PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - James G. Wright AU - Rena J. Menaker TI - Waiting for children’s surgery in Canada: the Canadian Paediatric Surgical Wait Times project AID - 10.1503/cmaj.101530 DP - 2011 Jun 14 TA - Canadian Medical Association Journal PG - E559--E564 VI - 183 IP - 9 4099 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/183/9/E559.short 4100 - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/183/9/E559.full SO - CMAJ2011 Jun 14; 183 AB - Background In addition to possibly prolonged suffering and anxiety, extended waits for children’s surgery beyond critical developmental periods has potential for lifelong impact. The goal of this study was to determine the duration of waits for surgery for children and youth at Canadian paediatric academic health sciences centres using clinically-derived access targets (i.e., the maximum acceptable waiting periods for completion of specific types of surgery) as used in this Canadian Paediatric Surgical Wait Times project. Methods We prospectively applied standardized wait-time targets for surgery, created by nominal-group consensus expert panels, to pediatric patients at children’s health sciences centres across Canada with decision-to-treat dates of Sept. 1, 2007 or later. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 30, 2009, patients’ actual wait times were compared with their target wait times to determine the percentage of patients receiving surgery after the target waiting period. Results Overall, 27% of pediatric patients from across Canada (17411 of 64012) received their surgery after their standardized target waiting period. Dentistry, ophthalmology, plastic surgery and cancer surgery showed the highest percentages of surgeries completed past target. Interpretation Many children wait too long for surgery in Canada. Specific attention is required, in particular, in dentistry, ophthalmology, plastic surgery and cancer care, to address children’s wait times for surgery. Improved access may be realized with use of national wait-time targets.See related research by Ahn and colleagues at www.cmaj.ca/cgi/doi/10.1503/cmaj.101511.