Surgeon perspectives on surgical wait times and the single-entry model: challenges and opportunities for equitable access in a Canadian health care system.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Surgical wait times affect patient outcomes, access to care, and surgeon well-being. The single-entry model (SEM) has been proposed to address these issues, but its implementation raises concerns among surgeons. We sought to explore surgeons' perspectives on surgical wait times, referral processes, and the potential effect of the SEM on improving access to surgical care in a major metropolitan Canadian city.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative descriptive study to explore the perspectives of surgeons at a large community hospital using semi-structured interviews. We used thematic analysis to identify key themes regarding surgical wait times, referral processes, and the SEM.

Results

We interviewed 10 surgeons with different specialties and administrative role

SUBMITTER: Chung J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12479116 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature