Are waiting times for hospital admissions affected by patients' choices and mobility?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Waiting times for elective care have been considered a serious problem in many health care systems. A topic of particular concern has been how administrative boundaries act as barriers to efficient patient flows. In Norway, a policy combining patient's choice of hospital and removal of restriction on referrals was introduced in 2001, thereby creating a nationwide competitive referral system for elective hospital treatment. The article aims to analyse if patient choice and an increased opportunity for geographical mobility has reduced waiting times for individual elective patients.

Methods

A survey conducted among Norwegian somatic patients in 2004 gave information about whether the choice of hospital was made by the individual patient or by others. Survey data was

SUBMITTER: Ringard A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3160356 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature