INDICATORS

Calculation: Indicator needs further development.
OECD, “waiting times of the patients admitted”: The time elapsed for a patient on the
elective surgery waiting list from the date they were added to the waiting list to the date
they were admitted to an inpatient or day-case surgical unit for the procedure (PTCA, hip
replacement, cataract operation). Both mean and median times in days.
Notes: The three procedures were selected as examples from the best for data availability at
OECD, and as being similar to the ones measured under the indicator 73. Surgeries: PTCA,
hip, cataract.
Concepts of “waiting times of the patients admitted” versus “waiting times of the patients on
the list at a census date”.
82. SURGICAL WOUND INFECTIONS
Definition: Surgical wound infection rate, as % of all surgical operations.
Calculation: Indicator needs development.
1) WHO: Average rate (in all hospitals) of inpatient surgical operations with postoperative
surgical wound infection (i.e. with code for postoperative wound infections, ICD-9: 998.5
and ICD-10: T81.4) during the given calendar year, expressed as percentage of all surgical
operations.
2) Safety Improvement for Patients in Europe, SImPatIE recommendation: Percent of
patients experiencing a wound infection (ICD-9 998.51 and 998.52; secondary diagnosis
only) out of all hospitalised patients. (Indicator PSI 11: Wound Infection)
Notes: Indicator for the safety of operative interventions. Wound infection can lead to reoperation
and prolonged hospital stay, to increased morbidity and mortality for patients and
to increased costs for the health care system. Amenable to interventions: the incidence of
wound infection can be reduced by proper pre-, intra- and post-operative care, in particular
strict hygiene.
83. CANCER TREATMENT DELAY
Definition: Cancer treatment delay is defined as the average time (in days) between the
date of first visit to general practitioner and the date of first treatment, by cancer site (breast,
colon and rectal cancer).
Calculation: No calculation procedure yet, indicator being developed. EUROCHIP: Cancer
treatment delay is calculated as the difference (in days) between “date of first visit to general
practitioner” and “date of first treatment”.
Notes: For each cancer patient, five (six) dates in his/her patient history can be distinguished:
1) First visit to general practitioner, 2) First request for a clinical/hospital appointment, 3)
First clinical/hospital appointment, 4) Date of definitive diagnosis, 5) Date of first treatment
(surgery, systemic therapy or radiotherapy), And for colon and rectal cancers, also 6)
Information on elective or emergency surgery.
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