Wait Times A Medical Liability Perspective - The Canadian ...

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CONCLUSIONS14All Canadians recognize the potentiallynegative impact that overly long waittimes can have on patient care.Inappropriately long waits may adverselyaffect patient outcomes, threaten patientsafety, and frustrate patients and theirproviders. Moreover, medicallyunreasonable wait times are a seriousthreat to the confidence Canadians have intheir health care system. Whilerepresenting only the first step in whatmust be a concerted and sustainedcampaign, recent efforts to reduce waittimes are encouraging and should befully supported.Since the root causes of lengthy wait timeshave existed for a number of years, evenwith immediate action, it will take sometime to achieve acceptable solutions. In theinterim, governments, regulatory authorities,regional and local health-care authorities,and health providers, including physicians,must work collectively to resolve theaccountability and liability issues associatedwith wait-times management. It will take acoordinated effort from all parties involved ifthe fundamental questions are to beaddressed. However, until these questionsare adequately addressed, the CMPA remainsconcerned physicians and their patients areat risk.Accordingly, the CMPA is committed toworking with all parties to put in placeworkable solutions to the accountability andliability issues. The Association believesimplementation of the recommendationsoutlined above would result in the tangiblereduction in the risk to which its membersand their patients are currently exposed. Thereduction of such risk should be animportant element of any wait-timesapproach. In this regard, the CMPArecognizes compromises may well berequired if the competing dynamics ofsystem efficiency, patient safety, professionalaccountability, individual liability andpatient expectations are to be met. Theprimary goal should be to ensure everyCanadian has timely access to high-qualityhealth care.
ReferencesBritish Columbia Medical Association.Waiting Too Long: Reducing and Better Managing Wait Times in BC. (June 2006).www.bcma.orgCanadian Medical Association.It’s About Access! (June 2006)www.cma.caCollege of Family Physicians of Canada.When the Clock Starts Ticking – Wait Times in Primary Care. (October 2006)www.cfpc.caCollege of Family Physicians of Canada.Wait Times Position Statement. (Dec. 19, 2005)www.cfpc.caHealth Canada.Final Report of the Federal Advisor on Wait Times. (June 2006.)www.hc-sc.gc.caNuala Kenny.“Some Ethical Reflections on Accountability.” HealthcarePapers Vol.7 No. 1Nuala Kenny.“Uncharted territory: Hippocratic ethics and health systems.”CMAJ. May 9, 2006. 174(10)www.cmaj.caOECD.Tackling Excessive Waiting Times for Elective Surgery: A Comparison of Policies in Twelve OECD Countrieswww.oecd.orgThe Canadian Medical Protective Association.Wait-time benchmarks: Medico-legal considerations, CMPA Information Letter, March 2007www.cmpa-acpm.caWait Time Alliance for Timely Access to Care.It’s about time! (August 2005)www.waittimealliance.caWait Time Alliance for Timely Access to Care.Time’s up: Achieving meaningful reductions in wait times (April 2007)www.waittimealliance.ca
Page 1: WAIT TIMESA MEDICAL LIABILITYPERSPE
Page 4 and 5: BACKGROUND4As a starting point, it
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Page 12 and 13: 12• Implement reliable wait-time
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