy McIntyre Health Regina Phone: (306) 787-8214