Whatever steps we can take to streamline and speed up the process has got to be a good thing.
Saskatchewan patients are expected to benefit from new scheduling options that will reduce the time spent waiting for consultations with specialists in order to receive surgery and other treatments.
To date eight groups of specialists in the province have adopted a process called pooled referrals, and a new provincial service is making it easier for specialists to participate even if they don't share an office.
Pooling referrals is about improving patient choice by offering the patient the option of seeing the next available specialist. Patients are consistently assigned to an appropriate specialist with the shortest wait time or they can choose to see a specific specialist.
Provided each specialist is well informed and kept in the loop this initiative makes logical sense.
"Before we started offering pooled referrals five months ago, the average wait for a gynecology appointment was 44 days," Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region's Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr. Corrine Jabs says. "We've cut that almost in half to 24 days. By levelling their workloads, our gynecologists are able to see patients sooner and achieve a more manageable workload."
Referral Management Services confirms receipt of the referral with the referring physician and contacts the patient within two weeks about an appointment. Specialists receive regular reports about the types of medical conditions being handled, the length of patient waits and other information that can be used to manage future demand and further improve health care delivery.
So far, two groups of specialists in Saskatoon, four in Regina and two in Prince Albert are using pooled referrals, with six more preparing to adopt this approach for improving access to care.
If it's proving that it works, the lives of Saskatchewan patients are worth the effort.
